Social Anxiety Disorder
Yes, it is true – social anxiety disorder (S.A.D.) can lead to depression. Millions of people in the world are living with severe social anxiety. If you live with S.A.D. long enough it can lead to depression. If there is something you can do to get out of the funk, then you should consider doing it. After all, is this the kind of life you really want to live? You may feel you have no other choice, but let me assure you that is not true.
I heard a very successful individual once summarize life with two sentences:
You know the part – life throws you lemons, some people make lemonade, other people cry and complain and others just crawl under the covers. It is entirely your choice. It really does come down to this: how do you want to live your life?
Social anxiety is a strong fear, shyness, and worry over being around crowds of people. Those that suffer from this illness have a real issue with being in a room filled with people. They believe these people are talking about them and the fear and worry about it just eats them up inside.
Those that suffer from social anxiety are the stereotypical wall flowers that are not mingling with and talking to people because they cannot summon the courage to do that. The belief these people have that people are talking about them is 100% accurate – in their mind. It may or may not be reality, but it is most definitely their reality.
Days, weeks or even months leading up to scheduled events have them feeling stressed and worried about what is going to happen. It is a feeling that leaves them feeling inadequate and can lead to depression. This is a habitual reaction that has been formed over many years and after that amount of time it appears to be normal to the people that suffer from S.A.D. I am here to point out possibilities and alternatives that may be much more rewarding and enriching to those dealing with this problem.
I believe social anxiety can lead to depression because the person suffering from this illness may not want to be around crowds of people, which leads to loneliness, and depression is not far off. If you constantly have the feeling that people are always talking about you, or you feel you cannot be around them, then eventually you will stay home and avoid people all together.
This isolation can make you feel like you don’t have any friends because you cannot go out and have a good time. It can even affect your job because you don’t want to mingle with your co-workers or go on business trips so you lose out on valuable opportunities and maybe even promotions. These feelings and the choices made because of them can be the beginnings of a downward spiral that is hard to get out of.
I hope this is not your path, but know that social anxiety can lead to depression, and that there are things you can do to change – if you want to.