A social phobia, also known as a social anxiety disorder, is defined as a fear of social situations. These social situations could be anything from being in a strange place with new people, so speaking in front of others in a public setting. Social phobias often prevent people from meeting new people, participating in events or going to new places. Since the world if very much a socially driven place, people suffering from social phobias will often isolate themselves in order to avoid social interactions. This can lead to depression and a sense of not belonging, so it’s important to seek help for a social phobia if you suffer from the symptoms of social anxiety disorder.
Social phobias are very common. Many people suffer from social anxiety, however the underlying causes of social anxiety disorder and the situations that cause anxiety vary greatly in social phobia sufferers. Most social phobias come from a fear of being judged or embarrassed in public, so the immediate response is to avoid situations where anything like that could happen. The two types of social phobias are generalized social anxiety disorder, where most social situations cause anxiety, and specific social anxiety disorder, where only certain types of social interaction cause anxiety.
Some of the most common triggers for social anxiety disorder are meeting new people, public speaking, performing in front of others, being the center of attention, going on dates and being called on in a class or meeting to give an answer. The most common symptoms of social phobias are blushing, dizziness, clammy hands, sweating, shaky voice, loss of breath, nausea and dry mouth. While most everyone will experience some nervousness in certain social situations, social phobia is the exaggeration of the nervousness and other symptoms that are taken to intense levels.
To cure your social phobias, you need to find a treatment method that works best for you and your situation. Some self-help methods may be enough to quell the symptoms of social phobias. If you cannot cure your social phobias on your own, you make want to seek the help of a professional to deal with the issue. Medical professional can assist you with therapy sessions or medications to help you tackle your social phobia.
One tip to cure your social phobias is to stop doing certain things that will naturally give you anxiety. Rid your life of anything superfluous that causes anxiety, such as drinking, smoking and any other bad lifestyle habits. Also make sure that you eat a healthy diet and get enough sleep. Practice yoga or meditation if you are able so that you are setting yourself up for success by leading an overall healthy and balanced life that is void of unnecessary stressors.
If social phobias persist, medical professionals can prescribe medications to deal with the symptoms of social anxiety. Beta-blockers, antidepressants and benzodiazepines are all frequently given as anti-anxiety medications. These medications reduce the symptoms felt when a person with social anxiety is in a situation where the social phobia could be triggered. They do not, however, cure social anxiety disorder.
The best way to cure social phobias is through cognitive-behavioral therapies that use exposure therapy, or systematic desensitization, to cure social anxiety disorders. This method involves slowly exposing someone who suffers from social anxiety disorder to the exact situation that triggers the phobic symptoms. For example, if a person has a fear of speaking in public, the initial exposure step might be having the person talk in front of family, and then in front of friends, and then in front of strangers. This may happen over the course of a few weeks so that the exposure is not overwhelming. This process is done slowly and also involves talk therapy to get to the root of the issue and cure the phobia for good.
