Social anxiety disorder

Social anxiety disorder is an anxiety disorder that is seen among certain people and is characterized by extreme fear of any social situation. The person suffering from social anxiety disorder would become anxious and intensely nervous about social gatherings and might even avoid attending them. Another name for such a disorder is social phobia and the disturbed person might undergo increased apprehension, some times even weeks before a social event.

Social anxiety disorder triggers a constant fear of being judged by others and a feeling that any action or speech by him/her could lead to humiliation. The scrutiny that is expected from others might be real or imagined and the person is constantly plagued by thoughts of people assessing him/her negatively. Many people feel shy at certain events, however social anxiety disorder exceeds the limits of shyness and becomes an intense fear that might result in the person completely avoiding workplace or any social gathering.

This heightened fear might result in an inability to be part of a relationship and the person might completely avoid eating drinking or speaking in public. One of the causes behind such severe social anxiety disorder might be as a result of lack of social skills that leads to an irrational fear of being laughed at. The social anxiety disorder might even cause the person to start falsely believing that people have negative opinions about him/her. This would further accelerate social phobia. Genetic inheritance has also been implicated for this disorder and it has been found that when a first degree relative has this disorder, then there is a 2-3 fold increase in a person developing this disorder.

A bad experience during a particular social event could trigger distasteful memories that can lead to social anxiety disorder during similar conditions. Certain people would not have had social anxiety disorder earlier but an experience of an unpleasant nature or humiliation in front of a crowd that was once experienced at an event would result in the person shying away from similar situations.

The use of certain medications or consumption of large amounts of alcohol has also been found to be some of the important causes of social anxiety disorder among certain people. Though alcohol consumption could initially seem to increase nerve and spunk resulting in renewed energy to go to social events, an excessive intake could result in just the opposite. People who have consumed large amounts of alcohol have exhibited signs of social anxiety disorder.

Social anxiety disorder should be treated as soon as possible as it could affect the person's daily life. Apart from elevation of mental stress before a social event, many physical changes in the person are also witnessed. Some of these changes include a racing pulse, blushing or hot cheeks, stomach cramps and sometimes even an upset stomach. Many people feel anxious before big social events and a certain amount of anxiety within limits is normal and there is no need for treatment. However, excess anxiety that affects normal day to day life activities should be treated as soon as possible so that the person would be able to enjoy life's many pleasures. Some anxiety disorders reach levels where the patient is unable to go on a date or eat in public, crippling his social life and therefore not allowing him to lead a contented life.

It has been found that men are more susceptible to social anxiety disorder than women. Even children exhibit this disorder by crying excessively or clinging to their parents. Though many children grow out of this stage and become more confident in the future, some children still retain the social anxiety disorder that was felt when young. Counselling and social anxiety support should be opted for to encourage the child to enjoy crowds and social gatherings

Social anxiety disorder is generally of two types and includes general disorder and specific disorder. A general disorder is when a person develops anxiety before any social gathering. A severe and intense agitation might set in before any event and the person undergoing this form of anxiety will fear humiliation and criticism from others that might be as a result of intense scrutiny from others. Specific disorder is a form of social anxiety disorder where the person fears certain situations and is anxious only during those settings.

Those suffering from social anxiety disorder should understand that this is the most common form of anxiety disorder that is said to affect nearly five million Americans every year. A person suffering from this disorder should be treated with empathetic care and provided with comforting social anxiety support that encourages and empowers them.

One of the most effective treatment methods that are adopted to treat a person with social anxiety disorder is cognitive behavioural therapy. Medication is another part of the treatment that has been found to be effective in controlling social anxiety disorder. The treatment process for anxiety disorder includes Paxil, which is a drug that does not result in dependency on the drug. During the first few weeks of using the drug, there are a few side effects like nausea, headaches and insomnia that may be noticed.

Apart from therapy and medication, a person suffering from social anxiety disorder requires support and confidence from family and friends. This would instil a feeling of strength and encourage those with this anxiety disorder to go to a social event with a lot more courage allowing them to enjoy the event.

Continue to: Tips on Treating Anxiety In Children

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