Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder is characterized by severe fear of being embarrassed or harmed at some specific situation or place. This condition is also known as social phobia which involves extreme fear of gatherings and social events. Such fears are mostly irrational, baseless and persistent until the patient is treated completely by professional psychiatrists.

One of the main factors which make the situation uncontrolled for the person is an irrational belief that he is not able to overcome it or he is not confident enough to get control over the situation. Such inferiority complex or pessimism further deteriorate the condition and enhances the complexity of social anxiety disorder.          

Symptoms or Signs of Social Anxiety Disorder

When a person suffering from social phobia has to face that particular situation which could trigger his disorder, he starts showing symptoms of his abnormal state of mind and body. These symptoms include blushing, sweating, muscle tension, lightheadedness, fainting, trembling along with increased heart beat, breathing rate and blood pressure. Some people also experience stomach problems and nausea during an attack of social anxiety disorder.         

Treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder

Like other anxiety disorders, social anxiety disorder is also treated with the combination of medication and therapeutic techniques. Particularly cognitive behavior therapy is applied to train patients to deal and overcome the symptoms of their social phobia. During various stages of this therapy a patient learns that how he should react in the face of specific terrifying situation and how he has to take control of himself during the appearance of severe anxiety disorder. Depending upon the severity of disorder such patient is also exposed to specific situation which causes to trigger his anxiety. Such exposure therapy is applied in secure environment where patient knows that there will be no harm in facing that specific situation. In this way patient learn to handle that situation rather than being aggressive or feared in reaction.

As far as proper medication for treating social anxiety disorder is concerned, there is a group of inhibitors and high potency drugs is present which are used in this case. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) and benzodiazepines are included in the list of those antidepressants used to treat social phobia or social anxiety disorder.                   

Prevention of Social Anxiety Disorder

We know that social phobia is triggered by specific situations or place so it can be prevented by avoiding such places or situations until the person completely recovers from abnormal state of severe anxiety and fear. In such situation family members or friends can play an important role to keep the patient in safer environment rather than involving him a situation seems dangerous for him.          

Impact of Social Anxiety Disorder on Normal Life Activities

Social Anxiety Disorder adversely affects the normal life activities of a sufferer. From personal relation to social status and from learning abilities to managing skills every aspect of normal life is disturbed due to having this kind of anxiety disorder. Such persons are not able to reach their specified goals in studies, jobs of business. Because of having extreme fear of specific situations their life activities become limited to their home boundaries. Such social cut off not only disturbs their social status but also put strain over their personal relations. A person suffering from social anxiety disorder becomes dependent upon people living around them whether they are his family members or friends. In most of the cases such dependency become a burden over these relations and lead to relation break ups which results in more anxiety and depression in the state of severe tension, dependency and helplessness.