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| Social anxiety |
Andrew M. Jacobs, Psy. D and Martin M. Antony, Ph.D., ABPP of Social Anxiety Support define Social Anxiety as a persistent mental health condition. Those dealing with social anxiety attacks describe the signs of social anxiety as an intense feeling of distress, fear or worry that is centered on exchanges with other people. Social anxiety attacks can be brought on either through actual interactions or at the thought of social interactions with others. Social anxiety attack symptoms describe them as an intense fear or concern of being viewed disapprovingly or looked down on by others coupled with physical symptoms such as sweating nervousness and light-headedness. The good news is that through research into the symptoms of social anxiety and its causes, many natural remedies for social anxiety have been found that are effective to help social anxiety sufferers. (www.socialanxietysupport.com, 2014)
Social anxiety and the symptoms of social anxiety,
· The sweaty palms,
· Rapid heartbeat,
· Dizziness and
· Light-headedness
that are customary symptoms of social anxiety, are known to be brought on by several different types of social situations, for example; meeting or being introduced to new people, spending time with someone who tends to tease or be critical of others, having someone watch or hang about while doing something, and being the focus of attention to name only a few.
These types of situations can be unsettling for someone who is not dealing with social anxiety but for someone who is struggling with the symptoms of social anxiety disorder, this type of social situation can be nearly debilitating. (socialanxietyinstitute.org, 2014).
How to cure social anxiety?
There are cases that require medical assistance to overcome the occurrence of social anxiety attacks, however, before seeking the help of a doctor, there are some natural remedies for social anxietythat you can try on your own when dealing with social anxiety. One of the first things to take into consideration when assessing the signs of social anxiety is whether or not the fear and anxiety are normal for the circumstances, or if they are extreme enough to point to something more serious. In order to do this it is necessary to identify what situations are at the root of the social anxiety attacks.
Jot down the most terrible things that make you feel anxious in social scenarios and fight them before they attack
Once the situations that cause the social anxiety attacks have been identified the next step is to make a list of these situations and start trying to practice being in that type of a situation. Asking a trusted friend to help may make this easier. Then little by little begin practicing dealing with the social anxiety caused by the items on the list until they begin to cause you less anxiety. It is probably a good idea to start with a few small things that cause anxiety but aren’t causes of extreme social anxiety attacks.
Some examples of situations that can cause social anxiety attacks that may be a good place to start practicing would be; having dinner out with a friend in a public place. Being with the friend will help you relax and control the symptoms of social anxiety disorder that can be caused by being in a public place. If eating in public is a source of anxiety, then perhaps start out eating at the friend’s house with their family or perhaps with another friend, which will help to take the focus off any one person; working your way up to going out in public free of the burden of dealing with social anxiety. (www.mayoclinic.org, 2014)
Another situation that you can practice that tends to be a source of social anxiety attacks is meeting with or greeting someone that hasn’t been introduced before. This can actually be a big source of anxiety for some people, and if that is the case it should be avoided when starting out, however if this is one of the lesser causes of symptoms of social anxiety then perhaps the friend who is helping could invite a friend that is either a new acquaintance or someone that has been barely introduced
.
These examples are things that can be done to try to overcome the signs of social anxiety disorder with the help of a friend, however, when first learning the art of dealing with social anxiety independently there are certain ‘exercises’ that can be done when alone that help to begin the process of working the way through to the other side of social anxiety attacks. (www.mayoclinic.org, 2014)
When you first start out to self help your way past the symptoms of social anxiety, your fears are probably going to make going out in public difficult or painful, however it is important to arm yourself with as many anxiety management techniques as possible in order to make it possible to cope with and overcome social anxiety disorder.
Some of the techniques used to overcome social anxiety attacks include: making sure to be ready to keep up with conversations about current events. This is easy enough to do by simply reading the newspaper to make sure you are up to date with topics at the ready to help carry the conversation along if it should lapse.
