| Difficulty in functioning socially, with other people, in | | | | In front of other people, do you sweat profusely? |
| personal or professional life is an indication of a social | | | | Do you tremble or blush excessively? Do you get |
| anxiety disorder that leads to depression. What is this | | | | goose bumps in the company of a group of people? |
| all about? | | | | Do you become panicky when asked to speak in |
| Social Anxiety Disorder -- What Is It? | | | | front of others? |
| Do you have extreme stage fright? Do you have | | | | Degrees of Social Anxiety |
| difficulty expressing yourself when in the company of | | | | Social anxiety has degrees of disorder. It may be mild |
| non-relatives or not-so-close acquaintances, unfamiliar | | | | or severe. Mild social anxiety can be cured by |
| people? For all you know, you may be suffering from | | | | therapy and simple self-help techniques such as |
| social anxiety disorder. This disorder, sometimes | | | | holding a stress ball during a conference or a group |
| known also as social phobia, is that state of | | | | meeting. |
| prolonged social anxiety and worry that causes you | | | | The severe form of this social anxiety needs |
| great distress and hampers you from functioning | | | | medications since most of the times anxiety is |
| properly in some, if not most, areas of your daily life. | | | | accompanied by psychotic symptoms such as hearing |
| People around you may think that you are just shy | | | | things when exposed to the public. |
| since you have been this way since you were a kid. | | | | How Do You Address Social Anxiety Disorder? |
| Being bashful is the adjective that describes you | | | | The repercussions and anti-social effects of this |
| best. However, there is a line that separates | | | | disorder are far-reaching, so much so that you need |
| bashfulness from social anxiety disorder. | | | | to admit and accept the fact if you feel any of the |
| Are You Just Shy? | | | | tell tale signs of a social anxiety disorder. Diagnosis is |
| For example, if you have the disorder, you may not | | | | very important for the proper treatment regimen to |
| want to mingle with other people because doing so | | | | be prescribed accordingly. |
| brings you headaches, nausea or worse will cause | | | | Cognitive behavior therapy is helpful in this. The |
| you to vomit. | | | | behavioral aspects of the therapy, coupled with the |
| With being shy, you don't feel like vomiting and dizzy, | | | | cognitive ones, are brought in to affect thinking |
| you are only apprehensive of how you will approach | | | | patterns and reactions to situations that may cause |
| other people. Once you and the persons you are | | | | anxiety. Coupled with the therapy are some forms of |
| talking too have warmed up to each other, you can | | | | prescriptive medications that include antidepressants |
| converse with them without difficulty. A person with | | | | of the SSRI and SNRI types, the selective serotonin |
| social anxiety can not push himself to socialize. There | | | | re-uptake inhibitors and the serotonin-norepinephrine |
| is no such thing as a warm up period for him. | | | | re-uptake inhibitors, respectively. |
| Symptoms | | | | Family Support |
| Clinically, social anxiety disorder is manifested by | | | | The pharmacological treatments, some experts |
| excessive anxiety and self-consciousness in the most | | | | contend, may not be enough to totally cure the |
| ordinary of everyday, normal situations involving | | | | sufferer of the disorder. Aside from the side effects |
| other people. Sometimes, the disorder is limited, as | | | | brought about by the medications, the tendency to |
| when you are only fearful of speaking or performing | | | | relapse after the discontinuance of the drugs is |
| in front of an audience, or you would not want to be | | | | possible. |
| socializing with others. But in some cases the social | | | | A deeper need for comprehensive psychotherapy |
| phobia is so broad and diverse that the anxiety | | | | may be in order to ensure prolonged, if not |
| manifests itself in almost every situation where you | | | | permanent treatment. Take note, however, that the |
| are exposed to other people. | | | | therapy must be supported by the family and close |
| Socio-phobics have this irrational fear of being | | | | circle of friends; their support and guidance is critical |
| watched, of being judged for their actions, of being | | | | to reinforce the patient's feeling of self-worth again. |
| evaluated every time by others, whether these | | | | Only then will social functioning and ability to interact |
| others be family, friends, co-workers, or even | | | | be possible to be regained. Social anxiety disorder and |
| strangers. The anxiety is so intense that the | | | | depression are curable; it only takes a little more help |
| sociophobic individual can not work or can not study, | | | | from the people behind the sufferer. |
| can not talk, can not interact. | | | | |