Social Anxiety Disorder
What do anxiety attacks feel like?
Anxiety Attacks which are actually called panic attacks, are a sudden rush of physical symptoms. Basically you are having adrenaline going through your veins. Your are getting your heart pounding, you maybe get sweaty, lightheaded dizzy, tingly. All these physical symptoms. Come on, you might even feel like you are having a heart attack. But really it is just that adrenaline that is going through your body.
Why can't someone who suffers from social anxiety attacks just 'get over it'?
If somebody has social anxiety disorder it's hard just to get over it because it's a true clinical disorder, which means that they're so nervous in these situations that they're either just not getting into them, which makes it hard to get over, or they're going into them but they're using these overcompensating behaviors. They are being too quiet or they're overplanning everything that they're going to say, overanalyzing everything, and then the social situation doesn't go well. So it's a very reinforcing disorder. It's hard just to break that cycle on your own.
What's the difference between social anxiety disorder and shyness?
A lot of people think that Shyness is Social Anxiety, and that's not necessarily the case. Basically to have social Anxiety Disorder, or social phobia, you need to have anxiety about it. Whereas some shy people are perfectly comfortable being shy, they might just be introverted or might be more quiet, and that doesn't mean that they have an Anxiety Disorder.
How does social phobia develop?
Social phobia often develops by people who have had a negative social experience. So a lot of clients say, "You know I had to give a talk in class and I just stood up there and it was like the worse experience of my life." But not everybody has it, sometimes they can actually come out of shyness in the sense that if people are shy they might start not speaking up in situations and then over time get uncomfortable speaking up in situations. So it can develop as a result of a traumatic incidence like a horrible speaking thing or it can happen just by virtue of your natural temperament.
What can I do to help someone with social phobia?
If you know someone who has social phobia the best thing that you can do for them is encourage them to get an evaluation to see if it's a really clinical disorder and if so they can get cognitive therapy. You can also support them by encouraging them to go out with you to different social situations. You might invite them along to a party; you might start off with something that they're more comfortable with like going over to you house and having some guests over. Basically you want to help them to get into social situations so that they can get more comfortable.
What can I say to help someone who is having an anxiety attack?
If somebody that you care about is having an anxiety attack or a panic attack, in that moment, the best thing that you can do for them is just to let them know it's anxiety. It's not dangerous. It's not going to hurt them. They just have to ride it out kind of like a surfer who goes over a wave. You just have to ride it out and eventually it's going to stop, and usually it takes no more than fifteen minutes.
Does alcohol help with social phobia?
Now a lot of people who have social anxiety like to use alcohol as a crutch. They think it helps them relax and be more comfortable and if they go to a party the first thing they do is get a drink in their hands, when actually it can serve like a crutch. Which means that it might backfire and might make them think that if they don't have alcohol they're not going to be effective in a social situation. So in the short term it might help a little bit but in the long term it's really not helpful.
Is fear of public speaking the same as social phobia?
The fear of public speaking is a type of social phobia. Basically somebody can have generalized social phobia in which they fear many social situations, or a specific social situation phobia like the fear of public speaking. Public speaking does fall under the umbrella of social anxiety.
What are the most serious problems caused by social phobia?
Social phobia can be really crippling for people because it makes you not want to go out and present your ideas to people and share your ideas with the world and that can hold you back from success in your workplace and getting into relationships. So basically it can cripple you in your career and also in your relationships and happiness.
Will my child outgrow social phobia?
Well it's important to know whether or not your child truly has social phobia or if it's shyness introversion. If it's true social phobia, it's unlikely that they will outgrow it. However the great news is that it is very treatable and often just tens such of cognitive behavioral therapy can really do the job and help them to never fear social situations again in their lifetime.
