Social anxiety disorder manifests as fear, worry or apprehension at a heightened level.
Signs include a person beign easily embarrassed or often anxious of practically every situation.
It's an experience of an exaggerated reaction on situations that usually wouldn’t entail that much fear.
Social anxiety disorder is also referred to as social phobia, a long-lasting anxiety that is
triggered by extreme stress and the inability to function well in normal daily activities. About 13.3% of the general
American population suffer or have suffered from this problem at a given point in their lives.
Symtoms and Causes
Blushing, sweating, nausea, trembling and stammering are the common signs that the person is having a panic
attack due to discomfort or intense fear. Early diagnosis helps symptoms remain minimized and additional problems
like depression are prevented.
Social phobics experience dread that is presented by others. They are overly (hyper) conscious and they place too
much attention on themselves when it comes to any activity. They add pressure on themselves and
have the tendency to be self-critical.
As for their fear, the victim is so afraid to be scrutinized by
others that he is afraid to do anything at all. These feared activities include most kinds of social interactions
like dating, parties, going to restaurants and talking to strangers.
Physiological effects are also normal to people suffering from anxiety disorder. They are often faced with
uncomfortable situations. Children may throw tantrums, cry or cling to their parents; while in
adults, this is shown by sweating, shaking, nausea and palpitations.
Treating Social Anxiety Disorder
A person suffering from the disorder may be treated with medication and/or psychotherapy. Studies show
that the cognitive behavior therapy, whether done on an individual or in groups, are highly effective in
providing the remedy for social phobia. The behavioral and cognitive components identify thinking patterns
that affect the physical reactions of the individual therefore affecting his whole behavior.
Medication prescribed to the patient often consists of antidepressants. Social anxiety disorders have
increased since 1999. Therefore the marketing of drugs to cure it has also increased.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs are a class of antidepressants that are often the first
choice of professionals for treatment. These drugs lift the level of serotonin. This is
also the first drug that has been formally approved by the FDA or the Food and Drug Administration. There is
less risk with this medication.
There may be side effects as the body adjusts to the medication. Symptoms such as insomnia, headaches and
nausea are normal. There are sometimes changes in sexual behavior. There is no evidence yet if the medication is
safe for pregnant women.
Another potential remedy is psychotherapy, also proven to be effective to the treatment of panic disorder:
- The cognitive component assists in making people aware of how they can change
thinking patterns to overcome their fears.
- Gradual exposure is where the person is exposed to the anxiety-provoking situations that he is
afraid of. Throughout the whole procedure, he eventually learns how to handle his anxieties and worries.
This is also termed as anxiety management training.
NEXT: Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptoms & treatments
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