Many people who live with depression also feel constantly worried, tense, or on edge. And many people with anxiety find that, over time, they start to feel hopeless and drained. Anxiety and depression together are so common that clinicians often look for one whenever they see the other. This guide explains why they overlap, what anxious depression feels like, and how treating anxiety and depression at the same time can help.
How Common Are Anxiety and Depression Together?
Anxiety and depression together are common, because both are among the most frequent mental health conditions and they share many risk factors. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 21.0 million U.S. adults, or 8.3%, had at least one major depressive episode in 2021. Past-year rates were highest among young adults ages 18 to 25, at 18.6%.
Anxiety is even more common. NIMH estimates that 19.1% of U.S. adults had an anxiety disorder in the past year. With numbers like these, it’s no surprise that many people experience both.
Share of U.S. adults with at least one major depressive episode in the past year.
Why Comorbid Anxiety and Depression Happen
Comorbid anxiety and depression happen because the two conditions share overlapping brain circuits, stress responses, genetic risks, and life triggers, and each can feed the other. Chronic worry can wear down energy and hope, leading to depression. Depression can make people more sensitive to stress and more prone to worry.
Some symptoms also overlap, such as poor sleep, trouble concentrating, fatigue, and irritability. That overlap can make it hard to tell where one condition ends and the other begins, which is why a careful evaluation matters.
Anxiety and depression aren't two separate problems competing for attention. They often share roots, and treatment can target both.
What Anxious Depression Feels Like
Anxious depression feels like being both down and wound up: low mood, loss of interest, and hopelessness alongside restlessness, worry, tension, and sometimes panic. People often describe feeling exhausted yet unable to relax, or dreading the day while lying awake at night.
| Anxiety | Depression | |
|---|---|---|
| Core feeling | Worry, tension, fear | Sadness, emptiness, hopelessness |
| Energy | Restless, keyed up | Low, slowed down |
| Shared symptoms | Poor sleep, trouble concentrating, irritability | Poor sleep, trouble concentrating, irritability |
| Common treatments | SSRIs, SNRIs, CBT | SSRIs, SNRIs, CBT |
Clinicians sometimes describe depression with prominent anxiety as depression “with anxious distress.” Recognizing it matters, because it can affect how quickly treatment works and which approaches are chosen.
Dealing with both anxiety and depression?
A thorough evaluation can help. By telehealth across South Carolina and New York.
Treating Anxiety and Depression at the Same Time
Treating anxiety and depression at the same time is often possible with one plan, because several treatments, including SSRIs, SNRIs, and cognitive behavioral therapy, help both conditions. Your psychiatrist will look at which symptoms are most disruptive, your history with medications, and your preferences.
Combining therapy with medication can add benefit. A meta-analysis of 52 randomized trials found that combined treatment worked better than medication alone for major depression and for panic disorder, with benefits lasting up to two years.
- Get evaluated. Identify which conditions are present and how severe each is.
- Prioritize symptoms. Decide with your psychiatrist which symptoms to target first.
- Choose a treatment that covers both. SSRIs, SNRIs, and CBT often help anxiety and depression together.
- Consider therapy plus medication. Combined care often works better than medication alone.
- Track progress. Use scales like the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 to measure both.
Our guides to SSRIs vs SNRIs and psychiatrists vs therapists explain the options in more detail.
Mixed Anxiety and Depression: Getting the Diagnosis Right
Getting the diagnosis right with mixed anxiety and depression means identifying which conditions are present, how severe each is, and whether something else, such as bipolar disorder, a medical condition, or substance use, is driving the symptoms. That shapes treatment choices.
Many people with depression get help, but not all. In 2021, 61.0% of U.S. adults with a major depressive episode received treatment in the past year, rising to 74.8% among those with severe impairment. If depression hasn’t improved with treatment, our guide to treatment-resistant depression explains next steps.
Share receiving treatment in the past year, overall and among those with severe impairment.
Down and wound up at once
Low mood and constant worry that feed each other and make every day harder.
