Do You Have A Social Anxiety Disorder?
Do you fear of meeting people? Do you feel uncomfortable while eating or drinking in front of someone? Do you feel extremely anxious while giving presentation in groups? Are you anxious about talking over the telephone? If yes, you might have a Social Anxiety Disorder and need professional help.
Individuals who suffer from Social Anxiety Disorder may experience intense difficulty while interacting with other people in social situations. His feeling is characterized by an unnatural, extreme and irrational fear and anxiety. He or she fears being humiliated and embarrassed by other people. There is also a fear of being judged and scrutinized by others.
If you are suffering from social anxiety disorder, you will be uncomfortable in social situations and avoid social gatherings if at all possible. You might spend time being agitated over an imagined belief that others are judging you. If left untreated, it can seriously interfere in your normal daily routine including interpersonal and family relationships and may interfere with your professional life and social activities.
Symptoms that Can Give You Red Alert
If you are feeling extremely anxious or getting too conscious about the activities mentioned below, it denotes that you are at serious risk of being diagnosed with a Social Anxiety Disorder:
• drinking or eating in front of other people
• being physically active in front of other people
• being the center of attraction of any social gathering
• interacting with different people
• going on dates or to parties
• offering solutions or presenting reports in front of a group
• utilizing public toilets
• communicating over the telephone
While faced with such situations, an individual suffering from a Social Anxiety Disorder may experience an extreme sense of anxiety, way beyond the control of the victim. In most of the cases of Social Anxiety Disorder, the individual will feel that there is something wrong with them, but will fail to recognize their thought patterns and behavior are wrong. The victims of this disorder show specific characteristics when they encounter fear-provoking stimuli:
• an increased anxiety in social settings
• deliberate avoidance of fear-provoking situations
• marked physical symptoms which exhibit anxiety that include racing heart, muscle stiffness, confusion, sweating, trembling, stomach upset and diarrhea.
The prevalence of Social Anxiety Disorder is very high in the United States. Women are more susceptible to Social Anxiety Disorder than men. In most of the cases, this disorder strikes at adolescence or during early adulthood. However, it may also occur during early childhood. Most children with Social Anxiety Disorder will have a tendency to cry, throw a fit or temper tantrum or cling to a parent in social situations.
