Social Anxiety Disorder - How to Overcome It
Intense Worry and Social Anxiety
A person who suffers from social anxiety disorder is commonly plagued with intense worry about many things. They have a powerful and persistent apprehension of being humiliated and embarrassed in various social situations. Generally, their intense fear has a tendency to interfere with their school, work, social relationships and lifestyle. Sometimes the individual’s fear gets so intense to the point where he would really become ill physically. Though many people suffering from social anxiety disorder are aware that their fear around people might already be unreasonable or excessive, most of them are powerless to conquer it. As a result, they end up worrying intensely for many days, even weeks, before the dreaded event.
There are times that the worry of the person gets so intense to the point where he can’t even bear the thought of leaving his own house. For a normal person, speaking in the presence of an audience can bring forth mild worry. However, for a person with social anxiety disorder, this can cause genuine fear. By intensely worrying about social situations, victims usually feel very helpless. The life of an individual with social anxiety disorder is one filled with intense worry, constant dread and apprehension. Unless he gets the courage to fight his fear or go through therapy, he is bound to live a lonely life with limited experience.
Psychological Symptoms
- Intense worry when in the presence of other people especially with strangers for fear of being watched and judged.
- Intense worry concerning unavoidable upcoming social events.
- Dreading social situations which call for performance.
- Intense apprehension of situations which involve mingling with total strangers
- You are terrified to make mistakes for fear of humiliating and embarrassing yourself.
- You feel so self-conscious that people might notice your anxiety and nervousness.
- As much as possible, you avoid social situations, especially those which might put you in the spotlight.
Physical Symptoms
- Tight chest or pounding heart
- Breathing problems
- Palpitations
- Difficulty swallowing
- Dry mouth
- Shaking or trembling
- Nausea or vomiting
- Upset stomach
- Shaky voice
- Dizziness, fainting spells
- Blushing
- Twitching
- Clammy and cold hands
- Muscle tension
- Confusion
- Numbness or zoning out
- Hot flashes (excessive sweating)
- Difficulty talking
- Diarrhea
- Can’t handle eye contacts
- Facial freezing