Coping with Hopelessness and Depression Because of Anxiety

Trigger warning: This post involves a frank discussion of suicide, depression, and anxiety.

When you deal with anxiety, it's hard to stop yourself from also feeling sad and hopeless. There are a few reasons for this, and for myself, I've found that this has happened to me because dealing with constant anxiety can be extremely exhausting. But I've also found that this has happened to me because the overwhelming feelings and constant worry that go along with anxiety are negative feelings by nature. It's hard to feel positive feelings about anything when you're overcome with anxiety.

Why Anxiety Can Lead to Feelings of Hopelessness

When I was younger, it was hard to separate the negative feelings that I would feel. And so I would sometimes feel extremely anxious, and on edge, and along with that, I would feel quite melancholy.

Another reason was because of the constant overthinking and feeling as though I was not able to meet these unreasonably high standards I set for myself. This was especially true for me when I was a teenager. And because it seemed like every standard I set for myself was not one I could reach, I would often feel down about myself. Along with this low self-esteem, I would also often feel a sense of hopelessness.

In my experience, when you're feeling hopeless, along with this comes depression. And so, sometimes, it's hard to find a reason to go on. This constant feeling of inadequacy and inability to see yourself, in your own eyes, as "good enough," I think, can really get to a person to the point that one feels constantly down and depressed and perhaps even suicidal since it can be hard to come out of if one is dealing with this for a long time. This has been one of the most important aspects of myself that I have had to work on to prevent myself from getting to the point that I feel constantly sad and in despair.

What to Do When You Feel Hopeless Because of Your Anxiety

Throughout the years, I've learned many strategies for helping with my anxiety. Some are sometimes more helpful than others. But one of the most important things that I have learned is that I can't let myself get to the point when at the height of my anxiety, I am also dealing with the height of depression. I'm terrified to get to that point.

So, I try to work on maintaining my perspective of what is actually true and what is not. This sometimes involves having to write out what my thoughts are and, as a result of that, challenging my irrational beliefs. This is especially hard when you've believed certain things about yourself for so long.

Another thing that I work on is trying to maintain focus on the moment. Centering and grounding myself helps me to maintain perspective and helps me in reigning in my chaotic thoughts. These strategies also help me to identify my specific feelings, which can help me from feeling overwhelmed, and they also help me to work on correcting my faulty thought patterns.

When someone deals with anxiety, keep in mind that they may also be dealing with serious depression as well. And that hopelessness and depression could lead to the worst happening. What do you do when anxiety leads you to feel hopeless and depressed? Share your strategies in the comments below.

If you feel that you may hurt yourself or someone else, call 9-1-1 immediately.

For more information on suicide, see our suicide information, resources, and support section. For additional mental health help, please see our mental health hotline numbers and referral information