Compare And Contrast Social Anxiety And Depression

Many Americans today suffer from either social anxiety disorder (SAD) and/or depression. In general, people who suffer from either one of these disorders will actually have both as social anxiety and depression are closely related. If someone has social anxiety disorder or social phobia and does not receive treatment, they have the tendency to develop depression. A person suffering from SAD is unlikely to attend social situations out of fear that they will not be liked by others. Someone suffering with depression avoids social situations because they feel hopeless and may no longer care about themselves. This is because individuals with depression are apt to withdraw from society as they no longer have the desire to interact with others. The person suffering from social phobia may have the desire to interact in social settings, but chooses not do so out of fear. The following paragraphs will …show more content…
Every year 6.7% of The United States adults will experience a major depression disorder. Depression is more common in women than in men. The average age of someone having depressions is thirty-two years old. But about 3.3% of thirteen to eighteen-year-olds will experience depression. ("Depression"). Comparing social anxiety and depression we can see that they have a connection with one another. "Persons with social anxiety disorder with an anxious attachment style have negative beliefs about the self and the dependability and trustworthiness of others, which may affect functioning and predispose the person to feelings of hopelessness and, ultimately, to depression." (25 Eng, Winnie 2001).
Social anxiety can be an underlining issue that leads to the depression. The anxiety impairs an individual 's self-esteem and trust in others, therefore heightening the individual 's anxiety. This in turn becomes a downward spiral. The individual will feel like they can no longer cope with the situation and depression sets