Criticism: Depression and Anxiety

Criticism: Depression and Anxiety

Suma Chand, PhD

headshot

Suma Chand, PhD, is a Professor and Director of the Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) Program in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, St Louis University School of Medicine.  She is involved in the training of Psychiatry residents and fellows in CBT and as a SLUCare Provider runs CBT clinics for adults and older adults offering individual and group CBT. Dr. Chand's clinical and research interests are in the areas of CBT for adults and older adults with anxiety and depressive disorders, sleep related problems and maladaptive perfectionism. She also writes blog posts on mental health topics. Dr. Chand is a member of the  Public Education Committee of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and serves on the Board of Directors for the National Social Anxiety Center.

Criticism: Depression and Anxiety

Share
No

Nobody likes to be criticized but it can be particularly difficult for individuals with depression and anxiety disorders. Individuals with depression tend to be highly self-critical and frequently have an ongoing internal dialogue that is harshly judgmental of themselves. Having someone else be critical can then act like salt to the wound and trigger feelings of shame at being exposed as deficient. Individuals with anxiety, particularly social anxiety, are very fearful of being judged and being criticized can feel like being under attack in a war zone! 
Arming oneself with effective skills will allow one to face criticism with fortitude. Done in baby steps and a self-encouraging attitude, it is very doable. The more the skills are practiced the less the criticism stings and the more empowered you become.  

Responding to criticism: 

Criticism can present itself in different ways in our lives. Here are some ways in which one can respond to criticism: 

  1. When the criticism is valid, constructive and respectful in delivery it may still cause one to feel upset to some degree. To cope it would be helpful to stay focused on what the other person is saying while you calm yourself by taking some deep slow breaths. It is likely that as the minutes’ tick by you will be able to focus more on what is being said and recognize that this is not an ‘attack’. 
  2. When the criticism is invalid, unnecessary and given disrespectfully, it would very naturally trigger considerable distress. At such times, it would be good to follow the strategy of focusing initially on calming yourself. This can vary from doing slow breathing exercises, to counting backwards or focusing on something extraneous to distract yourself from the unpleasant situation. If your emotional response is intense, leave the situation if possible and go to a quiet place, where you can calm yourself before returning to the situation. Remember, you have the option to take your time to decide on the best course of action and respond to the criticism when you are less distressed. 
  3. In some instances, when the criticism is not fair and your behavior is within your rights it is appropriate to clarify and explain without offering lengthy excuses or apologies.  Remember that defending yourself and not accepting unfair criticism is your right so long as it is done with respect. This is what assertive communication is all about. Done in gradual baby steps assertiveness is a skill that can be acquired.  
  4. Sometimes, in the case of manipulative and emotionally abusive persons the intention of the criticism is get you to react and get upset. In such cases ignoring or not reacting would be the best way to go. 
  5. Sometimes unhealthy criticisms are indirect. They can be conveyed through facial expressions and body language. At other times criticism are veiled and implied. In such instances, it would be good to ask for clarifications. This causes such people to experience the discomfort of explaining their passively aggressive statements and not repeat these kinds of veiled attacks. 
  6. When one is being criticized in the presence of other people a big part of the distress is associated with the sense of being shamed in the presence of other people. The criticism then takes on a collective quality where the judgment causes one to feel isolated into a shamed corner. However, the reality is that it is the person who is displaying the unkind behavior who gets judged for bad behavior by others. The person who is the target of disrespectful behavior usually gains the support, of those who witness such behavior whether the criticism is valid or not. 

Reducing the pain:  

Remember, everyone makes mistakes and has deficiencies, including the person who is being critical. Accepting that you are as human as anyone else will help to see yourself as a worthy person regardless of your deficiencies and criticisms will sting less. In addition, honing your skills of dealing with criticism will make it easier to stay self-accepting.   

