Social phobia, anxiety attacks and its relationship to depression.

As if the affliction of panic attacks is not enough, in many cases the illness is also accompanied by some form of clinical depression. Although this is a general agrgavation of the overall condition, it is a natural progression and even logical.

In my case where my phobias had spread like a cancer and hampered me from mixing with people or leading one day of life without avoidance and fear, it is obvious that over a period of time I will have every good reason to be depressed. Indeed there would be something wrong if I was not depressed. Phobias will general lead to a feeling of low self-esteem, lack of energy, motivation and general negative and introverted thinking. This is perfectly natural. In my cases as in mine, my treatment for phobias was also accompanied at a later stage for treatment for clinical depression through medication.

My personal opinion and experience is that medication to treat the depression is a good idea. Why? One is busy enough coping with the phobias without having to cope with the crippling symptoms of strong depression. Note that this type of depression is very different from what is called endogenous depression, i.e. depression which has no external cause. You have every reason to be depressed on account of the effects of your phobias - so it is equally logical to get rid of them.