What is Social Anxiety?
People who suffer from Social Anxiety or Social Phobia have fears of social and/or performance situations. It is an anxiety disorder and as a result they feel much anxiety from the idea of being judged by others, watched by others, or behaving in such a way that may cause embarrassment to themselves. Some fears may include talking in front of others, eating in front of others, or being put into a new situation. These situations can cause severe anxiety and can lead to attacks involving racing heart beats, trouble breathing, blushing, and sweating. Those who suffer from Social Anxiety will go to great lengths in order to avoid feared situations. Social Anxiety is said to be the most common anxiety disorder and about 7%-8% of the population suffer from it. Usually, it comes about during adolescence or early adulthood but can occur at any time during someone’s life. It is found to be more common in women than in men.
How is it Caused?
No one cause has been found to cause Social Anxiety but researchers have found that biological, psychological, and environmental factors may all play a role in its development. Social Anxiety may be a result from an imbalance of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Neurotransmitters are special chemical messengers that help move information from nerve cell to never cell in the brain. If they are out of balance, messages cannot get through the brain properly. This can alter the way the brain reacts to stressful situations which lead to anxiety. Social Anxiety also appears to run in families so it may be passed on in families through genes. Psychologically, Social Anxiety may come from an embarrassing or humiliating experience at a social event that happened in the past. It may also occur from one’s environment - by observing the behaviour of others and seeing what happened to them such as being laughed at. Also, children who are overprotected by their parents may not learn as good social skills.
Treatment
There are treatment options which have proven to be effective. One option is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy also referred to as CBT. In CBT you learn to identify your feared situations. In the behvioural treatment part of CBT you will also learn to confront your feared situations by "exposing" yourself to the situation which provokes anxiety. The prevention and avoidance of these behaviours will also be worked on. The cognitive therapy aspect of CBT consists of identifying the situations and thoughts that go with them, questioning them for their logic, and then learning how to challenge the thoughts so that they are not as instrusive. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing in order to control anxiety are also learned. Another option is medication. The majority of medication that is prescribed to those who suffer from Social Anxiety are antidepressants. Some examples would be Celexa, Effexor, and Zoloft. Antidepressants are used for OCD as they increase concentration of serotonin in the brain and improve symptoms of OCD. The most effective treatment option has been a combination of both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and medication. However it is up to the individual to determine what type of treatment to have and this should be discussed with a doctor.
Getting Help
If you think you may have Social Anxiety you should speak with your doctor who may then refer you to a counsellor or therapist. If you are currently at school you can speak with a counsellor at school for help.
Note: This has just been an overview of this condition. For more information please contact your doctor.