Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)
Imagine performing in a live show or giving an important speech. Chances are, you'll feel shy or uneasy before you start, but once you get through it, you're back to normal. For someone with social anxiety, the shyness and fear of a public situation can be so bothersome that they would often practice total avoidance rather than follow through with it.Avoiding a situation might not seem like a terrible idea if it's only one time, but if you are avoiding situations like dating, friends and work, then social anxiety is dominating your life. The root of social anxiety disorder is a fear of perception and the way that others see you. You could call it a fear of embarrassment. The most common triggers for social anxiety are performance settings like public speaking or social settings like restaurants and parties. Symptoms like faintness, sweating and nausea can start prior to the event with early anticipation and they continue to grow, sometimes resulting in panic attacks. These panic attacks can be found in panic disorder, but the difference is that social anxiety sufferers realize the symptoms aren't life-threatening. They're just extremely uncomfortable.
Treatment for social anxiety is available through SSRI and anti-anxiety medications, but therapy is thought to be more effective in addressing the primary issues. One of the keys to successful therapy is vivo exposure, which is based on long and repeated exposure to social situations that provoke anxiety. In vivo, someone with social anxiety repeats the experience until their symptoms gradually begin to subside. This can also be done as a simulated role-play. Another important treatment option is the practicing of basic social skills like speech and eye contact.
Social anxiety can worsen when a person has low self-esteem and insecurity with their social skills, so practicing them will aid both. Once someone regains their confidence in a social situation without the stressful symptoms to go with it, the social anxiety can start to fade.
living with anxietyWhether we are perfectly mentally healthy or not, anxiety will always be a part of our lives. It's part of our bodies, after all. What's important is being able to know when our anxiety level is too high and to differentiate between a temporary setback and a continual discomfort. With so many millions of people around the world dealing with anxiety issues, this is one time when the words "you are not alone" truly do have some meaning. For people who are anxious and suffering, there is help to be found.
http://en.wikipedia.org - Anxiety Disorder
http://en.wikipedia.org - Obsessive-compulsive disorder
http://en.wikipedia.org - Panic disorder