Could You Be Suffering from Social Phobia?

We've all experienced anxiety when placed into certain social situations. After all, who doesn't worry at least a little about what others think of them?
 Sometimes social anxiety can become debilitating causing the sufferer to avoid social situations. If this avoidance behavior becomes extreme, the person may be diagnosed as having social anxiety disorder or social phobia.

Social anxiety is the third most common psychiatric disorder, ranking third only to depression and alcohol dependence. It's estimated that up to 10% of people suffer from some form of social anxiety disorder. The symptoms can become debilitating, causing the affected individual to avoid social situations of all types due to extreme anxiety and discomfort.
There are actually two types of social anxiety. These are:

1. Generalized social anxiety

This is the most common type of social phobia and tends to be the most debilitating. Anxiety is experienced in most social situations encountered by the individual.

2. Nongeneralized anxiety

In this type of social anxiety, the fear and anxiety are directed towards a specific type of social situation. For example, you might feel anxious only when you attend a large party. The fear and anxiety tend to be limited to that specific situation and not generalized to all social situations. This type of anxiety is easier to treat as therapy can be directed towards a specific situation.

How would you know if you have social anxiety disorder? While only a doctor should make the final determination, here are some questions you might ask yourself:
1. Do I have an intense fear of social situations?
2. Do I avoid doing things or interacting with people for fear of being embarrassed?
3. Do I avoid activities where I might be the center of attention or be stared at?
4. Do I fear humiliating myself in unfamiliar situations?
5. Do I experience physical symptoms such as rapid heart rate, sweating, nausea, or shortness of breath when I'm in a social situation?
6. Do I intensely fear looking stupid in front of people
While positive answers to these questions, doesn't establish a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder, it may indicate a need for further evaluation. A doctor can give you a complete questionnaire to determine whether or not you're suffering from social anxiety disorder.

What are the consequences of untreated social anxiety disorder?

Suffering from social anxiety can severely limit your ability to advance both socially and in the workplace. This leads to avoidance behavior which can become progressively more pronounced over time. Finally, you can end up avoiding any social interaction at all. This can lead to the development of depression or drug and alcohol dependence as an attempt to deal with the isolation. Fortunately, there are a variety of treatments for social anxiety disorder ranging from talk therapy to medications. These treatments are best discussed with your doctor who can help you sort through the alternatives.