SAD is a chronic condition that has a substantial impact on people’s lifestyles, often preventing them from taking advantage of chances and making them incapacitated at work and in social settings.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is the feeling of fear, worry, and apprehension about something bad that is going to happen. Anxiety may also manifest dramatically in the form of panic attacks.
What is Depression?
Depression is another one of the most prevalent mental illnesses. It can cause persistent feelings of sadness, lack of interest in daily activities, as well as feelings of guilt or worthlessness. In severe episodes, suicidal thoughts may occur as well. Depression affects your functioning and may cause harm to your relationships as well.
The Link Between Social Anxiety And Depression:
- In around 70% of comorbid cases, the development of social anxiety disorder precedes the onset of depression.
- Social anxiety can be a preliminary cause of depression. As it makes a person socially secluded, which leads to feelings of alienation and low self-esteem.
- Studies show 70 percent of individuals suffer from both social anxiety and depression.
Causes Of Social Anxiety Disorder?
Social anxiety disorder affects over 15 million adults in the United States, making it the second most common anxiety disorder. Social anxiety disorder usually begins in adolescence.
Shyness is not the same as social anxiety. Shyness is usually transient and has little impact on one’s life. Social anxiety is a chronic and debilitating condition. A variety of factors can cause extreme social anxiety, such as
Genetic Factors: Anxiety and related mental health ailments can run in families. Hereditary factors may contribute to developing social anxiety in a person. People who have had a parent or both parents suffer from Social Anxiety disorder are 30-40% more likely to develop the problem themselves.
This condition appears to be linked to abnormalities in the performance of the gene SLCGA4, and these faulty genes can be handed down from parents to children. SLCGA4 is a gene involved in the transport of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that can help calm nerves and stabilize emotions.
Environmental Factors: Enduring trauma, repudiation, disregard, bullying, violence, aggression, and the death of a loved one may cause drastic episodes of social anxiety in a person. Traumatic events can reinforce the notion that the world is a frightening and unpredictable place, and it can be especially startling and depressing for children to learn that their caregivers are capable of egotistical or harmful conduct.
Social Anxiety and the Influence of Parenting Styles:
When parents are extremely controlling, quick to criticize, hesitant to express affection, or overly concerned with other people’s opinions, their words and actions can mold a child’s self-image and perception of the world.
Co-occurrence of Social Anxiety And Depression:
Social anxiety and depression may coexist, and you may have manifestations of both at the same moment. Social anxiety manifests physical and emotional symptoms before, after, and during social interaction. We’ve compiled a list of symptoms that occur when you have both social anxiety and depression.
- Uncontrollable anxiety
- Agitation and irritability
- Extreme fear of social interaction
Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder:
Physical Symptoms caused by Social Anxiety Disorder:
- Pulsations and sweating
- Augmented Heartbeat
- Nausea
- Shortness of breath or apnea
- Vertigo or fainting
Emotional Symptoms caused by Social Anxiety Disorder:
- Feeling worthlessness
- Lack of self-esteem
- Fear of communication
- Feeling of being jilted, scorned, and quieted
- A feeling of ridicule and regret
Symptoms of Depression:
- Lack of interest in daily activities
- Lack of encouragement
- Body aches
- Headaches
- Lack of energy
- Disrupted sleeping pattern
- Suicidal Thoughts
How Do You Feel When You Have Social Anxiety And Depression?
In a person’s mind, social anxiety and depression generate the following thoughts:
- Sit back and analyze whether you like to go out and connect with others, or prefer to stay at home and avoid social engagement.
- Later, think about how you feel about yourself, whether it’s positive or negative.
- Continue your analysis and focus on whether you have ever felt dishonor or chagrin while attending social groups.
- If you conduct a comprehensive self-analysis. You discover that you frequently count your faults and speak negatively about yourself
- You’re frequently bothered because you’re missing out on social possibilities.
- You frequently consider yourself to be a pointless individual.
- You should never take part in decision-making, since you consider yourself to be ridiculous and a jerk.
Associated Risks If You Have Both Social Anxiety And Depression:
According to the Primary Care Companion Journal of Clinical Psychiatry: Psychotherapy Casebook, if you have both Social Anxiety and depression, you are at higher risk of serious complications. Associated risks are,
- Enhanced risk of substance abuse or alcoholism
- Less responsive towards treatment
- Escalated risk of attempting suicide
Treatments Of Social Anxiety And Depression?
Social anxiety disorder and depression are chronic illnesses that manifest themselves in overpowering and life-altering symptoms. However, both diseases are treatable, and this does not change when they occur together.
Medications For Social Anxiety And Depression:
- To treat social anxiety and depression, doctors prescribe selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
- SNRIs (Selective Nor-epinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors) are anti-anxiety drugs paired with an antidepressant.
- Apart from treating anxiety, therapists may prescribe benzodiazepines.
Psychotherapy For Social Anxiety And Depression:
Treatments for social anxiety include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), all of which are also beneficial against depression symptoms.
Group therapy sessions for social anxiety sufferers are purposefully kept small to ensure that everyone feels safe and at ease.
Lifestyle Remedies For Social Anxiety And Depression:
Better eating, exercise, and regular sleep can all assist to ease depressive symptoms. They also give folks who are feeling burdened by the symptoms of acute social anxiety much-needed positivity and a sense of success.
Holistic therapies For Social Anxiety And Depression:
Meditation, acupuncture, yoga, massage therapy, equine therapy, art and music therapy, and other mind-body therapies can help individuals with social anxiety handle their anxiety and depression.If you or a loved one is battling with the effects of social anxiety and depression, know that help is accessible. Consult our Mental Health Care platform as we provide proper treatment to those who need it the most.