One plan for both
An evaluation that identifies both conditions and a treatment that targets them together.
Calmer and more hopeful
Improvement in mood and anxiety, tracked with rating scales over time.
Dr. Gabriella Farkas, MD PhD
Board-certified adult psychiatrist with a PhD in neuroscience. Dr. Farkas evaluates overlapping conditions carefully and builds treatment plans that address the whole picture.
About Dr. Farkas →When to Get Help
Get help when worry and low mood last more than two weeks, affect your work, relationships, or sleep, or when you’re using alcohol or other substances to cope. You don’t have to decide which condition you have before reaching out.
A comprehensive adult psychiatric evaluation can sort out what’s happening and build a plan that treats both. Our guides to anxiety and insomnia and panic disorder vs panic attacks cover related topics. If you’re having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 in the US.
Key Terms
- Comorbidity
- Having two or more conditions at the same time, such as anxiety and depression.
- Anxious distress
- A specifier used when depression includes prominent anxiety, tension, or restlessness.
- Major depressive episode
- A period of at least two weeks of depressed mood or loss of interest, with other symptoms that impair functioning.
- CBT
- Cognitive behavioral therapy, a structured therapy that helps with both anxiety and depression.
Common Questions About Anxiety and Depression
Can you have anxiety and depression at the same time?
Yes, many people have anxiety and depression at the same time, because the two conditions share brain circuits, stress responses, and risk factors, and each can feed the other. Having both is common. It can make each harder to treat. Many treatments help both. An evaluation can clarify what's present.
What is anxious depression?
Anxious depression is depression with prominent anxiety, such as worry, tension, or restlessness, alongside low mood and loss of interest. Clinicians may call it depression with anxious distress. It's common. It can affect treatment choices. It's treatable. Your psychiatrist can assess both parts. Treatment can target anxiety and mood together. Rating scales track both.
Which medication treats both anxiety and depression?
SSRIs and SNRIs are commonly used to treat both anxiety and depression, and your psychiatrist will choose based on your symptoms, history, and side effects. Benzodiazepines aren't usually a long-term choice. Medication takes weeks. It can be combined with therapy. Doses are adjusted over time. Your preferences matter too.
Does therapy help anxiety and depression together?
Yes, therapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy helps both anxiety and depression, and research shows combining therapy with medication often works better than medication alone. CBT teaches practical skills. Skills last after therapy ends. Many people use both. Your psychiatrist can coordinate care. Therapy can be done by telehealth.
Why do anxiety and depression happen together?
Anxiety and depression happen together because they share biological and psychological roots, overlapping symptoms, and common triggers like chronic stress, and one can lead to the other over time. Worry can wear down mood. Depression can heighten worry. Treating both breaks the cycle. Help is available. An evaluation can map the pattern.
How common is depression in the U.S.?
NIMH data show that 8.3% of U.S. adults, about 21 million people, had at least one major depressive episode in 2021, with the highest rate among adults ages 18 to 25. Many also have anxiety. Most people who get treatment improve. You're not alone. Reaching out is a strong first step.
Can I get treatment for anxiety and depression by telehealth?
Yes, Dr. Farkas evaluates and treats anxiety and depression together by secure telehealth for adults in South Carolina and New York, with rating scales to track both. You'll need a private space. A device with a camera works well. Therapy referrals can be arranged. Follow-ups use the same platform. Prescriptions are sent to your pharmacy.
You don’t have to untangle it alone.
One evaluation, one plan for both.
Sources
- National Institute of Mental Health. “Major Depression.” NIMH Statistics, 2021 NSDUH data. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression
- National Institute of Mental Health. “Any Anxiety Disorder.” NIMH Statistics. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder
- Cuijpers P, Sijbrandij M, Koole SL, et al. “Adding psychotherapy to antidepressant medication in depression and anxiety disorders: a meta-analysis.” World Psychiatry, 2014;13(1):56–67. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24497254/
Educational content only. This article does not constitute medical advice and does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911. Treatment decisions should be made with a qualified clinician familiar with your circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026.