Social Anxiety Disorder Affects Millions Every Day

Have you ever found yourself walking through a public mall where you feel you're the center of attention and everyone is watching you? Or maybe you've been to a dinner event and become so self conscious that the other diners are watching your every move that you've been too nervous to enjoy yourself. If these or similar situations have happened to you, you could be suffering from social anxiety disorder or SAD.

Social anxiety is the abnormal, excessive, and unreasonable fear of common social interactions. It is the anxiety of being judged by others. Social anxiety is a general fear of being around people and having to interact with them. Over 15 million Americans suffer from this disorder which manifests itself in feelings of inadequacy, embarrassment, nervousness, and anxiety to the point where they can't function normally in public situations.

SAD sufferers typically have low self esteem and an overriding fear of rejection. SAD can also prevent sufferers from forming personal relationships with others and cause tensions in existing relationships because of their fear of being embarrassed in social situations. They can become house hermits walling themselves off normal social contacts with people. They can be acutely aware that their symptoms are irrational and yet be unable to do anything about them.

Social anxiety, also known as social phobia, is not very well understood by the general public or even health care professionals. It is often confused with shyness because shy people often fell uncomfortable in public situations and uneasy around people as well. But shy people don't necessarily experience the intense feelings of anxiety that a person suffering from SAD will. Also, people who have been diagnosed as having social anxiety are not necessarily shy.

Another reason that social anxiety disorder can be difficult to diagnose is that it's physical symptoms vary among different people. Some common symptoms are blushing, nausea, trembling, dry mouth, twitching, hot flashes, and sweating. In full blown episodes of anxiety, the psychological dread can result in a sense of panic so extreme that it may trigger a panic attack.

There is no single known cause of social anxiety disorder, but some studies indicate that social anxiety disorder may be triggered by a chemical imbalance caused by a lack of serotonin in the brain.

The most common treatment for those suffering from social anxiety disorder is cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT. In this therapy, the therapist works closely with the patient both to help him identify his fears and to provide him with coping mechanism to combat them. CBT also is helpful in improving the self-esteem and social skills of the sufferer. CBT has been effective in treating many but not all patients.

In cases where CBT has not been effective, drugs such as Paroxetine may be prescribed for social anxiety symptoms. Other types of prescribed medications that have been used to treat SAD are antidepressants such as Paxil, Librim, Valium, and others.

Unfortunately many SAD suffers often never seek the help that could alleviate their symptoms because they either don't realize that they have the disorder or they don't realize that help is available for them.

Karen Larsen is a writer for http://www.anxietyinamerica.com who writes on subjects such as anxiety disorder tests and other disorders. You can find more about anxiety disorders at her web site.

Related Articles:

Unemployment Blues: Mind Over Mood
Our lives are tranquil and smooth so seldom, it seems. We have our ups-and-downs, our good days and bad days, our sunny moods and black moods.

Entrepreneurial Emotions or It Seemed Like a Great Idea at the Time
It's your first business or the next Great Idea in your ongoing business, online or offline, it doesn't matter. The roller coaster ride is a theme and variations on the same experiences.

Speaking to Her Emotions: Christy USA Launches First National American Ad Campaign
Christy USA launches thier first national ad campaign and media plan.

Social Anxiety in the US and Japan
Social anxiety, in many ways, is a global problem. Sure, different cultures approach people with this sort of problem in different ways, but people who dislike social contact can be found in any society. However, in recent times, two particular societies have produced interesting environments for those dealing with social anxiety.

How to Manage Your Mood with Food
Here's a meal-by-meal guide to eating for energy and managing your mood with food.BreakfastEating a good breakfast boosts your concentration and revs your energy, particularly in the morning when you may need it most.

Habits, Emotions and Motivation: Key Factors to Changing Your Life and Losing Weight
This interview is an excerpt from Kevin Gianni's Fountain of Youth Summit, which can be found at http://fountainofyouthworldsummitcom

Outskirts Press Announces Uncommon Emotions, the Latest Highly-Anticipated Lesbian Book from Mukilteo, WA, Author Lynn Galli
Outskirts Press, Inc. has published Uncommon Emotions by Lynn Galli, which is the author's most recent book to date. The 5.5 x 8.5 Paperback in the Lesbian category is available worldwide on book retailer websites such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble for a suggested retail price of $12.95. The webpage at www.outskirtspress.com/uncommonemotions was launched simultaneously with the book's publication.

How Emotions Affect Acne, Cystic Acne, Dealing With Body Acne, Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatments, and Deep Breathing Exercises Affect Acne
How Emotions Affect Acne. Many years ago, doctors thought that everything that affected a woman's health was directly related to their emotional state. The old family doctor would pat a woman's hand and say, "It's just your nerves, my dear."

Body Building Mind Games: Dont Let Your Weight Determine Your Mood!
Is the 'I Feel Fat Day' (IFFD) syndrome affecting your output? That extra flab can overpower you and your work. Thee feeling of being fat can morph into an emotion like 'happy' or 'angry'.

Recovered Agoraphobic Starts Agoraphobia Article Directory on the Internet
A recovered agoraphobic has started a free article directory on the Internet at www.agoraphobia.net. Visitors to the site may read articles to learn more about agoraphobia or contribute original articles of their own.

Visual Aids For Agoraphobia Or Panic Disorder
I was a panic attack and agoraphobia sufferer for over twenty years. During that time, having shared my life with this terrible twosome, I worked out a few ways of making my life more tolerable if I had to venture out into the big wide world. And I?ll share a couple of them with you here.

Creating Your Joyful Home: Dawning of Your Emotions
"I keep the subject of my inquiry constantly before me, and wait till the first dawning opens gradually, by little and little, into a full and clear light."-Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727)Creating a joyful home requires careful planning in order to choose the perfect interior design details.

Mood Stabilizers & Mood Enhancers - A Remedy to Naturally Boost Mood & Alleviate Depression
Depression and mood disorders are very prevalent mental health issues today. In an increasingly health conscious society, more options are being put forth in the realm of natural medicine, allowing people to stabilize and enhance mood naturally, without addictive and often harmful prescription antidepressants.

Defining Agoraphobia: Discover The True Definition Of Agoraphobia From An Ex-sufferer?s Perspective
There are two things that are apparent when you start to seek a definition for agoraphobia and that is that, depending on where you look, there is more than just one definition. If we take a look in a dictionary, we will find that the interpretation given there is similar to the following: a disease which results in the sufferer being afraid of open or public spaces which, can result in the sufferer becoming housebound.

How Food Affects Mood
Everyone can benefit from understanding how food affects our mood "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food," wrote the eminent Greek physician Hippocrates during the dawn of western medicine. We took his advice.