My concern is that you are mixing together the definitions of anxiety and depression so that there is no difference between them, but they are in fact different things. Anxiety is generally does not consist of a feeling of constant doom/dread, but rather a feeling of anxiety/nervousness (which is a type of excitability, shortness of breath, tightness, flight or flight response, etc.)
Anxiety is more in the moment (whether that trigger is drugs/caffiene, or a situation that provokes it), where as depression is a constant (you wake up with it and it stays with you all day.)
It is useful to think of anxiety as a form of excitability (which provokes action, or at least that is the psychology point of anxiety), whereas depression is sort of the opposite (it reduces motivation for action.)
The "doom/dread" spoken of is not the doom/dread you are associating it with. Anxiety disorder (regular panic attacks) absolutely comes with a sudden feeling of impending doom/dread. That is its most characteristic trait!
Sufferers of panic disorder sometimes feel so convinced they are going to die imminently they end up in the emergency room, only to be told there is nothing physically wrong and that they are suffering a panic attack.
And generalised anxiety can result in a fairly consistent state of anxiety about things with a vague sense of impending doom.
I agree panic attacks are not a constant feeling of doom/dread. They have a sudden onset and usually pass within minutes (though can reoccur regularly for hours or longer when unmanaged). This can then be followed by a constant jitteriness, even shaking, feeling weak and feeling anxious for days or even weeks following a bad attack.
Also, anxiety attacks are not necessarily triggered by drugs/caffeine or a trigger situation. They can occur completely randomly when perfectly calm and relaxed and not thinking about anything in particular.
I also agree anxiety is very distinct from depression. But the two often occur together.
> But depressed Rand magnifies the bad 10X and minimizes the good.
You find that in descriptions of depression:
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_signs_types_diagn...
(e.g. "you feel hopeless and helpless." "you can’t control your negative thoughts, no matter how much you try.")
You do not find that in descriptions of anxiety:
http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/mental-health-anxie...
My concern is that you are mixing together the definitions of anxiety and depression so that there is no difference between them, but they are in fact different things. Anxiety is generally does not consist of a feeling of constant doom/dread, but rather a feeling of anxiety/nervousness (which is a type of excitability, shortness of breath, tightness, flight or flight response, etc.)
Anxiety is more in the moment (whether that trigger is drugs/caffiene, or a situation that provokes it), where as depression is a constant (you wake up with it and it stays with you all day.)
It is useful to think of anxiety as a form of excitability (which provokes action, or at least that is the psychology point of anxiety), whereas depression is sort of the opposite (it reduces motivation for action.)