Social Anxiety Disorder: Top 10 Facts about SAD

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One of the most common psychological problems that people are suffering from nowadays is the social anxiety disorder. Also, it is the most misunderstood too. It is required that more about this disorder is discovered and known so that the people who are suffering can be helped to live a better life.

Also called as the social phobia, the social anxiety disorder is a condition where a person is truly afraid of facing any humiliation that can be caused for him in a social or public situation. In addition to humiliation, there is also a fear of scrutiny and of embarrassment when in public. This fear is so advanced that the person starts to avoid any public situation, meeting new people and avoiding any gatherings that are usually very meaningful. Improve the situation of patients of social anxiety syndrome by intervention at the right time. Make use of the facts that are given below and get the right knowledge:

1. Social anxiety disorder affects men and women equally:
Psychiatric problems are usually seen to affect more women than men. However, in case of social anxiety disorder, men and women are affected equally. Also, not only adults but children and adolescents are also seen suffering from the problem. Since the root cause of the problem may be hidden in their childhood experiences, or due to low self-esteem, the age is hardly a consideration for this problem to affect.

2. Social phobia is not shyness:
A person who is shy or nervous may not be open to a task which involves mixing with people. For example, dancing while in a party may not be something a shy person would do. But the level of shyness seen in people suffering from social phobia is uncontrolled. So much is the hesitation to be social that the party altogether will be avoided by him.

3. Triggers for social anxiety disorder:
People who are suffering from social phobia may find their anxiety triggered by a few situations like when they are introduced to someone, are teased, are the center of attraction, are embarrassed or are criticized, meeting people of higher authority, being observed while doing something, etc. Any situation when they are being noticed gives them the jitters which create an anxiety problem for them.

4. Symptoms of social anxiety disorder:
Faced with a situation which triggers anxiety in them, the body of the person suffering also starts showing some symptoms. These can be shivering, blushing, sweating, nausea, diarrhea, dry throat, muscle tension, difficulty in talking, or even an upset stomach.

5. Social phobia in children:
Like adults, children too may be seen with symptoms of social anxiety disorder. If the level of fear or nervousness is low, then it is very much natural. However, increased fear and nervousness which leads to avoiding situations by the children can be a sign of social phobia. They too may experience symptoms like sweating, dizziness, stomach ache, fewer friends, depression symptoms, etc. The treatment is required to be given at the right time so as to avoid effects in the future.

6. Types of social anxiety disorder:
The problem which a person is facing may be of different levels. It can be generalised social phobia where the person avoids any general situations where being social is required. Specific social phobia is a situation where only some situations trigger anxiety in the person, for example, public speaking, eating out in front of others, meeting new people etc. The worst form of this disorder is the avoidant personality disorder where the level of this problem is so high that the person becomes self-isolated and lives a solitary life.

7. Causes of social anxiety disorder:
There may be varied reasons for people to be suffering from the problem of social phobia. The cause of this problem may lie in his biological make up which means that the problem can be genetic too. However, social and environmental factors like previous negative experiences cause this problem as well. Also, psychological or emotional traumatic situations for a child can lead to this problem in his future.

8. Treatment for social anxiety disorder:
There are a few ways people can be treated to get rid of social anxiety disorder. One way is through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) where a therapist helps improve the thought process and induce positive thoughts. Exposure therapy helps the person by gradually making him used to a situation which he fears. This way he becomes prepared for what is to come and takes it well. Medication is the last resort in the treatment of social phobia. Antidepressants, Benzodiazepines and Beta blockers are given to the patient for relief. However, the chance of relapse is higher after medication is stopped.

9. Social interaction- a way to tackle social anxiety disorder:
To tackle social anxiety disorder, one of the best ways is to join social interaction groups. These may be about any interest or any cause. Just the exposure to new people and mixing up with them will help the person greatly. This will help you learn to strike conversations yourself and no be afraid with such situations.

10. Coping with social anxiety disorder:
Gathering information about this disorder itself helps the patients a lot when they know that it is very much curable. Also certain ways can be used to cope with any anxiety situations. When faced with an anxiety trigger, the person can practice shallow breathing, wait for some time to see if the symptoms lessen, inducing positive self thoughts, trying to create humour of the situation. This will help cope up better with the situation.

Dealing with social anxiety disorder becomes an easy task when the person suffering from it gains knowledge about his problem, the ways to deal with it and self-help that can make it better. It is always better to prevent than to cure, therefore intervention at the right time is the best thing for a patient of social anxiety disorder.