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In today’s dynamic and interconnected world, many live with a constant fear of connecting with others. Living with social anxiety can feel overwhelming. As a human, it may also be difficult to avoid social situations, and thus, you have to suffer from the pain all by yourself. In most cases, people with social anxiety don’t even know about their condition. A typical situation of even backing out of plans with your friends at the last moment can sometimes relate to fear of communicating with others. Social anxiety is a bundle word that brings feelings of sadness, shame, or inadequacy. And in some instances, these can cause depression also.
In medical terms, a person dealing with both anxiety and depression simultaneously suffers from a major depressive disorder, which may be more complex to treat than general cases. However, taking proper care of yourself can help you treat such depressive symptoms.
Social anxiety in general
Social anxiety can have many forms. In most cases, it usually means social phobia or fear of having social communication. Social anxiety can make you feel awkward at a party or sometimes even want to run away from it. The only peaceful place is their room for them, as it gives them comfort and much-needed space.
Social Anxiety and Depression
Depression and social anxiety are often equated on similar grounds, but both are technically different. These conditions cause similar symptoms, but the root cause behind such symptoms is primarily other. For example:
Isolation
Isolation means withdrawing from engaging with other people. In the case of depression, it can happen because of a loss of motivation and purpose in that activity. In contrast, in the case of social anxiety, it’s mainly because a person has social fear.
Feelings of worthlessness
A person who suffers from depression can experience it more straightforwardly; however, the same feelings of worthlessness and shame in social anxiety happen in a more implicit form where the person starts to avoid social situations.
Confusion
Brain fog is commonly referred to as the freeze responses in social anxiety that make it hard for an individual to communicate. At the same time, depression arises because of feeling exhausted or tired.
Use of substance
It may be slightly harder to comprehend; however, it is somewhat similar to the fidgeting habit of people. People with social anxiety use substances to dull the effect of anxiety in social settings, whereas in the case of depression, it is a way to manage emotions like hopelessness or guilt.
Moreover, an individual who experiences co-occurring social anxiety and depression will suffer more and be less likely to have feelings of self-acceptance than a person who only suffers from one condition.
Bottomline!
All the differences mentioned above prove that social anxiety and depression are different. Social anxiety is accompanied by fear of interacting with people in day-to-day life, and depression sometimes can also mean self-harm. Living with depression and social anxiety can be tricky, and thus you must seek a professional’s help. Your therapist may use cognitive behavioral therapy to treat social anxiety and depression together. It would be best if you never ignored your mental health.
You may also like: 3 Ways to Cope with Negative Feelings
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