How To Identify & Deal With Social Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder is a relatively "new" type of anxiety. It wasn't identified by the medical community for many years - instead it was usually seen as shyness. The pharmaceutical companies are hardly backward, however, and there are a number of panic disorder medications available to treat social anxiety.
Social anxiety is essentially a fear of social situations, to the point where someone will go to extremes to avoid them. That doesn't necessarily mean someone suffering from social anxiety is completely anti-social. In many cases, it is only certain situations that lead to anxiety and panic attacks.
SAD can even affect someone who is normally considered the "life of the party." If a particular situation comes up, or they are asked to do something they fear such as public speaking, they can be gripped by this anxiety.
There are medications available to treat this problem, but before taking that step it's best to confirm that you do in fact suffer from an anxiety disorder, not simply shyness. The following are some of the signs of anxiety to look for:
- Fear of being socially humiliated
- Fear of embarassment
- Shortness of breath
- Sweaty hands
- Trembling and twitching
- Nausea
- Lightheadedness
- Feelings of incompentence
If you suffer from these symptoms of panic attacks on a regular basis when in a social setting, there is a good chance you are dealing with social anxiety, or social phobia as it is also known.
Unlike some other forms of anxiety it can be difficult to determine whether these feelings are simply shyness or something more serious. If you experience extreme feelings of panic and stress, it is likely more than simply being shy.
In addition to medications, there are also alternative anxiety treatments such as therapy. If you think you may be suffering from a social phobia, you should talk to your doctor about it and get their professional advice.
