Overcoming Social Anxiety: Is Social Anxiety Ruining Your Life?
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Social anxiety is so common these days that it has become the third highest rating psychological issue occuring today and even though it is so common is is still very much misunderstood.
Just as there are many people who suffer with social anxiety there are many ways it can manifest in someones life. The generalised fear that everyone is watching them and everyone is thinking badly or judging them when they may logically know this is not the case is a very common experience for sufferers.
Fear of the phone ringing or someone knocking on the door or wanting to lock themself away from the dangers of the outside world are very common symptoms of social anxiety disorder.
The common thing that all suferers have is a generalised feeling of apprehension and fear and generally expecting the worst to happen in virtually everything they do. Because this has a social component the fear or feeling that they are being constantly judged and never in a good way is usually always present.
While most people will have some issues with job interviews and public speaking situations for example if you suffer with social anxiety these are literally paralysing events that are virtually impossible to perform.
If not treated a generalised social anxiety can become a more specific and more severe social phobia. The condition has become a psychiatric disorder at this stage characterized by an even more severe anxiety and fear in social settings and an increased level of self consciousness
And there is the ever present overwhelming worry about being watched and judged by others and the fear of embarrassing or humiliating themselves in front of other people. Usually some social trigger will set things off. This does not even need to be actually happening just percieved to be happening.
Because this is a condition that is on the increase, there are many treatment options available to someone suffering with social anxiety. There are the more conventional forms of treatment such as psychotherapy and drugs and a number of very effective alternative style therapies such as hypnosis and herbal medicine. If you suffer with anxiety of any kind do not give up hope. Look for an approach that works for you, there is one, and then begin putting your social anxiety behind you.
