Social Phobia
Social phobia or social anxiety disorder is a condition in which a person experiences anxiety when performing activities and daily interactions with the people around him.
People with social phobia can experience stress due to fear and anxiety about social interaction with the surrounding, to interfere with daily activities. However, in fact this situation can be overcome by undergoing therapy and taking medication regularly.
Symptoms of Social Phobia
If you are experiencing social phobia, you will feel anxious to panic and fear when having to meet other people or be in public. The reason, you feel excessive embarrassment or fear of being noticed, judged, and criticized by others.
Fear of continuous fear and excessive anxiety arises from feeling that other people always pay attention. You also feel afraid of doing something in public for fear that others will make fun of you, for everything you do.
The usual social interactions that are problematic for social phobia include talking with strangers, making eye contact, dating, entering a room full of people, starting conversations, even going to school or work.
People with social phobia may also not attend school or be absent from work for days, for fear of speaking and public appearances. You tend to avoid meeting people other than family, and fearing with others. As a result, you will find it difficult to make friends and tend to not be able to keep friends.
In addition, some of the symptoms of social phobia that can be recognized include:
- Feeling very afraid of someone who knows that he is nervous.
- Feeling very anxious there are people who know themselves stress.
- Avoid party events, because they do not like being in a lot of people.
- Avoid eating, drinking, or working in public places.
- Do not want to use public toilets.
- Did not want to receive phone calls.
- Do not want to go to a crowded place like a shopping center.
People with social phobia may also experience physical symptoms, especially if fears and anxiety are developing. Physical symptoms such as sweaty or trembling body, fatigue, reddened face or cheeks, faster heartbeat, headache, difficulty breathing, muscle tension, nausea, diarrhea, difficulty speaking, dizziness, feeling faint and stomach feel bad.
Social Phobia is More Than Just Shy
Although social phobia is characterized by an uncomfortable attitude in public places or in the midst of others, this condition is much different from the shy nature. People who are shy may feel anxious or embarrassed, momentarily or in public or public speaking.
Meanwhile, people with social phobia already feel anxious, afraid, and panicked, long before public speaking or in the midst of others. Symptoms like a heart beat faster and difficult to focus on the situation also occur long before you have to speak in public.
Another difference between shyness and social phobia is that shyness lasts only temporarily or short-term. This condition also does not interfere with social life, such as school, work, and friendship. Meanwhile, people with social phobia experience it in the long run, to interfere with social life.
Why Can Social Phobias Occur?
Social phobia is not known for definite cause. However, the results show that social phobia is not only determined by genetic factors, but is triggered by a mix of genetic, environmental, and bad experiences such as sexual abuse, bullying, and family violence.
Social phobia may occur in a child by imitating the behavior of his parents who also experience social phobia. It could also be a child's social phobia due to family environmental factors that treat it with too protective.
The condition of social phobia may also be related to a person's physical condition. There are chemicals in the brain that help regulate mood. The substance is called serotonin. Anxiety disorders may also be due to a lack of serotonin.
Another possibility of the cause of social phobia has to do with the amygdala. The amygdala is a structure that resides in the brain, which controls the mind or feelings of anxiety, and regulates the response to fear. Social phobia can occur if the amygdala is working too actively.
How To Overcome Social Phobia
Actually the social phobia sufferers realize that the fear and anxiety he experienced was excessive, even unnatural. However, most of them do not know how to cope.
Social phobia should be addressed immediately. There are several ways to overcome this condition, namely:
- Medical Treatment
Drugs for social phobia can not be taken or stopped indiscriminately, but must be consulted by a doctor. Drugs used such as paroxetine, or sertraline. In some patients, the symptoms of social phobia can be reduced by taking medication regularly. But some other patients, do not feel better with the use of these drugs.
To note in the use of drugs for social phobia is a symptom can reappear when the use is stopped. Drug use may also cause side effects such as nausea, abdominal pain, headache, and difficulty sleeping.
- Behavior Therapy
Another treatment that can be selected to address social phobia is behavioral therapy. The therapist will help you recognize fear, as well as practice changing fear and anxiety. You will be trained to realize that the situation really does not need to be too feared and worried. This exercise will begin by providing a mild uncomfortable situation, then slowly enhanced.
The advantage of this behavior therapy is not only to cure the symptoms, but also the social phobia itself. So when you've recovered, it's unlikely that the social phobia will come again.
- Relaxation Therapy
In this therapy you will be taught breathing techniques and meditation. Thus, you can also do simple relaxation at home. You will feel more relaxed and over time social phobia can heal. Unfortunately this method can only help reduce stress arising from certain social phobias and less effective for general social phobia.
Do not let your life be disturbed because of the social phobia. This condition can be cured, as long as you are seriously undergoing the treatment given according to the doctor's advice.