Social Anxiety Disorder

Do you experience intense fear during social interactions, or avoid speaking in class or dining with co workers, or do you tremble and sweat at the thought of attending a party? If so you may be suffering from social anxiety disorder or social phobia, which is an experience of fear, apprehension, or worries regarding social situations that can make you feel trapped and very uncomfortable.

If your anxiety about social situations is so severe that it disrupts your daily life and relationships to the point where you are sick with worry, it’s time to get professional help. People who suffer from this disorder vary in how often they experience anxiety, which is common in situations where they are to be evaluated by others. Such situations might be public speaking engagements, performances, or interviews.

However, not all cases deal with the fear of being judged negatively, social phobia can also be related to shyness causing physiological symptoms like sweating and blushing, which is why many patients simply avoid social interaction.

Proper diagnosis of social anxiety disorder is made by a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, or mental health professional. Physical symptoms often accompany the phobia, characterized by excessive blushing, sweating, trembling, palpitations, nausea, stammering, or panic attacks, which can occur under intense fear and discomfort triggered by perceived or actual scrutiny by others.

The disorder can cause long-lasting social anxiety and relatively extreme distress and impaired ability to function in at least some areas of daily life. Symptoms of social anxiety disorder can present themselves in a more specific manner, like only in particular situations, or it can be more generalized, which involves persistent, intense, and chronic fear of being judged by others, and of potentially being embarrassed or humiliated by their own actions.

According to various websites that provide information on the topic, approximately 13% of the general population meets the criteria for social phobia at some point in their lifetime. Early diagnosis may help in minimizing the symptoms and development of additional problems like depression.

Common treatments usually include psychotherapy, medication, or both. Antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) have proven to be effective treatment strategies for social anxiety disorder.

Go online to find reliable and unbiased information to learn more about treatment and coping strategies; free yourself from this troubling but treatable condition. Don’t suffer any longer, seek help from a qualified mental health professional now, you’ll be glad you did.

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