Social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia, is an intense fear of social situations that can cause physical symptoms like sweating, a racing heart, and difficulty breathing. People with social anxiety disorder often worry about being embarrassed or humiliated in social situations.
Symptoms of social anxiety disorder can include:
• Sweating
• A racing heart
• Difficulty breathing
• Feeling faint or dizzy
• Trembling or shaking
• Nausea or upset stomach
• Feeling like you are going to vomit
• Avoiding social situations
• Feeling anxious about social situations
• Anticipating social situations with dread
• Not wanting to be seen in public
Social anxiety disorder is one of the most common anxiety disorders, with about 15 million adults in the United States affected. There are two main types of social anxiety disorders:
1. Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder: This is when a person experiences anxiety in most social situations.
2.Non-Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder: This is when a person only experiences anxiety in certain social situations, such as performing in front of a crowd or public speaking (which also involves addressing a crowd).
Social anxiety disorder can make your life very limited. It can affect your ability to work, go to school, or even just leaving the house. A social anxiety disorder can also make it difficult to make and keep friends. The constant fear of social situations can be extremely isolating. Imagine constantly feeling like you will drown if you are in a crowd of people - or your heart will start pounding, or your pulse goes bad the longer you are left in a group of people, even if it's not a large group, just about 10 or so people. This really limits your life in so many ways. You are unable to take on leadership roles, you are unable to lead groups, you fear public speaking, you can't stand crowds, even the traffic crowds during your daily commute to and from work. Living with it is no joke. It takes some really serious grounding.
Which is why there are different social anxiety disorder treatments in the market, including:
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: CBT is a type of therapy that helps people change the way they think about and react to social situations.
Exposure Therapy: This is a type of therapy that helps people gradually face their fear of social situations.
Medication: There are some medications that can help reduce the symptoms of social anxiety disorder.
But nothing compares to how effective natural treatment is, particularly in the long run.
