Social Anxiety Support

cyndy · 10-25-2009, 07:22 AM

or could it be caused by it? or is it something in and of itself?
feeling so depressed and crying and hating myself. i get this way occasionally and i'm not sure if it's depression or just a "why am i even alive" reaction to how social phobia affects my life. it seems to happen when my avoidance reactions are strongest and hardest to combat or it just hits me that i'm pretty useless to the world as i am, initiating a downward spiral of self pity and self hatred. it cycles this way and has since i was a teen.
but i also know that at times i feel good, like i am getting a handle on my reactions and behaviors and making progress. this is not one of those periods of time.

secretlyshecries · 10-25-2009, 07:27 AM

I'm not sure. I don't think depression is always apart of SA but they can go hand in hand.

ostorozhno · 10-25-2009, 08:05 AM

I think it can go either way. You could be depressed and, because of your avoidance, become socially anxious or you could have SA and become depressed because of it.

toffee · 10-25-2009, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by secretlyshecries

I'm not sure. I don't think depression is always apart of SA but they can go hand in hand.

i agree..
at the moment i feel really down and alone.. i don't think i would feel like this if i didn't have SA.. i want to go out, have fun, laugh, and be happy.. but i just can't, no matter how hard i try.

cyndy · 10-25-2009, 08:09 AM

yes, i guess it must be related to the sa, since when i have less anxiety and avoidance, i don't seem to feel so depressed.

jer · 10-25-2009, 08:24 AM

in my case, both came hand in hand - as part of my genetic makeup

crayzyMed · 10-25-2009, 08:46 AM

Not for me, i'm allways in a great mood but i do have GAD, social anxiety and OCD.

nubly · 10-25-2009, 10:39 AM

for me it is. i guess i have situational depression. with my 1st and 2nd girlfriends, i did not have any depression. when i was single i had severe depression. i suppose the loneliness associated with SA can affect your mood a lot.

5tk · 10-25-2009, 03:39 PM

I feel really down right now too. It makes me feel a little better knowing that I'm not the only one in this world that feels this way. But ugh, I just wish, I wish life was just easier.

millenniumman75 · 10-25-2009, 04:17 PM

Depression is an after-effect of anxiety. We get depressed due to the anxiety, but the anxiety fuels the depression. It is the 'vicious cycle'.

John_in_SF · 10-25-2009, 05:02 PM

Quite true. Oddly enough, being depressed and experiencing all the weirdness that comes with it creates more anxiety. Hence more depression. Rinse and repeat.

Isolation is a common symptom of depression. That's one way social avoidance can be engendered. And of course, being out of touch with people for a long time is rather depressing. Round and round we go.

Prakas · 10-26-2009, 05:07 PM

I agree, from my understanding, anxiety is a symptom of depression.

filledwithfear1 · 10-26-2009, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyndy

or could it be caused by it? or is it something in and of itself?
feeling so depressed and crying and hating myself. i get this way occasionally and i'm not sure if it's depression or just a "why am i even alive" reaction to how social phobia affects my life. it seems to happen when my avoidance reactions are strongest and hardest to combat or it just hits me that i'm pretty useless to the world as i am, initiating a downward spiral of self pity and self hatred. it cycles this way and has since i was a teen.
but i also know that at times i feel good, like i am getting a handle on my reactions and behaviors and making progress. this is not one of those periods of time.

For me, I think my depression was caused by my SA.

IllusionOfHappiness · 10-26-2009, 05:30 PM

They do seem to be pretty intertwined. I've always struggled with both. Depression fuels my anxiety, but more often anxiety fuels my depression.

cyndy · 10-26-2009, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IllusionOfHappiness

but more often anxiety fuels my depression.

i think this is the problem i have. i'm pretty much not depressed unless my sa is really messing with me and i'm having a lot of trouble with it.

illlaymedown · 10-26-2009, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyndy

yes, i guess it must be related to the sa, since when i have less anxiety and avoidance, i don't seem to feel so depressed.

Since it comes(depression)due to your avoidance, I think your SA is the cause...I always thought I was just a depressed miserable human being, but found out I had SA and there was a reason people freaked me out, so I believe my SA and depression were caused by my niserable childhood. It was terrible and now I feel inadequate in everything which makes me miserable almost all the time.

Dezty · 10-26-2009, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ostorozhno

I think it can go either way. You could be depressed and, because of your avoidance, become socially anxious or you could have SA and become depressed because of it.

