Social Anxiety or Depression - Discussion

Social anxiety or depression from social phobia (SP) is a condition whereby an individual experiences persistent fear of social situations in which he or she may be exposed to possible scrutiny by others (this can be real or imagined scrutiny), and the individual will harbor acute fear of being embarrassed or humiliated under such circumstances.

This kind of social anxiety goes far beyond what is commonly termed “shyness”, and it leads to avoidance of social interaction or any such interaction at the workplace, as well as leads to occupational impairment.

Activities that may be avoided by an individual who suffers from social anxiety disorder may manifest as physical symptoms such as “blanking out”, accelerated heartbeat, blushing, and a queasy feeling in the stomach. The thoughts that race through the mind of one suffering from social anxiety disorder may often not be accurate and be self-defeating, leading to depression.

As per research studies conducted on the incidence of social phobia (SP) or social anxiety or depression, it is becoming increasingly evident to researchers and doctors that this condition is much neglected in diagnosis and treatment, and if diagnosed early, in the pre-teen or teen years, complications such as depression can be avoided in adult years.

Treatment

Once diagnosed early and treated definitively, social anxiety disorder or social phobia can be successfully dealt with, and social development of the individual can be normal thereafter.

Psychological treatments for social anxiety or depression are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and cognitive group behavioral therapy (CGBT). This is the most suited method of treatment for children and adolescents if they are experiencing mild symptoms of social anxiety disorder, since these methods provide dramatic improvement of symptoms.

Those with more severe symptoms may be advised a combination of CBT and medications for effective results. The medications that are commonly used for this type of depression are Nardil and Klonopin.

Here, please note that pharmaceutical drugs come with many dangerous side effects, even fatal ones. Thus, our stand is that their use for treating depression of any kind should only be carried out as a last resort, and that other safer and more natural remedies should first be explored; they can be extremely effective.

Useful Depression Resources