Don’t blame depression for the Germanwings tragedy

[uppityperson]

23. These are not anti-depressants but a different category, anti-anxiety medicines

There is a huge difference between depression and anxiety. Of course symptoms can overlap, but the disease and treatments are very different.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anxiolytic

An anxiolytic (also antipanic or antianxiety agent)[1] is a medication or other intervention that inhibits anxiety. This effect is in contrast to anxiogenic agents, which increase anxiety. Together these categories of psychoactive compounds or interventions may be referred to as anxiotropic compounds/agents. Some recreational drugs such as ethanol (alcohol) induce anxiolysis. Anxiolytic medications have been used for the treatment of anxiety and its related psychological and physical symptoms. Anxiolytics have been shown to be useful in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Light therapy and other interventions have also been found to have an anxiolytic effect.[2]

Alprazolam (Xanax)
Bromazepam (Lectopam, Lexotan)
Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)
Clonazepam (Klonopin, Rivotril)
Clorazepate (Tranxene)
Diazepam (Valium)
Flurazepam (Dalmane)
Lorazepam (Ativan)
Oxazepam (Serax, Serapax)
Temazepam (Restoril)
Triazolam (Halcion)

Anti-depression meds used to be mainly those, now are mostly SSRIs (and others of course) but not primarily anxiolytics.

http://www.anxietycoach.com/anxiety-and-depression.html

Anxiety and Depression:
Which one do I have?

People are often unclear about the differences between anxiety and depression, and confused as to which is their primary problem. Here's an explanation of the differences between anxiety and depression, and some comments on the recovery process. However, as always, if you have the troubles described in this article, you are well advised to discuss these problems with a professional therapist.

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety Disorders are characterized by a sense of doubt and vulnerability about future events. The attention of anxious people is focused on their future prospects, and the fear that those future prospects will be bad. Anxiety Disorders are characterized by a variety of symptoms involving anxious thoughts, unexplained physical sensations, and avoidant or self protective behaviors.

Depression

A person whose primary problem is depression, rather than anxiety, generally doesn't show the same fear and uncertainty that people do with anxiety disorders. Depressed people are not so preoccupied with worrying about what might happen to them in the future. They think they already know what will happen, and they believe it will be bad, the same bad stuff that's happening to them now. The key symptoms of depression include:

* Feeling sad, and/or hopeless
* Lack of interest and enjoyment in activities that used to be fun and interesting
* Physical aches and pains without physical cause; lack of energy
* Difficulty concentrating, remembering, and/or making decisions
* Changes in appetite and weight
* Unwelcome changes in usual sleep pattern
* Thoughts of death and suicide

Depression may come on as a relatively sudden and severe problem, or it may consist of a longer term set of symptoms which are less severe....