Don't Let Social Anxiety Disorder Keep You At Home!

What exactly is social anxiety disorder?

Well, have you ever dreaded attending a party, or a wedding, or other social situation? If this happens to you every now and then, it's no big deal. But if it happens nearly every time you have to attend a social event, you may have what is known as social anxiety disorder (or SAD, for short).

I can relate to how you feel. For years, I dreaded social situations. I felt like if I was invited to a party, a wedding, or anything like that, I would be tongue-tied, nervous, and have no idea what to say. Usually, that was the way things turned out! A self-fulfilling prophecy! Obviously, I wasn't very good at coping with social anxiety!

I always wanted to feel relaxed about going to social events, yet somehow, I never felt like I "belonged." I was always easier for me if I went to a social event with a friend. The psychiatrist Aaron Beck calls this person a "caretaker." I never felt like I needed a caretaker but having some friends there always seemed to make things easier.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I wasn't the only person who felt this way...for years, I thought I was truly in the minority and that something was wrong with me...but I discovered that researchers say that one out of six people suffer from SAD.

That means in a party of thirty people, there are probably five people who are suffering from it and they are very uncomfortable in the social situation. Almost 17% of the population suffers from this disorder and it's one of the top reasons people go to the doctor!

SAD is very treatable and if you have it and get help for it, you have an excellent chance of recovery. And that's important...think about how good you'd feel without having to deal with anxiety about social situations all the time. Your life would improve dramatically! Yes, you can learn how to overcome social anxiety.

And it's also important to get it treated because it's possible to develop social anxiety and depression if you avoid treatment. Not only that, you may also develop a more severe case of this disorder.

What is SAD? In my research into anxiety disorders, I found that simply stated, SAD is a fear of people. And there are actually two different types:

Performance social anxiety: this is when your anxiety is related to public performances or speeches

Generalized social anxiety disorder: When you're anxious about most...if not all social situations

Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder

Some symptoms of this anxiety disorder might include:

A fear of humiliation and embarrassment in social situations
Imagining that people are secretly judging you
Believing folks won't like you
Difficulties expressing yourself when other people are nearby, especially when you believe you must always be competent in front of a particular group
Fear of making a "mistake" in social situations

Causes of Social Anxiety

Researchers have not discovered a particular cause of SAD. Its actual cause has been somewhat elusive for researchers to pin down...

...some researchers believe the cause is biological and we inherit a tendency to be socially anxious...

...other researchers believe there is a psychological cause; usually an embarrassing event in a person's past...

...and yet other researchers believe SAD has an environmental cause. This means you may have developed it by witnessing things that happened to others who were laughed at or made fun of.

Treatment for SAD

It's very important to seek treatment for social anxiety disorder. Diagnosing social anxiety is not complicated and it involves answering some questions and talking to your doctor.

Early treatment can prevent a mild case of SAD from developing into a more serious problem. Early treatment can include medications and counseling for social anxiety disorder.

Another reason to seek treatment is because research has found that 40% - 50% of people with anxiety will also develop depression.

Sadly, most people who suffer from social anxiety don't get treated at all! And many of them go on to develop major depression or another form of anxiety. If they eventually seek treatment, it will take longer for them to feel better because of the depression or other anxiety disorders they may have developed. Because the treatment takes longer, they are usually going to spend a lot more money.

As you get treatment for social anxiety disorder, you'll begin to see other people and yourself in a more realistic and kinder light. See your doctor, who'll design a treatment plan specifically for you, most likely using a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), medication, and relaxation techniques.