I think so too.I have social anxiety and depression,I have not really been thinking about what did come first.I always have like to be with friends(if I did have any..)and talk to people but now I just cant and then I get depressed and when I am depressed I just want to be left alone.Its like an evil circel.

cellophanegirl · 10-26-2009, 11:07 PM

I feel lonely and claustrophobic, like I'm stuck inside myself and can't get away. I used to imagine that things would just get better as I got older, and that I was just going through a bad period, and things would eventually begin to unfold in front of me, without me having to seek them out. When I realized this wasn't going to happen, and that the only way I could overcome my destiny of permanent isolation was to fix myself, I became somewhat more depressed. I feel like I've spent years letting life pass me by, and I have no idea how to stop this from happening in the future. Right now I feel like I'm in mourning for the life I could have had, but never quite had the strength to grasp onto because of my SA.

R.I.P.

Makaveli · 10-27-2009, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by millenniumman75

Depression is an after-effect of anxiety. We get depressed due to the anxiety, but the anxiety fuels the depression. It is the 'vicious cycle'.

That's true. But for me personally I'm not 100% sure what comes first. Alot of my depression is also fuelled by the negative thoughts and excessive self criticism and perfectionism I place on my self. The SA definately does fuel that also.

It's not just SA or anxiety that would cause depression to not exist, you'd also need to be confident and content with yourself and your life. You could also say that being SA free means you wouldn't have low self esteem and negative thoughts which can lead to depression.

Overthere · 10-27-2009, 03:03 AM

Depression really falls into two categories, clinical depression and (I don't know what the technical terms is - so let's call it...) psychological depression. Both have similar symptoms but different causes and this is often very much overlooked by the medical profession IMO.

Clincal depression is caused by a brain chemistry imbalance e.g. under production of serotonin (hence ssri's), gaba problems, dopamine problems etc. and psychological depression is usually caused by some incident or problem e.g. possibly SA, bullying, death in familiy, divorce etc. etc., which would be better dealt with withsome kind of councelling, pyschotherapy, CBT etc rather than medications.

When you go to the Dr.'s stating you've got depression they're usually pretty useless understanding there is a difference and just prescribe an SSRI without looking into it deeper. Even if it is a clinical depression they don't look beyond the seratonin issue when in fact there are many other neurotransmitters that interact and balance to result in a balaned mood.

IMO clinical or pyschological depression can cause SA but also SA can also result in pyschological depression (but I don't think clinical depression). It's not a simple relationship as one can cause the other and vice versa or not at all.

In my case I don't suffer from depression but I do have SA. My SA does at times depress me because it limits what I would really like to do at times. But I am generally quite happy in life except for that aspect of me.

I have in the past suffered from clinical depression due to drug abuse and it was fixed through SSRI's and no longer need to take them.

Identifying the type of depression that you are suffering from is key to making it better.

10-25-2009, 07:22 AM	#1 (permalink)
cyndy Status: pain helps a lot Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: maryland Gender: Female Age: 38 Posts: 118	is depression a part of social phobia? or could it be caused by it? or is it something in and of itself? feeling so depressed and crying and hating myself. i get this way occasionally and i'm not sure if it's depression or just a "why am i even alive" reaction to how social phobia affects my life. it seems to happen when my avoidance reactions are strongest and hardest to combat or it just hits me that i'm pretty useless to the world as i am, initiating a downward spiral of self pity and self hatred. it cycles this way and has since i was a teen. but i also know that at times i feel good, like i am getting a handle on my reactions and behaviors and making progress. this is not one of those periods of time. __________________ social phobia, panic disorder w/agoraphobia, gad, depression(mild) current meds: buspirone 10mg 2x day, paroxetine 10mg, clonazepam 1.5mg inhale what i am, exhale what i think i am inhale exhale by henry rollins

10-25-2009, 08:05 AM	#3 (permalink)
ostorozhno Status: Император Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: In the wrong place Gender: Female Posts: 160	I think it can go either way. You could be depressed and, because of your avoidance, become socially anxious or you could have SA and become depressed because of it. __________________ Швеция ● Германия ● Россия ● Франция ● Румыния

10-25-2009, 08:09 AM	#5 (permalink)
cyndy Status: pain helps a lot Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: maryland Gender: Female Age: 38 Posts: 118	yes, i guess it must be related to the sa, since when i have less anxiety and avoidance, i don't seem to feel so depressed. __________________ social phobia, panic disorder w/agoraphobia, gad, depression(mild) current meds: buspirone 10mg 2x day, paroxetine 10mg, clonazepam 1.5mg inhale what i am, exhale what i think i am inhale exhale by henry rollins

10-25-2009, 04:17 PM	#10 (permalink)
millenniumman75 Status: Super Moderator Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Dayton-Cincinnati, OH Gender: Male Age: 34 Posts: 38,628	Depression is an after-effect of anxiety. We get depressed due to the anxiety, but the anxiety fuels the depression. It is the 'vicious cycle'. __________________ millenniumman75 You are a success story waiting to happen! Live and let live VACUUMS more than a Hoover.... Live and HELP live is better!

