How many of us have experienced this sudden fear gripping us, when we had to make a speech or had to attend an interview for a job? We become extremely nervous, develop a sudden shyness and at times become tongue tied that we fail to speak a word. This fear is social anxiety disorder and social phobia. It is not a disease and with effective treatment can be overcome with ease.
Many self-help programs and books can be used as a part of social anxiety treatment with this problem once the symptoms have been identified.
The deep-rooted fear of being judged by others or embarrassed in public is what causes social anxiety disorder or social phobia. The fear of what others may think about us is what makes those suffering from this disorder highly anxious and nervous.
Some of the causes that trigger social anxiety disorder are public speaking, talking to people on the phone, attending parties, meeting someone new, writing exams, performing on stage and much more.
Remember that being nervous does not usually indicate that you have social phobia, as at times we do become shy and very self conscious. You can confirm that you are suffering from social anxiety disorder when you realize that you become extremely distressed even during normal routine. You are suddenly worried days in advance about your meeting, or even just worry about everything for no good reason.
Social phobia can be specific or general and there are various social anxiety treatment methods. Specific phobia involves fear of talking to anyone around, fear of writing on a black board in front of the class or even fear of drinking or eating. In extreme situations, a person may start feeling anxious around anyone and everyone. This is known as the general phobia.
Symptoms include trembling, sweating, a nauseous feeling, blushing, etc. Patients also feel that they are the center of focus and attention everywhere.
Treatment method usually involves instilling courage and confidence in the affected person. Counseling and self improvement therapies aid in recovery. Eliminating the negative thoughts, feelings and actions and instilling a positive sense of confidence is the key to put them on the road to recovery.
Social anxiety treatment involves getting enough sleep and rest. Avoiding certain things like cigarettes, caffeine, alcohol, etc also helps. Medications and psychotherapy are popular treatment methods which can successfully treat the condition on social anxiety.
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May 22nd, 2009 at 3:44 am
Thank you so much for posting this. I am researching this topic and this is very helpful and informative.