Causes and Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder

One of the most prevalent types of mental illness today is social anxiety disorder. Without proper and immediate treatment, it can become a full-blown medical condition that prevents a person from living a normal life. If you have never suffered from this disorder or even if you know someone who does, it can be very difficult to understand why people feel the way they do.

Although social anxiety disorder can be manifested in a number of different ways, it is generally described as a fear of being in a public situation. For people suffering from this disorder, even very ordinary things like walking in the street or eating in a public place can trigger an attack. The fear is not just in the mind either. It can also lead a person to develop all sorts of real physical reactions, even though the fear may just be imaginary.

Social Anxiety Disorder Can Happen To Anyone

There are also some cases of social anxiety disorder that are not that serious and can happen occasionally to anyone. Take the fear of public speaking, for instance. Some people may freeze up or break out in sweat moments before having to speak in front of a large audience, but they won’t have any such problems in other life situations.

The problem begins when the social anxiety shows up almost everyday and in many different types of situations. In such cases, a person suffering from the condition may find it very difficult to go to work or to school because there will be other people around. Similarly, they will also be stressed and anxious every time they need to leave the house to go to the supermarket, or even to get the mail from their own mailbox outside. Eventually, their fears will prevent them from living a normal life altogether.

Some of the most commonly reported symptoms of social anxiety disorder are dizziness, nausea, violent trembling, breaking out in cold sweat, headaches. These symptoms typically show up as soon as the mind decides that there is something to be afraid of. What most people do to avoid going through these symptoms is to stay away from social situations completely and isolate themselves from the world. This may seem like a perfectly logical solution but in fact, it just makes their condition even worse.

Despite these terrible symptoms, the good news is that social anxiety disorder can be treated, usually using a combination of therapy, counseling and medications. The earlier the treatment is begun, the more chances there are of complete recovery.

If you suspect that you or a loved one is suffering from the symptoms of this condition, make sure to seek professional help as soon as possible. Dealing with the condition is early is always better than waiting until the last minute to ask for treatment.

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