Social Anxiety Disorder: Causes | How to Stop It | Easy Tactics
Shyness or discomfort in certain situations aren’t usually signs of social anxiety. In contrast, in social anxiety situations, the emotion is sustained because the individual’s day-to-day interactions are disturbed by high stress and a constant sense of embarrassment caused by the fear of being scrutinized and judged harshly by new people.
Social anxiety disorder is also known as (SAD) is a long-term mental health problem in which social interactions cause excessive anxiety; it includes extreme fear, anxiety, and avoidance of any social environment that interfere with life activity.
Symptoms: A health evaluation is essential to be certain.
There is the presence of an extreme dread of being judged, worry about embarrassment or humiliation, or concern about offending someone are all symptoms that can occur.
The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders defines social anxiety disorder as causing individuals to fear acting in a way that might make them get judged, and it can cause anxiety to interfere with their routine and normal relationships.
Typically, this emotion distresses people in specific social settings, for example, striking small talk, meeting new people, or giving a performance presentation without feeling capable of doing so. People with this disease know that their feelings are undervalued, but the unjustified feelings cause them additional worry.
According to studies, about 12% of people suffer from significantly more severe social anxiety. In addition, approximately 7% of adults conform to a social anxiety disorder at any given moment. When left untreated, this condition typically results in severe functional disability.
In research, inadequate treatment of social anxiety disorder has been associated with a significantly higher prevalence of depression, substance abuse, and other anxiety disorders. CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) is an effective treatment for social anxiety disorder.
The exact cause of the disorder is unknown; however, it is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, such as having a close relative with a social anxiety disorder or having been subjected to neglect and abuse.
Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder
There are certain key characteristics of social anxiety disorders that overlap with other characteristics;
Fear of being poorly judged in social circumstances
Always terrified about embarrassment or humiliation.
Fear of interacting or conversing with strangers.
Fear that others will see how worried you appear.
Fear of embarrassment-inducing bodily symptoms such as stammering, sweating, shivering, or having a shaky voice.
Fear of humiliation prevents you from doing things or speaking to others.
Some people have been discovered to use drugs and alcohol to cope with their feelings; however, this will only lead to addiction.
Treatment of Social Anxiety
Most treatment usually includes psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of both. When it comes to psychotherapy, cognitive behavior therapy is recommended since it teaches the individual new ways of thinking and how to behave by helping others around.
If the medicine is needed, the most usual choice is an antidepressant, namely Selective serotonin inhibitors (SSRIs), which assist in regulating serotonin in the brain.
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI’s) help regulate and manage serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine anxiety in the brain.
Benzodiazepine: They are psychoactive drugs that have relaxing effects
Beta-blockers help ease the physical symptoms of performance anxiety in the brain
Medication can help with short-term treatment, but cognitive behavioral therapy is more effective in the long run. Your therapist may recommend group therapy or support groups to help you improve your social skills and connect with others also experiencing social anxiety.
To decrease anxious feelings, an individual with anxiety disorder must change their lifestyle and adopt healthy behaviors:
Assessment: Learning to examine and determine specific circumstances that cause anxiety is an integral part of the assessment process.
Mindfulness training: This entails learning to focus on the now rather than on one’s pessimistic predictions for the future
Systematic exposure: Using mindfulness and cognitive abilities, you can learn to lessen anxiety by putting yourself in fear circumstances. You start with the scenarios that cause the least amount of anxiety in systematic exposure.
Once you’ve learned these realities, you’ll move on to other anxiety-inducing situations until you’ve mastered them all. With this, you’ll be able to work at your own pace without feeling rushed.
Improving your social skills is a long-term effort that will not happen immediately. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re not making as much progress as you’d want. Check to see if you’re doing it for the proper reasons. Above all, you have no obligation to meet other people’s expectations, including those regarding how you spend your time.
While being close to people has its advantages, it’s critical to do so on our terms and in a way that is mentally healthy to you.
Give compliment
It would be best if you learned to give the right compliments;
Words said at the appropriate time can make someone’s day a lot better and can also start a conversation.
Volunteer
You must participate in the right discussions; consider volunteering at every social event that aligns with what you’re passionate about, such as working at a nonprofit if you’re ready to take a further step toward putting yourself out there. This is also a great way of giving back and being of service.
Complications
Most social anxiety patients have low self-esteem, poor social skills, and are primarily alcoholics.
They have a poor track record of performance and achievement, interpret all criticism as negative, and have difficulty asserting themselves. They may commit suicide as a result of it.
How to control breathing
If you’re hurting from a social anxiety disorder, consider practicing breathing techniques to help you manage your social anxiety symptoms, there are several breathing exercises you can practice, belle breathing, roll breathing, focus breathing, mindfulness meditation, and yoga exercise.
If your shyness still inhibits you or prevents you from socializing after all of this, it’s time to seek help. In addition, it might be time to seek professional help for any underlying mental health issues.
