Table of contents:
- Mixed anxiety depressive disorder: symptoms
- Diagnostic criteria according to DSM-V
- Causes of mixed anxiety depressive disorder
- Is Mixed Anxiety Depressive Disorder Cured?
Rating: 4.7 (3 votes) 5 comments
The mixed anxiety depressive disorder is one of the mental disorders that has been most debated in terms of whether or not it is taken into account within the classification of mental disorders. Finally, it has not been accepted within this classification and not precisely because a person cannot present it, but rather it is diagnosed separately as a depressive disorder with anxiety traits or vice versa. Mixed anxiety-depressive disorder refers to those cases in which people cannot be diagnosed with anxiety or depression since they do not meet all the symptoms, however they show to have some symptoms of both pathologies simultaneously.
In this article from Psychology-Online. Mixed anxiety depressive disorder: causes, symptoms and treatment, we will describe in greater depth what this type of pathology consists of.
You may also be interested in: Manic-Depressive Disorder (Bipolar) Index- Mixed anxiety depressive disorder: symptoms
- Causes of mixed anxiety depressive disorder
- Is Mixed Anxiety Depressive Disorder Cured?
Mixed anxiety depressive disorder: symptoms
It is necessary to take into account that, for a person to be diagnosed with this type of disorder, it is necessary that the symptoms that they present, both anxiety and depression, are mild. Another issue to take into account is that all the symptoms that the person presents are having an impact on one or more areas of their life.
Diagnostic criteria according to DSM-V
In order for a person to be diagnosed with an anxiety-depressive disorder, they must meet some of the following symptoms, taking into account that they must have been experiencing them for at least 1 month in a row and a depressed mood. The main symptoms are the following:
- Being quite irritable and upset most of the day
- Have a constant and intense worry even without having any real reason to be worried
- Difficulty concentrating on any type of activity and learning any new skills
- Having sleep problems
- Experiencing tiredness and fatigue
- Having negative obsessive thoughts most of the day
- Being extremely sensitive and wanting to cry
- Feelings of worthlessness and low self-esteem
- Excessive worry about what will happen in the future and feel the need to protect yourself
All these symptoms cause the person suffering from them a high degree of dissatisfaction and unhappiness in one or more areas of their life.
Causes of mixed anxiety depressive disorder
It has been found that there are different causes that can lead a person to suffer from mixed anxiety depressive disorder. This type of psychological imbalance can appear in combination with various factors such as environmental, psychological and biological. Next, we will explain what each of them consists of.
- Biological factors. There are some biological factors that can influence a person to suffer from this type of disorder, such as an imbalance in brain chemistry due to the deficiency of some neurotransmitters such as serotonin and / or dopamine. This can also be hereditary and passed from one generation to the next.
- Psychological factors. Among these factors is everything related to the personality of the individual, there are certain personality traits or characteristics that are more vulnerable to suffering from this type of disorder. Here also influences what are the person's own beliefs, their thoughts, ideas and the general perception they have of life.
- Environmental factors. Among the main environmental factors is that one has grown up in a dysfunctional family, having received an insecure type of attachment and having had enough difficulties and problems throughout life, mainly family and economic.
Is Mixed Anxiety Depressive Disorder Cured?
People suffering from this type of disorder need to undergo psychological treatment. The psychological treatment that has obtained the best results for the cure of this condition is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The goal of this therapy is to gradually reduce the person's symptoms of anxiety and depression. To achieve this, first of all, the patient is explained through psychoeducation what his diagnosis is and all the aspects related to it, such as knowing what the disorder he is suffering from, its causes, symptoms, consequences, among others. stuff.
Afterwards, work is done on reducing their level of physiological activation related to anxiety, for this, relaxation and breathing techniques are used. On the other hand, it also works through cognitive restructuring with those negative thoughts that incite them to act or feel in a certain way, which is why they are modified to change the perception of the person and that they become more positive. Another objective is for the patient to improve their mood and to do so, work is done with behavioral activation by making the patient return to those activities that were pleasant to them.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Mixed Anxious Depressive Disorder: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical Psychology.