Social Anxiety: Do You Have The Symptoms Of Social Phobia?
Anxiety is a normal reaction to many stressful situations in life but, for some people, anxiety can become a paralyzing burden. If you have changed the way you live as a result of anxiety, then you could be suffering fro
m an anxiety disorder. Social anxiety (or social phobia) is defined as anxiety that occurs during social situations that may or may not be stressful to others. Although there is no definitive test for social phobia, there are quite a few symptoms and feelings that are easily recognized. Read on to see if you can learn to work out what you’re dealing with.
Physical Symptoms of Social Anxiety
Perhaps the easiest test for social anxiety is to assess your physical symptoms. If you have problems with social anxiety, you may experience some of the following unpleasant symptoms whenever involved in social situations:
- Shaking
- Blushing
- Sweating
- High blood pressure
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
- Upset stomach
- Palpitations
- Unpleasant muscle tension
Of course, these symptoms could also indicate the presence of several other medical or emotional conditions. So, try not to panic when you feel these symptoms and see if you can’t relate them to what you are doing socially.
Emotionally Distressing Symptoms of Social Anxiety
If you check with a doctor about your symptoms, he or she may ask you questions about your emotions and self-perception. Often, people with social phobia are concerned and worried about being the center of attention. They worry that others will consider them to be stupid or that they will say something embarrassing, that others will be bored with their attempts at conversation, or even that people will notice their physical symptoms and think they are ill. The emotional symptoms, even though perhaps less obvious, can sometimes cause extreme difficulty during social situations, and as a result, can increase one’s desire to avoid people.
Is Social Anxiety the same thing as Shyness?
It’s a common misconception that shyness is the same thing as social anxiety. However, that’s not always true. Typically, people with social anxiety can be very shy, but sometimes they just are afraid of new situations. Whether social anxiety or shyness, the resulting difficulties greatly interfere with social relationships. Many sufferers of social phobias have difficulty shaking the negative feelings and physical effects; sometimes they do end up avoiding people and social situations as much as possible. Shyness, however, does not necessarily indicate social phobia, and if you tend to be shy, that doesn’t mean that at some point in your life you will eventually, have social anxiety.
Is Help Available?
You bet there is! I have found that a well-researched ebook such as How to Break out of Your Shell can go a long way toward getting you better. This book covers 16 chapters that tell you in detail how to deal with all aspects of social phobias, including:
• Myths about shyness
• The Blocks that keep you in your shell
• How to overcome shyness
• How to overcome social anxiety
• How to build confidence
• How to overcome specific fears
• How to overcome limiting beliefs
• How to improve your social skills
• Mindsets for success in all areas of your life
• How to motivate yourself
The author, in her own words, states:
As someone who has broken out of my own shell, I can confidently tell you: The sooner you begin to transform your life, the sooner you can reap the great rewards breaking out of your shell brings to you. There’s no better investment you can make, then in your own personal development.
Don’t wait! The help you seek is there – you just have to reach out and grab it!
