Is your social anxiety natural or social anxiety disorder? (2023)

Social anxiety disorder (SAD), also known associal phobia, is a type of anxiety disorder in which people fear and avoid the judgment of others. SAD is different from the expected jitters that many may feel in anticipation of certain social situations. Those with social anxiety experience overwhelming symptoms that cause significant distress and impairment.

It is estimated that 12.1% of US adults suffer from social anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.

Social anxiety disorder symptoms

Social anxiety disorder can affect a person before, during and/or after a social situation. Symptoms can be divided into physical and emotional or behavioral symptoms.

Physicist

Physical symptoms of SAD include:

• Blush
• sweating
• fast heartbeat
• waving
• Stomach pain and/or nausea
• Difficulty catching your breath
• Dizziness

Emotional or Behavioral

Emotional or behavioral symptoms of SAD include:

• avoiding social situations
• Avoiding being the center of attention
• Spending time worrying about how they look to others
• Intense anxiety about a social situation
• Overanalyzing the social situation
• Ruminandoon past social experiences

Causes

The causes of social anxiety disorder often involve an interaction of several factors. Research has found that this disorder typically begins in childhood or adolescence, but it can occur later in life and affects men and women equally.

Some possible causes of SAD include:

• genetic factors
• Limited social experiences
• overprotective parents
• History of bullying or public humiliation

Identifying Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder can present differently in everyone, with some having visible external symptoms such as flushing, shaking and sweating, and others experiencing more internal symptoms of anxiety and fear.

There are several online screening tests to help you identify whether it is social anxiety disorder. Screening questions you can ask yourself include:

• Do you feel intense and persistent fear that someone might judge you?
• Does a feared situation lead to a panic attack?
• Do you go out of your way not to attend social events?
• Did your symptoms interfere with daily life?

While an online screening tool cannot diagnose you, it can give you an idea of ​​what someone with SAD might experience and provide data to prompt an appointment with your doctor.

To know for sure if you are experiencing more than "typical" anxiety in social situations, a healthcare professional can help by discussing your symptoms and behaviors with you.

Treatment

Although SAD seems unmanageable, rest assured that there are options. The goal is to control symptoms and the ability to function in uncomfortable situations.

There are several psychotherapeutic approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapy, systematic desensitization, and social skills training.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is a form of therapy used to treat SAD, as well as other anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

CBT is a therapy that will help a person recognize SAD-related thoughts and behaviors and work to challenge and change these thoughts and behaviors. Therapists will provide tools to replace fear-based thoughts and actions with more adaptive ones.

Systematic desensitization therapy

Systematic desensitization therapy is also called exposure therapy, where patients are exposed to their fears and given tools to overcome them. Therapy will begin by imagining various fears, and eventually the patient will gradually move on to being exposed to them in real life.

Typical desensitization exercises for social anxiety disorder can be a hierarchy that includes:

• Asking someone the time
• Talking to Someone in an Elevator
• praise someone

Eventually working for:

• Go out to lunch with a group
• Hosting a party in your own home

social skills training

Another common treatment for social anxiety disorder is social skills training, where people develop social skills and practice exposure therapy in group role plays. This approach may be helpful for some individuals with social anxiety disorder. While children do well in treatment together with their parents, experts determine that adults can work individually with a therapist or in a group therapy setting and experience positive results.

Social skills training includes role-playing everyday experiences to cope with and manage anxiety, receive feedback and feel comfortable in these situations. Examples of role-playing topics include:

• Practicing a Difficult Conversation with a Boss
• Practicing face-to-face conversation on a date
• Practicing contributing to group conversations

medicine

Work with your doctor to determine if the medication is right for you. The drugs proved to be useful in the first line of treatment.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are typically used to reduce certain symptoms of SAD and other mental illnesses. It's important to be aware of the side effects of these medications and talk to your doctor if you decide to stop taking a medication, as SSRIs require tapering.

Commonly used SSRIs for social anxiety disorder include:

• Paxil CR (paroxetine)
• Luvox CR (fluvoxamina)
• Zoloft (sertralina)
• Lexapro (escitalopram)
• Celexa (citalopram)
• Prozac (fluoxetine)

Lidar

Social anxiety can be an overwhelming and frustrating disorder that can wreak havoc on a person's everyday life. That said, there are ways to cope and lessen the burden. While seeking treatment may be the right thing to do, there are ways to deal with the situation outside the therapist's office as well.

practice transparency

Allow yourself to be open and honest with the people around you. By sharing your struggles, you can feel more confident knowing that someone is there and cares, and it can help if you're feeling overwhelmed.

self-care practices

Self-care is key to dealing with many mental illnesses. Self-care will be different for everyone, depending on the needs of your body and mind. Those who have social anxiety disorder may find that relaxing and calming activities can help to de-stress and calm the body.

Self-care practices for social anxiety can include:

• deep breathing practices
• Meditation
• journaling
• Yoga

Be one step ahead

If you are struggling with social anxiety disorder, you should practice being one step ahead in your daily life. Prepare for meetings and presentations by arriving early, taking medication if necessary, taking time for self-care, and other ways to accommodate and prepare for an uncomfortable situation.

A Word from Verywell

Social anxiety disorder can feel isolating, but it's more common than you might think. The good news is that there are many ways to take this disorder into your own hands and seek treatment. It may take work, but you have the ability to overcome this disorder.