Social anxiety, also called social phobia, is characterized by an intense and irrational fear of one or more social situations. People with this disorder have an excessive fear of problems in public that may expose them, embarrass them, or expose them to others. Encountering can create a high level of anxiety in them. For this reason, they tend to present avoidance behaviors, modifying certain routines or social relationships to avoid exposure to the public or participation in a social event.
Therapy is a fundamental pillar to overcoming this phobia in practically all mental disorders. At FastlyHealwe explain the causes, symptoms and treatment of social anxiety.
Table of Contents
Causes of social anxiety
It is generally believed that the cause of social anxiety arises from a negative experience that has marked the patient to a great extent. The individual has probably gone through an embarrassing situation, felt judged by several people, or may even have seen a third person go through this experience and fear it will happen to himself.
Therefore, the disorder is based on the fear of encountering a similar experience and its consequences. If the phobia is not treated, the fear will persist in the patient, negatively affecting his work and personal life.
Symptoms of social anxiety
When a patient with this disorder is exposed or must be exposed to a social environment, they present a series of symptoms that can occur in different intensities depending on the case:
- Great feeling of anxiety and stress, which often includes excessive sweating, nervousness, nausea, tremors, and especially difficulties speaking typically, being able to make meaningless phrases, or being speechless.
- Intrusive, irrational and involuntary thoughts replay in your mind repeatedly the possible consequences of facing the situation that frightens you. The individual cannot curb these thoughts, despite being aware that they are exaggerated and excessive.
- Avoidance behaviors in specific environments where the patient believes that he may end up socially exposed.
- Feelings of shyness, insecurity, and shame in the face of an encounter with other people, being able to blush and even feeling physical discomfort such as stomach pain. That usually ends up affecting the time of maintaining friendships or relationships.
Treatment of social anxiety
Faced with all these symptoms, a diagnosis should be made by a specialist who will apply the appropriate treatment. Especially when the physical symptoms are intense, anxiolytics or antidepressants may be prescribed as support, but the primary treatment for social anxiety is psychotherapy. Some practical cognitive-behavioral techniques are:
- Relaxation techniques: the objective is to train the patient to anticipate anxiety and stop stress through breath control or mental visualization of pleasant and relaxing scenes.
- Thought control techniques: it is the way of teaching the individual to stop the appearance of intrusive thoughts when they begin to occur. As in the previous design, it is recommended to think about other issues and try to relativize the magnitude of the situation.
- Coping therapy: the person should gradually expose themselves to the situation that causes fear, taking small steps to get closer to it and facing the fear to see that nothing happens.
- Techniques of self-esteem and development of social skills: in this way, the patient is taught to know himself and to live in society, and he is prepared to develop intimate relationships, friendships, or companionship normally, which will help him gain confidence in himself to combat anxiety and negative thoughts.
There is no better remedy than acknowledging and accepting fear; Letting yourself be helped by those closest to you and, above all, by a professional is the only way to combat anxiety. Lean on them, try to keep a positive thought, and take it easy; phobias don’t disappear overnight.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Social anxiety: causes, symptoms and treatment , we recommend that you enter our category of Mental disorders .
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.