Ask Jonathan

Depression or Philosophy?

Asked By: Anonymous     Views: 1,573 times

For ten years, social anxiety has plagued my life, lowering my self-esteem in a relentless cycle of worry, assumed failure, and a slow decline into mental arrest during social and formal speaking situations. I am aware that my ability to think critically and clearly about social fears is affected by my mood, yet when I often return to a state of self-criticism and hopelessness after negative encounters (negative in my eyes), I wonder whether the logic I use to return to that state is based primarily on depression, which although undiagnosed is certainly in affect, or a poorly developed philosophy about life and purpose. For instance, I assume that everything is two sided and that I am incapable of speaking without neglecting some aspect of the topic at hand, which concerns me when I am feeling anxious; I want to be able to say and understand all sides of an issue without input from an outside source, yet I know that I cannot. Coping with this belief that ‘I can never be right because there is no right’ has only brought me further anxiety. Nothing I do is good enough, because no matter what side I take I am not completely right. Let me know whether you or someone you know has percieved their fears in this way. It is a shame to say, but I am not confident in my ability to explain myself logically (for given reason), so ask for clarification if you need it.

If you wanted to go to the "root" of the problem it is neccessary to consider your repressed, recycling anger and rage (all of which is not conscious). Borrowing on the concepts of Dr Sarnow (his point of intervention being back pain-mine being anxiety/depression) repressed anger inhibits the flow of oxygen into the bloodstream creating pain. Anger turned inward is the basis of depression. Unresolved ,it drives obsession, worry, and anxiety. When an individual does not "nurture" the "natural child" (these are mind states) anger and rage are the result. The "natural child" mind state is the truth of desire, creativity, the development of ideas, spontaneity, healthy sexuality, joy, fun, etc. "Understanding all sides of an issues" wreaks of OCD content. "I can never be right" is excess "critical script" (another mind state) whichhas become toxic and is very much the cause of the problem.