Q: I am a 30 years old married man. I am working in a good company at a managerial position. But I don't feel comfortable meeting people and have started avoiding them. I feel shy to meet people. It is not hindering my day-to-day life but my job is being affected. I make plans that I will meet my clients and will give them a presentation about our products. But I am unable to do so, as I am lethargic and shy. This is greatly hampering my progress at my job. Why am I feeling this way and how to get rid of this? I have seen my colleagues, who are very extrovert and meet lots of clients daily and are doing a good business for the company. But my performance is falling due to this. Please advise.

A:Anxiety and depression can make it difficult for us to give presentations and communicate well with others. In today's work scenario, difficulty in these areas (presentation/giving talks/interacting with others) may hamper our progress. However, anxiety and depression can be treated - most important step in doing that is recognising/realising that we have a problem. Next step is a proper assessment/evaluation and ultimately a good treatment. There are several treatment options available both for anxiety and depression - major categories are - 1. Medications 2. Talk therapies (cognitive behavioural therapy) 3. Combinations of both of the above - probably the best. From your description it seems as though you might have an underlying anxiety and or mood related disorder. I would strongly recommend a thorough evaluation by a psychiatrist at a place which is equipped in providing both of the above mentioned treatment modalities.