What You Need to Know About Social Anxiety Disorder
Dana Backstrom, LMFT, LPCC
As human beings living in a fast-paced, results-oriented culture, we all experience anxieties from time to time. These anxieties often occur when we’re facing important, demanding, or new social situations, such as speaking in public, a first date, or meeting our in-laws for the first time.
While anxiety in these circumstances is perfectly normal and reasonable, some people suffer from anxieties when confronted with any social event, even mundane experiences such as attending meetings at work or going to a movie with friends.
Although social anxiety disorder has received a lot of press in recent years, most people are unaware that it is the third most common mental disorder in the United States, after depression and alcohol dependency. In fact, more than 19 million Americans currently suffer from social anxiety disorder.
What Are the Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder?
As the name implies, social anxiety disorder – also known as social phobia – is a mental health condition in which people experience severe, irrational, and ongoing fears of social situations, as well as continual and overwhelming fears of being watched, judged, and/or criticized by those around them.
People suffering from social anxiety disorder will often take a “backseat” position in public, avoiding the need for presentations, giving speeches, or being the focus of any event. Other symptoms can include:
The fear of making mistakes that lead to public embarrassment or shame that social anxiety disorder engenders is often exacerbated by a lack of effective social skills. And, to make matters worse, this fear can quickly lead to anxiety or panic attacks that are often confused with heart attacks by those who suffer them due to the shortness of breath, chest pains, and sweating that accompany the attacks.
Other symptoms of social anxiety disorder can include nausea, confusion, disorientation, insomnia, and involuntary twitches, shaking, and muscle spasms. These symptoms usually occur prior to, and in anticipation of, any social event, and in extreme cases they may begin days or even weeks before a major event or social encounter.
Given the severe and often debilitating nature of these symptoms, people suffering from social anxiety disorder tend to avoid any and all social encounters in an attempt to avoid the anxiety and stress these encounters generate.
Can Social Anxiety Disorder Be Treated?
Researchers have yet to determine the cause of social anxiety disorder, but many believe that a combination of factors is involved.
The disorder may be caused, in part, by a neurotransmitter imbalance. Simply put, this means that the message system between nerve cells in the brain is not functioning properly, altering the way the brain reacts to stress. It may also be a genetic condition, as the disorder seems to run in families, or the result of an extremely humiliating or embarrassing public experience that occurred early in one’s life.
Due to the physical symptoms that accompany social anxiety disorder, proper diagnosis may take time. Your physician will most likely eliminate physical disorders systematically before arriving at the conclusion that the problem requires professional anxiety counseling or therapy.
Fortunately, psychotherapy has proven quite effective in the treatment of social anxiety disorder, and one of the most effective anxiety therapy treatments is known as cognitive behavior therapy (CBT).
Using CBT, a cognitive behavioral therapist will gradually expose you to situations that cause anxiety and help you change the way you react to them. They will help you recognize, and gain control over, the unwanted thoughts and behaviors that lead to anxiety and stress, thereby enabling you to cope with, and overcome, your fears of social encounters.
In addition to the effectiveness of these therapeutic techniques, professional anxiety therapy will also likely include mindfulness and relaxation techniques as well as exercises to improve your self-esteem and socials skills.
lthough there may be no way to prevent the onset of social anxiety disorder, help is available for anyone suffering from this severe and debilitating condition. If you or anyone you know is experiencing symptoms of social anxiety disorder, professional help should be sought in the form of your physician or a professional anxiety therapist. The sooner you seek help, the sooner you’ll be on the road to recovery and being able to enjoy life and your relationships to their fullest.
While anxiety in these circumstances is perfectly normal and reasonable, some people suffer from anxieties when confronted with any social event, even mundane experiences such as attending meetings at work or going to a movie with friends.
Although social anxiety disorder has received a lot of press in recent years, most people are unaware that it is the third most common mental disorder in the United States, after depression and alcohol dependency. In fact, more than 19 million Americans currently suffer from social anxiety disorder.
What Are the Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder?
As the name implies, social anxiety disorder – also known as social phobia – is a mental health condition in which people experience severe, irrational, and ongoing fears of social situations, as well as continual and overwhelming fears of being watched, judged, and/or criticized by those around them.
People suffering from social anxiety disorder will often take a “backseat” position in public, avoiding the need for presentations, giving speeches, or being the focus of any event. Other symptoms can include:
- Avoiding eating or drinking in public
- Shying away from writing or working in a group setting
- A reluctance to ask questions (even those as simple as asking for traffic directions)
- Avoiding public restrooms
- An unwillingness to talk on the phone
The fear of making mistakes that lead to public embarrassment or shame that social anxiety disorder engenders is often exacerbated by a lack of effective social skills. And, to make matters worse, this fear can quickly lead to anxiety or panic attacks that are often confused with heart attacks by those who suffer them due to the shortness of breath, chest pains, and sweating that accompany the attacks.
Other symptoms of social anxiety disorder can include nausea, confusion, disorientation, insomnia, and involuntary twitches, shaking, and muscle spasms. These symptoms usually occur prior to, and in anticipation of, any social event, and in extreme cases they may begin days or even weeks before a major event or social encounter.
Given the severe and often debilitating nature of these symptoms, people suffering from social anxiety disorder tend to avoid any and all social encounters in an attempt to avoid the anxiety and stress these encounters generate.
Can Social Anxiety Disorder Be Treated?
Researchers have yet to determine the cause of social anxiety disorder, but many believe that a combination of factors is involved.
The disorder may be caused, in part, by a neurotransmitter imbalance. Simply put, this means that the message system between nerve cells in the brain is not functioning properly, altering the way the brain reacts to stress. It may also be a genetic condition, as the disorder seems to run in families, or the result of an extremely humiliating or embarrassing public experience that occurred early in one’s life.
Due to the physical symptoms that accompany social anxiety disorder, proper diagnosis may take time. Your physician will most likely eliminate physical disorders systematically before arriving at the conclusion that the problem requires professional anxiety counseling or therapy.
Fortunately, psychotherapy has proven quite effective in the treatment of social anxiety disorder, and one of the most effective anxiety therapy treatments is known as cognitive behavior therapy (CBT).
Using CBT, a cognitive behavioral therapist will gradually expose you to situations that cause anxiety and help you change the way you react to them. They will help you recognize, and gain control over, the unwanted thoughts and behaviors that lead to anxiety and stress, thereby enabling you to cope with, and overcome, your fears of social encounters.
In addition to the effectiveness of these therapeutic techniques, professional anxiety therapy will also likely include mindfulness and relaxation techniques as well as exercises to improve your self-esteem and socials skills.
lthough there may be no way to prevent the onset of social anxiety disorder, help is available for anyone suffering from this severe and debilitating condition. If you or anyone you know is experiencing symptoms of social anxiety disorder, professional help should be sought in the form of your physician or a professional anxiety therapist. The sooner you seek help, the sooner you’ll be on the road to recovery and being able to enjoy life and your relationships to their fullest.