Mixed Anxiety and Depressive Disorder

[Eccentrics]

What is this?
Is anybody else here diagnosed with it?

I just received my summary letter back from the psychiatrist and now apparently I have this little joy alongside my social phobia. I've never heard of it before and quite frankly google isn't providing much help.

Thanks in advance <3
- Holly

[Ballerina123]

By mixed anxiety I think they mean you have a mixture of 2 or more anxiety disorders and by depressive disorder they meant you may have a mood disorder but they have not yet decided which one you have.

The way it is written suggested to me that they are still unsure where you lye in terms of a diagnosis but that they feel you have anxiety and depressive disorder symptoms.

^this is only my opinion based on how it is written.
Obviously if you would like to the true anwser you need to ask the person who diagnosed you.

[Eccentrics]

Kate: Thankyou for your input!

When my psychiatrist wrote the diagnoses, she numbered each one. I'm just slightly confused as "Mixed anxiety and depressive disorder" was all under one number, as if it were an illness of it's own. Like this:
1. Mixed anxiety and depressive disorder
2. Social phobia

I also think that it might mean they're still unsure. I was going to ask about it at my appointment today but I couldn't bring myself to say, as I'm not sure if I was supposed to read the summary letter or if it was only for my parents!

[MrsNutkin]

If you have any questions, try to ask them. Even if you need to write them down

[Eccentrics]

I suppose I will have to, as nobody else seems to have or know what this illness is. :'( Woe. I'll write it down and ask my psychiatrist at my next appointment.

[Epicene]

A friend of mine has this exact same diagnosis, so don't worry - you're not the only one!

My understanding of it is that you suffer from symptoms of both depression and anxiety to an equal extent, and that those symptoms of anxiety and depression 'work together' in causing you distress. So, you may not fit the criteria for depression in itself, or general anxiety disorder in itself, but the combination of the depressive and anxious symptoms you display demonstrate a clear negative impact on your health and warrant diagnosing. Going along these lines, the social phobia can remain a single diagnosis because you match the specific criteria for it.

Your psychiatrist may have another explanation so it's worth asking, but I hope that clarifies some things!

[Eccentrics]

Shed: Thankyou so much! Your reply has been extremely helpful :)