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I’ve had many clients struggling with depression. Most of them had some anxiety symptoms as well. The comorbidity of these conditions is not rare, nor it is novel in the world of mental health. However, why it is happening is still a puzzle.
Depression is a nasty illness. It takes away energy, joy, motivation, and sometimes even the will to live. And while taking it all away it fills you with pain. Usually this pain is psychological, but sometimes it leads to physical manifestations or even self-harm. A friend once asked me why would someone commit suicide, saying that it seems very selfish. My response was simple: pain. People with depression carry so much pain every day, every minute of their lives — and at some point, death begins to look like a way out. If anything – it is really scary.
Many people assume that once someone emerges from the depths of depression or suicidality, the hardest part is over. And in some ways, I think they are right — surviving a battle with depression is no small feat. But for many of my clients, and in the broader human experience, something quite unexpected often follows: a rising tide of anxiety. Not during the crisis, but afterward. Not when death seemed near, but when life becomes an actual possibility again.
From Numbness to Fear: What Changes When We Begin to Heal
In the midst of the storm that is depression, life can feel completely void of color and air. Emotions become muted, people often describe it as feeling disconnected or numb. This emotional shutdown isn’t a sign of weakness — it’s a form of psychological survival. When the pain is too overwhelming to process, the brain and body protect us by narrowing our emotional bandwidth.
In that space, even the idea of death can lose its sting. I’ve sat with clients who describe it with a chilling calm: “I wasn’t afraid. Death felt like a relief, even something I welcomed.” When life loses its value in the mind, the meaning is lost too. And with that, the fear of dying is gone.
But healing — true healing — brings the whole colorful palette of emotions back. People get a bit of energy back, some motivation, and more feelings. Sometimes it’s joy or curiosity, but often, one of the first emotions to return is fear. The heart beats faster, the mind races, because suddenly, there’s something at stake again.
Why Anxiety Emerges After Depression
So here is my take: the emergence of anxiety post-depression is not a regression nor it is a separate new issue. What it is, is a sign of healing, of getting back on track. It might be a part of the healing process.
1. There Is Now Something to Lose
During severe depression or suicidal episodes, there may be no attachment to life, no vision of the future. But when recovery begins — even slightly — life starts to feel precious again. There might be more reasons to live, more reasons to enjoy, more reasons to try. And with that preciousness comes vulnerability. All of a sudden, there’s something to protect: a fragile thread of hope, a vague glimpse of the future.
And that’s where fear quietly slips in: What if I lose this? What if it returns? What if I’m not strong enough to hold onto it? These questions don’t signal weakness — they reveal significance. They arise precisely because the progress matters. Because now, for the first time in a long time, you matter.
2. Your Nervous System Is Waking Up
For many people, chronic depression acts as a freeze state — the nervous system has to adapt to cope with the ongoing pain. As healing begins, the body and brain re-engage with the world. This reactivation can be disorienting. The same bodily sensations that once went unnoticed or dulled (like a racing heart, tight chest, restlessness) can now scream for attention.
What we often call “anxiety” is, in part, the body relearning how to process aliveness.
3. The Inner Critic Doesn’t Disappear — It Changes Tactics
Another layer of post-recovery anxiety stems from the critical voice many people carry inside. During depression, this voice may say, “You don’t deserve to live.” After recovery, it morphs into: “Don’t screw this up. You better get it right.”
The underlying message is still one of fear and shame — just wrapped in different words. And until it’s recognized and dealt with, this inner critic can drive anxious perfectionism, planning, guilt, and the constant scanning for danger or relapse.
This Is Not Failure — It’s the Recovery Process
One of the most important things I tell clients is this: anxiety after depression is not a sign that you’re broken. It’s a sign that you’re waking up. That your system is trying to keep you safe now that you’ve decided — maybe for the first time in a long time — that your life is worth protecting.
Think of a person who was drowning, finally pulled to shore. In the water, they were focused only on staying afloat. But once on land, shaking and gasping, the fear catches up. The awareness of what was almost lost becomes overwhelming. And that fear doesn’t mean they should have stayed in the water — it means they’re alive.
A Therapist’s View: What I’ve Seen, and What I Believe
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of sitting with clients during this precise phase — the emotional aftermath of surviving. And it’s often here that the deepest, most honest work begins. Because when the immediate danger passes, what remains is the grief of what was endured, and the cautious, unsteady reach toward a future that still feels uncertain.
Clients will say things like:
- “I didn’t feel this scared when I wanted to die — why do I feel it now?”
- “I thought healing would feel peaceful. Why am I more anxious than ever?”
- “I’m scared of losing this new version of myself.”
And my answer is always some version of this:
Because now you care. Because now, you want to live. And that means you are finally feeling everything you had to numb to survive.
This is not a relapse. This is you re-entering your life. It will be rocky, sometimes even terrifying. But it is movement in the right direction.
And above all else – be kind to yourself.
So What Now?
If you find yourself feeling more afraid now that you’re healing, that’s not because you’re weak and it is not because you’re broken. It’s because you’re finally able to feel again.
So tread gently. Let your anxiety be a signpost, not a punishment. It means you’ve made it to the other side — or at least far enough to start caring about what happens next.
And if you’re not there yet — if you’re still in the dark — know this: even if fear follows healing, it’s a fear worth facing. Because it means there’s something, someone, you, worth keeping safe.
If you or someone you love is struggling with thoughts of suicide or deep emotional pain, please know that help exists. Reach out. You’re not alone — and healing, though imperfect, is possible.