10-25-2009, 07:27 AM	#2 (permalink)
secretlyshecries Status: In hiding Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Australia, hiding under a rock somewhere Gender: Female Age: 20 Posts: 569	I'm not sure. I don't think depression is always apart of SA but they can go hand in hand.

10-25-2009, 08:24 AM	#6 (permalink)
jer Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Texas Gender: Male Posts: 221	in my case, both came hand in hand - as part of my genetic makeup

10-25-2009, 08:46 AM	#7 (permalink)
crayzyMed Status: Crazy Member!! Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Belguim Gender: Male Age: 21 Posts: 389	Not for me, i'm allways in a great mood but i do have GAD, social anxiety and OCD.

10-25-2009, 10:39 AM	#8 (permalink)
nubly Status: SAS Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: USA the greatest and best country in the world!! :) Posts: 7,065	for me it is. i guess i have situational depression. with my 1st and 2nd girlfriends, i did not have any depression. when i was single i had severe depression. i suppose the loneliness associated with SA can affect your mood a lot.

10-25-2009, 03:39 PM	#9 (permalink)
5tk Status: SAS Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 42	I feel really down right now too. It makes me feel a little better knowing that I'm not the only one in this world that feels this way. But ugh, I just wish, I wish life was just easier.

10-25-2009, 05:02 PM	#11 (permalink)
John_in_SF Status: Good grief Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: San Francisco, California Gender: Male Posts: 261	Quite true. Oddly enough, being depressed and experiencing all the weirdness that comes with it creates more anxiety. Hence more depression. Rinse and repeat. Isolation is a common symptom of depression. That's one way social avoidance can be engendered. And of course, being out of touch with people for a long time is rather depressing. Round and round we go.

10-26-2009, 05:07 PM	#12 (permalink)
Prakas Status: Failure - Life Sucks Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Delaware Gender: Male Age: 21 Posts: 427	I agree, from my understanding, anxiety is a symptom of depression.

10-26-2009, 05:30 PM	#14 (permalink)
IllusionOfHappiness Status: Custom User Title Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: NS, Canada Gender: Female Age: 19 Posts: 7,924	They do seem to be pretty intertwined. I've always struggled with both. Depression fuels my anxiety, but more often anxiety fuels my depression.

10-26-2009, 11:07 PM	#18 (permalink)
cellophanegirl Status: SAS Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Upstate New York, Boston Gender: Female Age: 20 Posts: 72	I feel lonely and claustrophobic, like I'm stuck inside myself and can't get away. I used to imagine that things would just get better as I got older, and that I was just going through a bad period, and things would eventually begin to unfold in front of me, without me having to seek them out. When I realized this wasn't going to happen, and that the only way I could overcome my destiny of permanent isolation was to fix myself, I became somewhat more depressed. I feel like I've spent years letting life pass me by, and I have no idea how to stop this from happening in the future. Right now I feel like I'm in mourning for the life I could have had, but never quite had the strength to grasp onto because of my SA. R.I.P.

10-27-2009, 03:03 AM	#20 (permalink)
Overthere Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Near London UK Gender: Male Posts: 22	Depression really falls into two categories, clinical depression and (I don't know what the technical terms is - so let's call it...) psychological depression. Both have similar symptoms but different causes and this is often very much overlooked by the medical profession IMO. Clincal depression is caused by a brain chemistry imbalance e.g. under production of serotonin (hence ssri's), gaba problems, dopamine problems etc. and psychological depression is usually caused by some incident or problem e.g. possibly SA, bullying, death in familiy, divorce etc. etc., which would be better dealt with withsome kind of councelling, pyschotherapy, CBT etc rather than medications. When you go to the Dr.'s stating you've got depression they're usually pretty useless understanding there is a difference and just prescribe an SSRI without looking into it deeper. Even if it is a clinical depression they don't look beyond the seratonin issue when in fact there are many other neurotransmitters that interact and balance to result in a balaned mood. IMO clinical or pyschological depression can cause SA but also SA can also result in pyschological depression (but I don't think clinical depression). It's not a simple relationship as one can cause the other and vice versa or not at all. In my case I don't suffer from depression but I do have SA. My SA does at times depress me because it limits what I would really like to do at times. But I am generally quite happy in life except for that aspect of me. I have in the past suffered from clinical depression due to drug abuse and it was fixed through SSRI's and no longer need to take them. Identifying the type of depression that you are suffering from is key to making it better.