It’s common to feel anxious in some social situations, such as going on a date or giving a presentation, but in social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, routine social interactions result in significant anxiety, fear, self-consciousness, and embarrassment due to a fear of being observed or judged by others.
Severe stress can affect your daily routine, work, school, or other activities. Social anxiety disorder is characterized by fear and anxiety that cause avoidance that can disrupt our lives.
Although taking medication and learning coping mechanisms in psychotherapy can help people with social anxiety disorder, it is a chronic mental health condition that can make it difficult to interact with others and build confidence.
Symptoms
Comfort levels in social situations vary depending on personality traits and life experiences, with some people being naturally reserved and others being more outgoing. Feelings of shyness or discomfort in certain situations aren’t necessarily signs of social anxiety disorder, particularly in children.
Social anxiety disorder typically starts in the early to mid-teens, though it can sometimes start in younger children or in adults. It differs from normal nervousness in that it includes fear, anxiety, and avoidance that interfere with daily routine, work, school, or other activities.
Emotional and behavioral symptoms
Persistent: is one of the social anxiety disorder’s signs and symptoms.
- Fear of encounters with potential judgment
- worrying that they will look bad or be humiliated
- severe anxiety when interacting or conversing with strangers
- Fear of being seen as anxious by others
- Fear of embarrassing physical manifestations like blushing, perspiration, trembling, or a trembling voice
- fear of embarrassment preventing one from acting or communicating with others
- preventing yourself from being the center of attention
- fearing a task or event and feeling anxious about it
- maintaining a high level of fear or anxiety while in a social situation
- After a social event, take some time to reflect on your performance and spot any interactional issues.
- assuming the worst-case scenario as a result of a bad social experience
Children may cry, throw fits, cling to their parents, or refrain from speaking in public when they are anxious about interacting with adults or their peers.
Intense fear and anxiety may only occur when speaking or performing in front of others, not in other types of social situations, according to the performance type of social anxiety disorder.
Physical symptoms
Social anxiety disorder can occasionally be accompanied by physical symptoms, which may include:
- Blushing
- Fast heartbeat
- Trembling
- Sweating
- Upset stomach or nausea
- Trouble catching your breath
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- you experience mental disorientation
- Muscle tension
Avoiding common social situations
When you have social anxiety disorder, you may find it difficult to cope with common, everyday experiences like:
- getting along with strangers or unfamiliar people
- going to events or gatherings with friends
- traveling to a job or class
- Starting conversations
- Making eye contact
- Dating
- taking a seat in a room full of people
- Taking goods back to a retailer
- taking a meal in public
- Using a public restroom
Even though avoiding situations that cause anxiety may help you feel better in the short term, anxiety is likely to persist over the long term if you don’t get treatment. Social anxiety disorder symptoms can change over time and may flare up if you’re under a lot of stress or demands.
Causes
Biological and environmental factors may interact in complex ways to cause social anxiety disorder, as they do with many other mental health conditions.
- Inherited traits.Although there is a tendency for anxiety disorders to run in families, it is unclear how much of this is likely to be a result of inherited traits and how much is a result of learned behaviors.
- Brain structure.People with an overactive amygdala may have a heightened fear response, increasing anxiety in social situations. The amygdala (uh-MIG-duh-luh) is a structure in the brain that may play a role in controlling the fear response.
- Environment.Parents who either model anxious behavior in social situations or are more controlling or overprotective of their children may also be associated with social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety disorder may be a learned behavior — some people may develop the condition after an unpleasant or embarrassing social situation.
Complications
Anxieties can affect relationships, employment, education, and general enjoyment of life if social anxiety disorder is not treated. Social anxiety disorder can result in:
- Low self-esteem
- Trouble being assertive
- Negative self-talk
- Hypersensitivity to criticism
- Poor social skills
- Adversity in social interactions and isolation
- mediocre performance in school and at work
- Addiction to drugs or alcohol, such as binge drinking
- Suicide or suicide attempts
Social anxiety disorder frequently co-occurs with other anxiety disorders, specific other mental health disorders, especially major depressive disorder and substance abuse issues.
HOMOEOPATHIC TREATMENT
- Kali Phosphoricum:Anxiety causes dullness, fatigue, and a lack of energy; it is helpful for social phobias in people who are easily stressed, insecure, or overly sensitive.
- Aconite:It is helpful for patients with social phobias who experience sudden attacks of anxiety or panic that last for a long time.
- Arsenicum album:For those who are afraid of being alone, the dark, or being flawed, this is a useful medicine.
- Gelsemium:It is helpful for people with social phobias who experience anxiety because they feel inadequate. Patients may feel trapped in public settings. It is also helpful for people who avoid large crowds and public speaking.
- Ignatia:This medication is helpful for those who have social phobias, experience anxiety as a result of loss or grief, experience erratic moods, suffer from depression, etc.
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