SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER AND SOCIAL PHOBIA Symptoms, self help and treatment People tend to get nervous or over conscious of themselves in certain situations, like when granting an interview, giving public speech or in a situation where you have to address a group or to stand up to express your view in a meeting etc.
the major problem they have is always having a negative thought that their actions will embarrass them.
According to WIKIPEDIA, Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is an anxiety disorder which is one of the most common psychiatric disorders, with a lifetime prevalence of 12%.
It is characterized by intense fear in social situations, causing considerable distress and impaired ability to function in at least some parts of daily life.
Though social anxiety, or social phobia is of higher degree to shyness.
Social anxiety is a state of mind that you have, which puts you under intense pressure that whenever you find yourself in social situations you start to panic and become unstable, thinking people will judge and scrutinize your appearance, the way you talk and your appearance in totality.
The problem in this situation is what they call "Inferiority Complex".
This is a situation that you think you do not match up to the status of people that surrounds you.
The number one thing you do is to avoid them, which leads to you secluding yourself.
However bad it may be, you still have every tendency to overcome social phobia and become comfortable in the face of social situations, if you are willing to work on yourself.
SITUATIONS THAT TRIGGERS ANXIETY There are various situations that can send coldness down your spine if you allow them.
People have different situations that make them feel nervous.
What makes you nervous may be different from what I fear to face.
Here are few situations that trigger social phobia.
• Meeting new people • Going on a date • Public speaking • Making small talk • Addressing congregation • Being called upon to talk in a gathering • Making phone calls • Speaking in a meeting • Attending parties or other social gatherings • Eating or drinking in public • Stage performance • Granting Interviews.
• Being watched while doing something • Taking exams SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS These are your reaction to situations that you fear.
It could be emotional, behavioural and physical.
Emotional Signs • Self-consciousness and anxiety in everyday social situation • Disturbed about events coming up • Being watched by people • Always thinking you will make mistakes Physical Symptoms • Palpitating • Sweating • Body vibration • Fast breathing rate • Nausea • Feeling enervated • Avoiding eye contacts • Blushing Behavioural Signs • Staying under alcohol influence • Staying quiet in social events to avoid attention • Avoid going to events CAUSES Generally, social anxiety begins at a specific point in an individual's life.
This will develop over time as the person struggles to recover.
Most times it starts from young age.
Perhaps the most common cause is when that person is emotional and physically abused by peer or parents at a tender age through to the age of adulthood.
Before long, situations like that register in ones subconscious archive.
So, in situations like that he becomes nervous.
More possible causes are: • Heredity and family factor • External social experiences • Psychological effect • Unnatural occurrences All these could be temporal, because they can all be managed and cured.
Treatment Life has to be enjoyed for better experiences of it.
Everybody should be able to partake in the joyful activities of life.
That is why social anxiety should not debar anyone from having the full fun of it.
Let us check out the possible cure we can have and how best we can manage social phobia.
• Psychotherapy • Cognitive behaviour therapy - thought pattern change • Prescribed medication - antidepressant e.
g.
Zoloft, Prozac e.
t.
c.
• Get Adequate sleep • Change your lifestyle • Always learn to control your breath • Face your fear and you get use to that situation after sometime.
• Challenge negative thought • Pattern interrupt - trying to break the anxiety fear with actions that you enjoy.
• Ask yourself empowering questions - what about me is interesting? You can also visit a professional like Doctors, Psychologist in that area, who can help you fast.
Get your life off the hook and put enjoy it to the fullest!