5 Key Truths About Anxiety and Depression in Grief

“I have panic attacks. They come out of nowhere. Now I walk around anxious, waiting for the next attack to descend. It’s like being in a war,” Patty said.

“I get anxious, then depressed about being anxious, and then anxious about being depressed,” Dave chimed in.

Patty and Dave’s daughter Brittany was their only child. She grew into a lovely and poised young woman. She excelled in academics through college and graduate school and landed a fantastic job in a great company. She quickly settled into her new, big-city life.

Brittany began her days by running in the park. One morning she didn’t come back. The police found her a few hours later, slain by an unknown assailant. She was 27.

“It’s unbelievable, even now. What kind of world do we live in where these things happen?” Patty asked.

Anxiety and depression make a challenging combo.

Here are 5 things to remember about this challenging duo:

1. The anxiety-depression combo is common in grief.

Experiencing some anxiety and depression in times of grief is natural and common. We tend to consider them opposites, but they often go together.

Use your grief to help save lives!

I started out to write a book for those who have lost a loved one to suicide (that book is coming in November!).

As I began my research, I thought, “What better way to honor these survivors and loved ones than to write resources to help prevent teens and adults from taking their own lives?”

The result was the Suicide Prevention Project, and four books, the first of which (pictured here) will be released in less than 2 weeks.

You can make a massive difference and save lives even while grieving. Stay tuned for more on theSuicide Prevention Project.

Loss is painful. Grief is hard. Together, we can make a difference!