Women health
*Women health>>>Anxiety Disorders

What is social anxiety disorder like?



What are the symptoms and how does it feel?

Social anxiety is more than shyness. It is anxiety in social situations that is so severe that you may not want to go out, go to school or work, or speak in public. It may start to affect your grades or job performance.

Social anxiety disorder is diagnosed when people become overwhelmingly anxious and excessively self-conscious in everyday social situations. People with social anxiety have an intense, persistent, and chronic fear of being watched and judged by others and of doing things that will embarrass them. They can worry for days or weeks before a dreaded situation. This fear may become so severe that it interferes with work, school, and other ordinary activities, and can make it hard to make and keep friends.

While many people with social anxiety realize that their fears about being with people are excessive or unreasonable, they are unable to overcome them. Even if they manage to confront their fears and be around others, they are usually very anxious beforehand, are intensely uncomfortable throughout the encounter, and worry about how they were judged for hours afterward.

Social anxiety can be limited to one situation (such as talking to people, eating or drinking, or writing on a blackboard in front of others) or may be so broad (such as in generalized social phobia) that the person experiences anxiety around almost anyone other than the family.

Physical symptoms that often accompany social anxiety include blushing, profuse sweating, trembling, nausea, and difficulty talking.

Social anxiety can be successfully treated with certain kinds of psychotherapy or medications. Source(s): http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/anxiety...
listen to linkin park paranoid i don't leave my home due to this people are perceived as threats and unwelcome
self
I have social anxiety and for me it is being unable to be in an area with more then myself without filling up with anxiety to the point were I want to implode.
Social anxiety can cause these feelings, which can also lead to severe depression,
http://www.socialanxietyinstitute.org/ds...

if not you could be suffering from Generalized Anxiety
Disorder..http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/general_anx...

There is hope; I've been there, and still am there, it is a long, hard struggle. I recommend
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cognitive_b... worked best for me, with mild anti-anxiety meds. I suffered from social anxiety for over 15 years. I've tried individual therapy, and group therapy and studied psychology for 10 years, as a profession, but also with the hope to cure myself.

Depending on your comfort level, you could go to a psychologist that practices CBT and specializes in anxiety disorders, seek a group therapy, or create one. Usually those that do attend the group therapy are a bit more high functioning because as you know, it can be difficult to speak in a group.

Another idea is to see if there are any local research studies being conducted that you could participate in.

The program that finally worked the best for me is this one: http://www.socialanxiety.us/findinghelp.... and I was lucky enough to have a structured behavioral group to go along with it. Sometimes the people that actually attend this program come back home and form groups.

I recommend a mild anti-anxiety med in addition to CBT therapy.

Any questions, let me know ... I can't tell you how much this has improved my life!
Tags
Acupuncture AIDS Allergies Alzheimer Disease Androgen Anxiety Disorders Asthma Atherosclerosis ADHD
Related information
  • What is social anxiety disorder like?
  • What is that anxiety disorder when you bite your finger nail?
  • Are there more anxiety disorder cases now than in the past? I need an article for that, not just answers.?
  • Any1 with social anxiety disorder which affects their performance at work and finally overcame it? Pls advise.
  • Zoloft for social anxiety disorder?
  • I think I have anxiety disorder. I would like to get rid of it with out medication. Any suggestions?
  • Can someone with Generalized Anxiety Disorder have Pannic Attack?
  • Does anyone suffere from anxiety disorder? If so, what can you tell me about it?
  •    

    Health Categories--Copyright/IP Policy--Contact Webmaster
    The information on whfhhc.com is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.