Anxiety can begin early in life for people with depression or bipolar disorder. 
Anxiety and mood disorders can be co-occuring diagnosis.

The content of this section was created using information visitors to the National DBSA Web site gave us in an online survey. To see a summary of results from 2005, click here or here for results in 2007. 

You are not alone.

DBSA asked web site visitors to take an anxiety survey in March 2005. More than 95% of the people, most of whom were diagnosed with depression or bipolar disorder, had experienced anxiety symptoms.

Anxiety can begin early in life for people with depression or bipolar disorder. More than half the people said they had experienced anxiety some time between birth and age 18. Even if you can’t remember a time when you didn’t feel worried or fearful, there are things you can do today to work toward a life that is not controlled by anxiety.

What’s causing the anxiety?

With mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder, sometimes anxiety is a symptom.  Other times it is a separate illness.  It also may have physical, environmental or lifestyle-related causes.

When we asked people living with anxiety and a mood disorder where they thought their anxiety came from, here's what they said:

Symptom of a mood disorder...69.5%
Separate Illness.....................11.1%
Side effect of medication..........9.6%
Response to life event(s).........68.4%
Heredity................................44.3%

Is anxiety a symptom of mood disorders or a separate illness?

Anxiety has some things in common with depression, such as low levels of the brain chemical serotonin.  Because of this, some treatments for depression can help anxiety symptoms too, including antidepressant medications and psychotherapy.  Some bipolar disorder treatments, including antipsychotic medications, can also help with anxiety symptoms.

Fight or Flight

As long as humans have been on earth, when they have been confronted with threatening situations, their bodies have had automatic responses to prepare them to fight the threat or run away from it.

For example:

• Increased alertness

• Increased heart rate
• More blood flowing in the muscles of the arms and legs, possibly causing shaking or jitters
• Less blood flowing in the digestive system so more blood is available to the arms and legs, possibly causing dry mouth or abdominal discomfort
• Dilated pupils (for better vision)
• Constricted blood vessels in the skin and open sweat glands, leading to paleness or clamminess

In our brains, the hypothalamus, when stimulated, directs nerve cells to fire and starts a chemical release increasing adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol in the blood and causing the reactions listed above.

In people with depression, bipolar disorder and/or anxiety disorders, the fight or flight response may be stimulated more often and for longer periods of time than in people without these illnesses. This means that more things are perceived as threatening. An out-of-balance fight or flight response can cause a person to

• Have a real physical reaction to everyday people, places or things

• Believe danger is around every corner
• Be convinced something terrible will happen if certain things aren’t done a certain way
• Feel constantly keyed-up and on-edge
• Avoid everyday people, places or things in an effort to avoid the anxiety response

All of these things can interfere with people’s lives so much that they aren’t able to do things they would like to do and their relationships are strained or lost.

Common Symptoms of Anxiety:

Physical

Other physical conditions of the brain or body, including illness, can cause or worsen anxiety symptoms. For some people, anxiety may be a result of medication side effects.  If your anxiety symptoms start suddenly within the first couple of weeks after you start taking the medication, they may be side effects.  Keep track of them and let your health care providers know.

Tell your provider about any other illnesses you have and medications you take.  Talk about how your medications affect you and work with your providers to find ways to change your treatment and reduce your anxiety.  You don't have to live with side effects. Your doctor should be able to work with you to find ways to reduce or eliminate them.

Environment

When a person spends time in stressful situations, anxiety is likely to be high.  High-tension home or work relationships, or any situation in which a person’s fight or flight response is triggered, can make anxiety symptoms worse.  Sometimes situations can be changed, other times a person can be helped by therapy and other treatments to respond to situations with less anxiety.

Lifestyle

Many people find the increased excitement or adrenaline rush that comes with a high-risk lifestyle enjoyable.  A person may also engage in high-risk activities as a symptom of mania or a response to the hopelessness of depression.  A high-risk lifestyle can be a source of anxiety.  Alcohol and drugs, though people often use them to cope with anxiety, can also cause anxiety by setting off chemical changes in the brain.

More about mood disorders and alcohol or drug use
 

Whatever is causing your anxiety, there is help. 

Treating and Living with Anxiety