Understanding Social Phobia and the Right Way to Overcome It

Social phobia or social anxiety disorder is a condition in which a person experiences anxiety when carrying out activities and daily interactions with people around him. People with social phobia can experience stress due to fear and anxiety about social interactions with their surroundings, to interfere with daily activities. However, this situation can actually be overcome by undergoing therapy and taking medication regularly.

Symptoms of Social Phobia

If you experience social phobia, you will feel anxious and panicked when you have to meet other people or be in public. The reason is that you feel excessive shame or fear of being watched, valued, and criticized by others. A feeling of constant fear and excessive anxiety arises from feeling that other people are always paying attention. You also feel afraid to do something in public because you are afraid that other people will make fun of you for everything you do. Social interactions that are considered normal but are a problem for people with social phobias include talking to strangers, making eye contact, dating, entering a room full of people, starting a conversation, even going to school or work. People with social phobia may also be absent from school or absent from work for days, for fear of speaking and appearing in public. You tend to avoid meeting people other than your family, and are afraid to be with other people. As a result, you will be difficult to get friends and tend not to be able to maintain friendships. In addition, some of the symptoms of social phobia that can be recognized include:

• Feel very afraid that someone will find out that he is nervous.
• Feeling very anxious there are people who know themselves stressed.
• Avoiding parties, because you don't like being in a place with lots of people.
• Avoid eating, drinking, or working in public places.
• Do not want to use public toilets.
• Do not want to receive phone calls.
• Do not want to go to crowded places like shopping centers.

People with social phobia can also experience physical symptoms, especially if feelings of fear and anxiety are arising. These physical symptoms such as sweating or trembling, fatigue, blushing on the face or cheeks, faster heartbeat, headaches, difficulty breathing, muscle tension, nausea, diarrhea, difficulty speaking, dizziness, feeling like fainting and stomach feeling uncomfortable.

Social Phobia Is More Than Just Shy

Although social phobia is characterized by an uncomfortable attitude in a public place or in the midst of other people, this condition is far different from being shy. People who have a shy nature may feel anxious or ashamed, for a moment or when in public or speaking in public. Meanwhile, people with social phobia are already feeling anxious, afraid, and panicked, long before they speak in public or are in the midst of other people. Symptoms such as faster heart palpitations and difficulty focusing on circumstances also occur long before you have to speak in public. Another difference between shyness and social phobia is that shyness is temporary or short-term. This condition also does not interfere with social life, such as school, work, and friendships. Meanwhile, people with social phobia experience it in the long run, thus disrupting their social life.

Why Can Social Phobia Happen?

Social phobia has no known cause. However, research results show that social phobia is not only determined by genetic factors, but is triggered by a combination of genetic, environmental, and bad experiences such as sexual harassment, bullying, and violence in the family. Social phobia may occur in a child as a result of imitating the behavior of parents who also experience social phobia. It can also be that a child experiences social phobia due to family environmental factors that treat him too protectively. The condition of social phobia may also be related to one's physical condition. There are chemicals in the brain that function to help regulate mood. This substance is called serotonin. Anxiety disorders may also be caused by a lack of serotonin. Another possibility for the cause of social phobia has something to do with the amygdala. The amygdala is a structure in the brain, which controls thoughts or feelings of anxiety, and regulates responses to fear. Social phobia can occur if the amygdala works too actively.

The Right Way to Overcome Social Phobia

In fact, sufferers of social phobia realize that the fear and anxiety they experience is excessive, even unnatural. However, most of them do not know how to deal with it. Social phobia must be dealt with immediately. There are several ways to overcome this condition, namely:

• Medical treatment

Drugs for social phobia can not be taken or stopped arbitrarily, but must go through a doctor's consultation. Drugs used such as paroxetine, or sertraline. In some patients, symptoms of social phobia can be reduced by taking medication regularly. But some other sufferers, do not feel better with the use of these drugs. What needs to be considered in the use of drugs for social phobia is that symptoms can reappear if use is stopped. Use of drugs may also cause side effects such as nausea, stomach ache, headaches, and difficulty sleeping.

• Behavior Therapy

Another treatment that can be chosen to overcome social phobia is behavioral therapy. The therapist will help you recognize fear, as well as practice changing your fears and feelings of anxiety. You will be trained to realize that the situation really does not need to be too feared and worried about. This exercise will begin by providing a mild uncomfortable situation, then gradually improve. The advantage of this behavioral therapy is that it not only cures symptoms, but also social phobia itself. So, when you have recovered, the social phobia condition is unlikely to come again.

• Relaxation therapy

In this therapy you will be taught breathing and meditation techniques. Thus, you can also do simple relaxation at home. You will feel more relaxed and over time social phobias can heal. Unfortunately this method can only help reduce stress arising from certain social phobias and is less effective for general social phobias.

Don't let your life be disturbed because of social phobia. This condition can be cured, provided you are serious about undergoing treatment given according to doctor's advice.