Hello everyone, this week’s topic is all about Social Phobia, or mostly known as Social Anxiety. Most people think that having anxiety for some things is weird or for “crazy” people. But it signifies you care about the social situation for it to go enjoyably. It’s completely normal to feel nervous about social situations, but don’t let this fear detain you in gaining complete confidence in yourself. In this type of phobia, everyday social interactions can cause anxiety, self-consciousness, and embarrassment because you feel you are being judged by the minute you’re in the room. 

Social Phobia

• Chronic mental condition from which one can learn coping skills in therapy or going through the process of experimenting with actual social situations to help boost confidence as you progress.

There are different types of symptoms to identify if you have this type of disorder:

Emotional and behavioral symptoms

• Fear of being judged
• Worrying about humiliation
• Fear of interacting with others
• Fear that some physical symptoms can embarrass you like blushing, sweating, or shaking
• Feeling anxious in anticipation of the social activity
• Thinking of things you did after the social situations and identifying certain mistakes
• Expecting the worst outcome from a negative situation

Physical Symptoms

• Blushing
• Shaking
• Sweating
• Fast heartbeat
• Nausea
• Trouble breathing
• Lightheaded

Avoids common social situations such as:

• Interacting with new people
• Going to parties
• Going to a new work area or school 
• Creating conversation topics
• Eye contact

Depending on the amount of stress you’re facing over time, avoiding these types of social situations can have a strong impact on the long term in your treatment to getting over this. Although avoiding them may sound like the easy way out, it increases the chances of your anxiety becoming stronger if you don’t do something about it at the times you best can. 

*IF YOU HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS OR ISSUES WITH SOCIAL ANXIETY, DON’T HESITATE IN ASKING A DOCTOR THAT IS SPECIALIZED IN THIS AREA.*

Some causes of social anxiety disorder likely come from:

• Family history
• An issue in the part of the brain called the amygdala, which controls most of the fear responses
• Learned behavior from an unpleasant experience
• New social demands

Complications that can be caused by social anxiety disorder:

• Low self-esteem
• Sensitive to criticism
• Lacking social skills
• Complete Isolation in creating social relationships
• An effect in academic performance
• Abuse of substances
• Suicide attempts or suicide

(IF YOU HAVE HAD ANY EXPERIENCES WITH THIS TYPE OF SITUATION, IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO SEEK GUIDANCE, CALL 1-800-273-TALK )

Treatment

• Psychotherapy
• Anti-depressants
• Beta-blockers, for reducing adrenaline in the body
• Herbal remedies