Did you ever wonder why you have trouble meeting new people or feel uncomfortable during a social event? Thousands of people suffer from the same problem, and most of them are not aware that they have a form of social anxiety disorder which can be treated. There is a fine line that draws the difference between social anxiety disorder and general anxiety disorders. A person has social anxiety disorder when they feel intensely fearful about certain social situations and when they are extremely worried about making a mistake in front of other people.
The sad fact is that the underlying cause of this kind of anxiety disorder is unknown but it has been recorded that that many of those who suffer from this have had an embarrassing or humiliating experience in front of other people. The typical reaction of those who have social anxiety disorder is to avoid situations similar to the one where they had the incident. This sort of withdrawal from social situations is unhealthy and will affect the way a person deals with day to day life.
Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, has a number of fears that trigger it. These fears include that of being teased, criticized, and that of meeting new people. Some of the other fears that can trigger this disorder is making conversation and small talk, becoming the center of attention, dealing with authority, public speaking, and stage fright.
For a lot of people, anxiety and stress levels increase when they are required to perform in a social situation, such as when giving a speech or being watched while doing something. While it’s perfectly normal to feel slightly nervous or jittery before an important event, people with social anxiety disorder often experience extreme forms of nervousness, and in some cases, this is enough to disrupt their daily routines and causes a lot of anxiety and distress.
Knowing the physical and psychological symptoms of social anxiety disorder can help you identify if you or anyone you know might have it. Some of the physical symptoms are breathing difficulties, dry mouth, change in speech pattern, rapid heart beat, trembling, hot flashes and clammy hands. There are a couple of other more visible signs such as facial twitching and sweating. Psychological symptoms include excessive self-consciousness, fear of being noticed, ridiculed or judged, avoiding social situations and even intense worrying over an extended period of time before an certain event.
If a person has social anxiety disorder, it can limit their ability to relate with others and lower their quality of life. It is good to know that there are some things that can be done to overcome this kind of disorder. One sure way to do it is by having a lifestyle change, like getting rid of bad habits such as smoking and drinking, getting enough quality sleep and eating healthy food. Regular exercise has also proven to help reduce anxiety and eliminate stress. Deep breathing and frequent meditation are other self-help strategies that can work to get rid of social anxiety disorder.
The time it would take for a person to overcome social anxiety disorder will depend on the individual. Aside from choosing the healthy life option, there are other drug-free strategies that will work in effectively reducing this kind of disorder and other forms of anxiety disorders. Find out more about what can be done to get rid of anxiety.
If you have ever suffered from anxiety when vacationing or traveling, there is hope. Successful non-pharmaceutical approaches are emerging to help you to free yourself from the fearful thoughts that can lead to panic attacks.