Anxiety + Depression: Effective Treatment of the Big Two Co-Occurring Disorders

by Margaret Wehrenberg Psy.D.

Overview

Tips and techniques for managing a prevalent co-existing condition.

Anxiety and depression are two of the most common complaints in therapy, and its not unusual for clients to suffer from both simultaneously. But spotting the co-occurrence is not easy. When one symptom picture dominates, diagnosis and treatment are pretty straightforward. But consider how fuzzy the clinical picture can become:

Depression can rob an anxious client of the energy needed to control her symptoms; acute anxiety can make anyone depressed and exhausted; and what happens when anxiety masquerades as depression, or vice versa? What are the signs that this is happening?

It’s hard enough to treat these two disorders when they exist on their own, and it gets even harder when they present together.

In her customary practical style and conversational tone, Margaret Wehrenberg unravels the complexity of this common comorbidity, teaching therapists exactly how to tackle it.

Beginning with “Where to Start?”, she walks readers through a variety of common tricks for distinguishing between anxiety and depression, and provides an assessment plan for determining which set of symptoms the client is most ready to work on.

The book goes on to highlight seven common types of comorbid clients, who can be arrayed on a spectrum, from the “low energy” (depressed) on one end to the “high anxiety” (anxious) on the other, and everything in between, including the “hopeless ruminator,” the “quiet avoider,” and the “high-energy anxious and depressed” client. By organizing the book around these typical client profiles, readers are given a more realistic picture of what comorbid anxiety and depression look like and how to best help their clients.

Wondering where depression ends and anxiety begins, or vice versa, and how you can most effectively help your clients when they’re struggling with both? The key clinical strategies offered in this book provide a practical roadmap forward, helping therapists and their clients to better understand the symptom picture, manage its effects, and heal.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393708738
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	05/19/2014
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Margaret Wehrenberg, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist in private practice, a popular public speaker, and international anxiety coach. She is the author of numerous books, including The 10 Best-Ever Anxiety Management Techniques. She lives in Naperville, IL.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

Chapter 1 Where to Start? 1

Chapter 2 Underlying Causes 20

Chapter 3 The Low-Energy Client 42

Chapter 4 The Hopeless Ruminator 67

Chapter 5 The Panicky & Depressed Client 90

Chapter 6 The Worried & Exhausted Client 114

Chapter 7 The Quiet Avoider 136

Chapter 8 The High-Energy Anxious & Depressed Client 158

Chapter 9 The High-Anxiety Client 184

Chapter 10 Overarching Therapy Considerations 210

Appendix A The Balance Wheel 239

Appendix B Medication 244

Reading & Resources 257

References 265

Index 269

Editorial Reviews

"This book has significant value for those who work with children and families, both in understanding what is causing a child’s anxiety or depression, and in encouraging changes in parenting style that can avoid lifelong problems."

Parenting Press Newsletter

"If you want to efficiently, effectively, and successfully treat anxiety and depression, read this book! By profiling the seven most common client types seen on the anxiety/depression spectrum, Margaret Wehrenberg insightfully guides readers to recognize the critical interplay between these two ubiquitous disorders, master psychotherapeutic strategies to tailor treatments, and help patients gain freedom from the pain of co-morbid anxiety and depression, a challenging treatment situation."

Stephen V. Sobel

"Dr. Wehrenberg’s latest contribution to the field of treatment of depression and anxiety is a useful tool for any practitioner working with such a patient population. It encourages in-depth thinking of the implications of the diagnoses and provides a number of useful strategies tailored to specific issues that a variety of patients might encounter."

The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease