Authored by Sanketa Nayak in Mental Health
Published on 12-19-2008

Social anxiety or social phobia is a disorder that can happen to anyone and as a result the person is feeling an intense fear of social events as well as interaction with people. It is the most common anxiety disorder today. People with social anxiety is mostly like to suffer and feel embarrassed, humiliated and even depressed. As a result, he or she can’t handle the situation of being in public. There are a lot of circumstances where in people can actually encounter social attack. One is when speaking in public, being in the center of attention, talking to people, meeting a new person or just by being watch by others.

A person with this kind of disorder when exposed to this situation can make him or her uncomfortable. He or she may also feel physical and emotional signs that can lead to this anxiety. Emotional symptoms includes heighten fear, feeling the need to escape and extreme nervousness. Physical indication of social anxiety includes excessive sweating, faster heartbeats, becoming dizzy, blushing, muscle tension and shaking. Some people resort to drinking or drugs to overcome the situation.

The cause of this social anxiety is still unknown but biological and psychological factor can play a role in this disorder. Genetics can be a factor for social anxiety and this include shyness and other behavioral inhibition. For example if your parents are both shy then you mostly to be shy that would sometimes lead to social anxiety. The environment can also trigger social anxiety disorder. Based on actual studies, social anxiety emerges at different stages. If a child suffers from any traumatic experience, there is a chance that he or she would develop an anxiety disorder when he or she grows up. Another cause is an imbalance in a chemical called serotonin that is responsible for transmitting signals for feelings and thoughts. There are a lot of ways to cure social anxiety and here are some:

• One of the ways to reduce this anxiety attack is to relax and to focus the mind. These attacks are often trigger with the thoughts of what other people might think about him or her. A great cure is to find ways to help one to focus in order to eliminate the stress. Quiet baths and walks are some activities that could help when it comes to focusing.
• Undergoing therapy like cognitive behavior can actually cure this attack. This therapy can make the brain shift away from unreasonable mindset and beliefs.
• Psychotherapy is another way to effectively cure this disorder. People undergoing this therapy can actually pinpoint their fears and negative thoughts in exchange for positive ones.
• The Linden method is one of the most proven cures for social anxiety. This method focuses on the retraining of the brain so that it can avoid irrational thoughts when it comes to social situation.
• Taking medication is the common treatments of social anxiety because it can relieve the person from symptoms of anxiety and depression. One negative aspect of this medication is the fact the some have side effects.