The concept of comorbidity, as far as psychiatry is concerned, refers to the presence of two disorders occurring in one person at the same time.
In mental health, the most common instance of comorbidity is that of depression and anxiety. While depression is often considered a low energy state and anxiety a high energy state, depression and anxiety are more related than you may think. Both depression and anxiety are characterized by negative thoughts, whether they are about negative events that have happened in the past or about something that might happen in the future.
It is believed that half of all people who suffer from depression also experience higher-than-normal levels of anxiety. While it is not known exactly why these conditions are so often paired together, there are some theories.
One main theory is that depression and anxiety have similar biological mechanisms. In people with depression and anxiety there has been a chemical malfunction in their brain, which can trigger negative emotional states. Another theory is that there are so many overlapping symptoms to depression and anxiety that people frequently meet the criteria for both disorders. Additionally, it is common to see depression triggered by an anxiety disorder, and anxiety triggered by a depressive episode.
When faced with the co-existence of depression and anxiety, there are many challenges when it comes to developing an effective treatment plan. Clinicians have found that when these disorders occur together, the symptoms can be more severe than if they were to occur alone. Specifically, the symptoms of depression can take longer to resolve, making the disorder more resistant to treatment.
It will be critical for the medical provider to understand how to treat both disorders in those of their patients who struggle with multiple psychiatric conditions. Developing an effective anxiety and depression treatment plan may require creativity, and an understanding of where one disorder ends and the other begins. Some frequent treatment options that are used in conjunction with each other are lifestyle changes, counseling, and/or the use of antidepressants or ketamine infusions.
For stubborn, treatment-resistant cases of anxiety and/or depression, ketamine infusions are a highly effective treatment option. Effective in up to 70% of patients, ketamine infusions work rapidly to alleviate symptoms of both depression and anxiety, allowing patients to reclaim their lives and get back to what matters most.
Contact Vitalitas Denver
For more information about ketamine for depression and anxiety, contact Vitalitas Denver. We are one of Colorado’s leading ketamine treatment centers, with locations near Denver and Boulder/Fort Collins. Contact us using the brief form below and we’ll help get you started on the path towards health, happiness and wellbeing.
