If you are exhibiting symptoms of both anxiety and depression, you may be dealing with something known as anxious depression. This condition combines your anxious thoughts and tendencies with your depressive episodes, making each feel more intense. While coping with only one of these mental health concerns can be challenging, living with both can have an even greater impact on your life.
You might mistake your anxious depression symptoms for either anxiety or depression alone. However, if you find out that you are dealing with a combination of both, your approach to finding relief may need to change. Exploring new or unconsidered treatment options can be a good next step—but first, you need to identify exactly what you are experiencing. Our team at The TMS Center of New Jersey can help guide you through that process.
If you are experiencing depression with comorbid anxiety, you may notice several symptoms of anxiety, including:
Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. However, some people may experience episodes of intense fear and panic, which can often culminate in a panic attack. When this kind of anxiety becomes part of your daily life, it can have a debilitating impact on you. Our team at The TMS Center of New Jersey can help you manage these feelings.
As with anxiety, many signs of depression may accompany anxious depression, including:
While many people experience some of these symptoms occasionally, they should not persist over time. If you exhibit a combination of these signs, you may be dealing with depression.
Treating the symptoms of depression with comorbid anxiety may take several forms. Traditional medications and psychotherapy can help improve symptoms of one or both conditions. However, finding the right combination of treatments can be a challenging and time-consuming process.
Some people may find the systemic side effects of medication to be problematic, while others may be dealing with treatment-resistant depression—a condition in which traditional treatments have not worked. If you would like to try a different approach, NeuroStar transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy may help treat your anxious depression. TMS therapy is an FDA-cleared treatment for both treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder.
NeuroStar TMS therapy uses electromagnetic fields to stimulate underactive areas of the brain. By targeting the regions that affect mood, TMS therapy can increase electrical activity and support healthy neural networks within the brain. It is a non-invasive procedure, meaning it involves no surgery and no cognitive impairment.
For your NeuroStar TMS therapy sessions, you will visit The TMS Center of New Jersey multiple times a week over the course of seven weeks. Each session lasts about 20 minutes, during which you will sit in a comfortable chair and wear ear protection while a magnetic coil targets specific regions of your brain. You can return to your regular activities after each session. We recommend completing the full seven-week treatment plan for the best results.
Our skilled team at The TMS Center of New Jersey is here to help you manage your anxious depression. The first step is identifying the anxious depression symptoms you are experiencing. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn more about your diagnosis and treatment options. You deserve to live your best life, and we are ready to support you on that journey.
