| Social Anxiety Disorder is something many people | | | | - A level of social avoidance that disrupts the rest of |
| suffer from but it is often misunderstood or chalked up | | | | your life |
| to simple "nervousness." Unfortunately, social anxiety | | | | There are also physical social anxiety symptoms. This |
| disorder is far removed from simply feeling nervous. It | | | | disorder can manifest itself physically as blushing, |
| is a very serious condition and it affects people of all | | | | nausea, trembling, excessive sweat, heart palpitations |
| ages. | | | | or a racing pulse, tense muscles, diarrhea and a dry |
| What is Social Anxiety? | | | | mouth. |
| It is a disorder that is sometimes called social phobia | | | | Cures |
| and it is the overwhelming and often disabling fear of | | | | There are some cures and treatments for social |
| social situations. People who suffer from social anxiety | | | | anxiety symptoms. The most effective treatment or |
| disorder have a crippling fear of being scrutinized, | | | | cure for the social anxiety symptom is cognitive |
| humiliated or embarrassed-even during every day | | | | behavioral therapy. This is a therapeutic treatment that |
| situations. It is a condition that often keeps people from | | | | helps you redirect your thoughts to other things in |
| taking part in even the most mundane social situations. | | | | situations that would normally bring on a social anxiety |
| It is far worse than the nervousness most people feel | | | | attack. Often you will work with a therapist to identify |
| when faced with certain social circumstances. Social | | | | what, exactly, makes you nervous in certain situations |
| anxiety disorder can be debilitating and can sometimes | | | | and you will learn to identify "triggers" that can cause |
| lead to agoraphobia. | | | | the nervousness to shift over into social anxiety |
| Social Anxiety Symptoms | | | | disorder. With enough therapy, you will be able to |
| Here are a few of the most common social anxiety | | | | control the disorder and live a normal life. |
| symptoms: | | | | Some therapists advocate exposure therapy, which |
| - A crippling fear of being judged by people you do not | | | | operates on the theory that by forcing yourself to |
| know | | | | experience social situations (often in a safe and |
| - Fear that you won't be able to control your actions | | | | controlled environment) you can work through the |
| and will end up humiliating yourself (even in perfectly | | | | disorder and control it. |
| mundane situations) | | | | If the condition is severe, your doctor might prescribe |
| - Worrying for days, weeks or even months about a | | | | some medications. You might be prescribed an |
| situation, even though it has not happened yet and | | | | antidepressant, a benzodiazepine, or a beta blocker. |
| might be a long way off. | | | | You can learn to live with social anxiety disorder and |
| - Self consciousness to an extreme degree in every | | | | keep it from overtaking your life. It will take time and |
| day social situations. | | | | therapy (and possibly medication), but it can be done. |