Anxiety vs Depression: Understanding the Difference

At a broad level, anxiety often pulls us towards the future, while depression can draw us into the past.

Anxiety is shaped by “what if?” thinking: scanning ahead for potential danger, even when no real threat is present. Depression, on the other hand, can leave us focused on loss, regret, or a sense that something has already gone wrong and cannot be changed.

Although anxiety and depression are often talked about together, they can feel very different to live with. Understanding these differences can be a helpful first step towards feeling more grounded and supported.

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a natural response designed to help keep us safe. When we sense a threat, the body switches into a stress response, preparing us to protect ourselves. This response is very effective when there is real danger.

Problems can arise when this internal alarm system becomes overactive.

With gentle explanation and support, these feelings can often be understood and reframed, helping anxiety become something that supports confidence rather than undermines it.

When anxiety feels overwhelming, it does not mean your body is failing. It is a protective system working very hard.

Over time, many people find that small, conscious choices can help calm the nervous system and restore a sense of balance, such as:

• slowing your breathing
• grounding yourself in the present moment
• gently questioning catastrophic thoughts

What Is Depression?

Depression often feels heavier and slower. Many people notice experiences such as low mood, emotional numbness, exhaustion, reduced motivation, difficulty concentrating, or a sense of hopelessness.

Where anxiety may say “something bad might happen,” depression can sound more like “what’s the point?”

Everyone’s experience is different, and depression does not look the same for everyone.

In counselling, work with depression is often slow and gentle. The focus may be on taking small, manageable steps, reconnecting with meaning, exploring unhelpful patterns, and rebuilding motivation at a pace that feels safe.

Having a space that feels steady and non-judgemental can make it easier to begin this process.

Medication and Therapy

Some people who experience anxiety or depression are prescribed medication, and for many this can be helpful, particularly when things feel intense or overwhelming. Medication can reduce the severity of certain experiences, creating more stability in day-to-day life or making it possible to engage in therapy.

Medication on its own does not usually address the deeper reasons behind anxiety or depression, such as long-standing patterns, difficult experiences, or ongoing pressures.

Therapy can support exploration of these areas, helping you understand what is happening for you, develop coping strategies that feel right, process emotional pain, and build resilience over time.

Decisions about medication are always made with a qualified healthcare professional, such as your GP. A counsellor would not advise on medical matters.

Some people find medication and therapy work well together, while others choose therapy alone. There is no single right approach; what matters most is finding support that fits your individual needs.

How Therapy Can Help

Therapy offers a safe, supportive space to explore your experiences at your own pace. You do not need to have the right words or a clear explanation for how you feel before starting.

Through counselling, you may begin to:

• understand what your anxiety or low mood is communicating
• develop practical ways to manage overwhelming feelings
• notice and gently challenge unhelpful thought patterns
• reconnect with your strengths, values, and sense of self

Therapy can help you take small, manageable steps forward, whether that means easing anxiety, lifting the weight of depression, or learning to live alongside both with greater compassion and confidence.

A Question to Sit With

If you could offer yourself one small piece of kindness this week, what might it be?