Our Services / Anxiety & Depression Specialist

What are anxiety and depression?

Anxiety and depression are mental health conditions that affect the way you think, feel, and behave. Many people with anxiety also have depression and vice versa. Diagnosing each condition can be a complex process because they share several symptoms, including irritability and changes in appetite.

What is the difference between anxiety and depression?

Anxiety and depression have distinct characteristics that set each condition apart from one another.

Anxiety

Most people feel nervous and fearful from time to time. However, anxiety can cause persistent feelings of worry in response to everyday events, like your health or meeting new people. Common symptoms of anxiety include:

• Feelings of worry, dread, or nervousness
• Insomnia
• Brain fog
• Irritability
• Restlessness
• Fatigue
• Muscle tension
• Nausea
• Headaches
• Increased heart rate

There are many types of anxiety, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety.

Depression

Everybody feels sad, cynical, or hopeless at some point during their life, especially during times of stress. If you have clinical depression, you may experience these feelings for longer than two weeks. While depression affects everyone differently, the most common symptoms include:

• Persistent sadness or hopelessness
• Fatigue
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Difficulty concentrating
• Suicidal thoughts
• Weight gain or loss
• Loss of interest in once-loved activities
• Muscle aches
• Digestive issues

Only an exam from an experienced practitioner can diagnose depression and anxiety. The providers at Peridot Primary Care can perform a full evaluation to diagnose and treat your condition.

What are the treatments for anxiety and depression?

At Peridot Primary Care, patients always receive individualized treatment for anxiety and depression. A combination of medication and counseling may help alleviate your symptoms. For predictable medication outcomes, the practice offers GeneSight testing. This psychotropic testing service analyzes how your genes may affect medication outcomes.

With GeneSight testing, your provider can break down how you may respond to certain medications. The test, which evaluates genetic responses to anxiety, depression, and ADHD medications, is a simple cheek swab that your provider performs. You can even take it in the comfort of your own home.

To learn more about anxiety and depression, call Peridot Primary Care or schedule an appointment online today.