Featuring Barry A. Hendin, MD

MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer

Barry Hendin, MD

Question: What are the symptoms of anxiety, and how does anxiety differ from depression?

Answer: It is common for people with and without MS to experience anxiety from time to time. Anxiety can be helpful in fact, alerting us to dangers around us or focusing our attention on stressors. Anxiety, however, can become more problematic when it’s severe, pervasive, and persistent. Then it becomes a disorder: generalized anxiety disorder. At that point, it distracts from our quality of life.

Anxiety is common in multiple sclerosis. Between 30% to 50% of people with MS are estimated to have significant anxiety. Some of the anxiety that’s experienced may relate to circumstances such as altered physical capabilities or changes in one’s home or workplace. But some of the anxiety is also probably intrinsic to changes in the brain itself. It is interesting to note that in the years before the onset of symptoms or a diagnosis, people who are later diagnosed with MS, have an increased use of mental health professionals for symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Symptoms of anxiety may include dread, worry, fear, and uneasiness. Physical symptoms can include palpitations, tremor, insomnia, gastrointestinal upset, and fatigue. People with anxiety can also experience a sudden worsening of anxiety, in the form of panic attacks.

Depression can be hard to distinguish from anxiety because they so often occur together, and because some of their symptoms are similar. Both may be associated with fatigue, insomnia, and worry. But depression is more often associated with hopelessness, guilt, sadness, crying, poor concentration, and poor memory. When depression is severe, some individuals have suicidal ideation. [Editor’s note: Anyone having thoughts about suicide should immediately contact a mental health professional. The number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255).]

Fortunately, depression and anxiety are treatable. When symptoms are mild, they may be treated by a primary care clinician, but when they interfere with quality of life, it’s often useful to engage a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist. Medications can be helpful, and non-pharmacologic interventions are also quite helpful. Wellness should be a foundation for maintaining one’s best mental health and quality of life, including regular exercise, healthy eating, and maintaining social and community connections.

For more information, please visit MSAA’s website sections focusing on anxiety and depression.

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Barry A. Hendin, MD, is a neurologist and Director of the Arizona Integrated Neurology MS Center. He is also Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic at Banner University Medical Center and Clinical Professor of Neurology at the University of Arizona Medical School.

MSAA’s Ask the Expert series recently received an APEX Award for Best Series of Blog Posts as well as a Merit Award from the 26th Annual Digital Health Awards!