Suma Chand, PhD

headshot

Suma Chand, PhD, is a Professor and Director of the Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) Program in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, St Louis University School of Medicine.  She is involved in the training of Psychiatry residents and fellows in CBT and as a SLUCare Provider runs CBT clinics for adults and older adults offering individual and group CBT. Dr. Chand's clinical and research interests are in the areas of CBT for adults and older adults with anxiety and depressive disorders, sleep related problems and maladaptive perfectionism. She also writes blog posts on mental health topics. Dr. Chand is a member of the  Public Education Committee of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and serves on the Board of Directors for the National Social Anxiety Center.

ADAA Blog Content and Blog Comments Policy

ADAA Blog Content and Blog Comments Policy

ADAA provides this Website blogs for the benefit of its members and the public. The content, view and opinions published in Blogs written by our personnel or contributors – or from links or posts on the Website from other sources - belong solely to their respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ADAA, its members, management or employees. Any comments or opinions expressed are those of their respective contributors only. Please remember that the open and real-time nature of the comments posted to these venues makes it is impossible for ADAA to confirm the validity of any content posted, and though we reserve the right to review and edit or delete any such comment, we do not guarantee that we will monitor or review it. As such, we are not responsible for any messages posted or the consequences of following any advice offered within such posts. If you find any posts in these posts/comments to be offensive, inaccurate or objectionable, please contact us via email at [email protected] and reference the relevant content. If we determine that removal of a post or posts is necessary, we will make reasonable efforts to do so in a timely manner.

ADAA expressly disclaims responsibility for and liabilities resulting from, any information or communications from and between users of ADAA’s blog post commenting features. Users acknowledge and agree that they may be individually liable for anything they communicate using ADAA’s blogs, including but not limited to defamatory, discriminatory, false or unauthorized information. Users are cautioned that they are responsible for complying with the requirements of applicable copyright and trademark laws and regulations. By submitting a response, comment or content, you agree that such submission is non-confidential for all purposes. Any submission to this Website will be deemed and remain the property of ADAA.

The ADAA blogs are forums for individuals to share their opinions, experiences and thoughts related to mental illness. ADAA wants to ensure the integrity of this service and therefore, use of this service is limited to participants who agree to adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Refrain from transmitting any message, information, data, or text that is unlawful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, that may be invasive of another 's privacy, hateful, or bashing communications - especially those aimed at gender, race, color, sexual orientation, national origin, religious views or disability.

Please note that there is a review process whereby all comments posted to blog posts and webinars are reviewed by ADAA staff to determine appropriateness before comments are posted. ADAA reserves the right to remove or edit a post containing offensive material as defined by ADAA.

ADAA reserves the right to remove or edit posts that contain explicit, obscene, offensive, or vulgar language. Similarly, posts that contain any graphic files will be removed immediately upon notice.

2. Refrain from posting or transmitting any unsolicited, promotional materials, "junk mail," "spam," "chain mail," "pyramid schemes" or any other form of solicitation. ADAA reserves the right to delete these posts immediately upon notice.

3. ADAA invites and encourages a healthy exchange of opinions. If you disagree with a participant 's post or opinion and wish to challenge it, do so with respect. The real objective of the ADAA blog post commenting function is to promote discussion and understanding, not to convince others that your opinion is "right." Name calling, insults, and personal attacks are not appropriate and will not be tolerated. ADAA will remove these posts immediately upon notice.

4. ADAA promotes privacy and encourages participants to keep personal information such as address and telephone number from being posted. Similarly, do not ask for personal information from other participants. Any comments that ask for telephone, address, e-mail, surveys and research studies will not be approved for posting.

5. Participants should be aware that the opinions, beliefs and statements on blog posts do not necessarily represent the opinions and beliefs of ADAA. Participants also agree that ADAA is not to be held liable for any loss or injury caused, in whole or in part, by sponsorship of blog post commenting. Participants also agree that ADAA reserves the right to report any suspicions of harm to self or others as evidenced by participant posts.

RESOURCES AND NEWS
Evidence-based Tips & Strategies from our Member Experts
RELATED ARTICLES
Block reference