Another thing that can be done before going out is to make a list of positive things that you like about yourself and then choose one or two to focus on that evening to help when dealing with society anxiety. It may also be a good idea to practice some relaxation techniques that can be done in a bathroom stall. That way should the need arise an escape to the restroom for a few deep breathing exercises can stop a social anxiety attack in its tracks without letting anyone in on the situation.
Sometimes keeping your discomfort as quiet as possible and being about to hide the signs of social anxiety can help to bring the person dealing with social anxiety through a tough situation much more easily; where as having their fear and discomfort made public only intensifies the symptoms of social anxiety and would have the opposite effect.
There are some natural remedies for social anxiety that can be used at home as preparation for situations that could potentially bring on social anxiety attacks. For instance, a cup of chamomile tea with just a touch of lavender and lemon leaf as been proven in studies to help calm anxiety and even improve the symptoms of social anxiety.
If tea is not your thing, each of these herbs is available in supplement form as well. In a study done on two test groups, one given chamomile supplements and the other a placebo, the participants given the supplement were shown to be more relaxed before entering a stressful situation. (www.health.com, 2014)
An important thing to keep in mind when using the natural remedies for social anxiety disorder is to ignore the urge to use alcohol or recreational drugs to calm your anxiety. It may appear that it is helping, but continued use of these substances as a means of dealing with social anxiety disorder can actually add to the symptoms of social anxiety. (www.mayoclinic.org, 2014)
There are going to be cases of people dealing with social anxiety attacks that are helped little if at all by natural remedies for social anxiety, however there is still hope for those dealing with social anxiety that need treatment that goes beyond breathing exercises and herbal supplements, and are helped by more intensive social anxiety attack treatment such as psychological counselling, also known as cognitive-behavioural therapy.
Cognitive-behavioural therapy is a program comprised of a system that addresses the many cognitive methods, and coping mechanisms that can be used by someone dealing with society anxiety to help them make progress toward being more comfortable in social situations. The therapy may include prescribed medications such as anti-depressants or serotonin based medications.
Research and experimental data alike show that cognitive-behavioural therapy, when done comprehensively with consistency and a carefully developed plan for dealing with social anxiety which includes practicing natural remedies for social anxiety at home, taking any and all medications that a doctor may prescribe to you to help control the symptoms of social anxiety, helps to produce lasting changes to a person’s ability to successfully deal with social anxiety attacks.
A good program set up by a therapist or physician trained in helping those dealing with social anxiety and containing the necessary and precise strategies to help control social anxiety attacks; recognize the symptoms of social anxiety and begin using the natural remedies for social anxiety, along with any recommended medical or prescription remedies a physician may recommend for social anxiety attack symptoms and contains a strategy for recognising the signs of social anxiety and neutralizing them before they begin goes a great distance in helping with the process of overcoming social anxiety disorders. (socialanxietyinstitute.org, 2014)
Note: The information in this article is not intended to replace or contradict the advice or care of a physician. Before beginning or ending any treatment that includes medications or herbal supplements please seek the advice of your physician.
Resources:
19 Natural Remedies for Anxiety. (2014, January 1). - 19 Natural Remedies for Anxiety. Retrieved June 10, 2014, from http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20669377_2,00.html
Jacobs, Psy.D., A. M., & Antony, Ph.D., ABPP, M. M. (2014, January 1). Social Anxiety Support. Social Anxiety Disorder and Social Phobia: Symptoms and Treatment. Retrieved June 15, 2014, from http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/disorder/#what
M.A., M. S., & M.A, E. J. (2014, May 1). Social Anxiety Disorder & Social Phobia. Social Anxiety Disorder and Social Phobia: Symptoms, Self-Help, and Treatment. http://www.helpguide.org/mental/social_anxiety_support_symptom_causes_treatment.htm
Richards, Ph.D., T. A. (2014, January 1). What is Social Anxiety? Social Anxiety Institute. Retrieved June 15, 2014, from https://socialanxietyinstitute.org/what-is-social-anxiety
Richards, Ph.D, T. A. (2013, January 1). Social Anxiety Association | A non-profit organization that promotes understanding and treatment of social anxiety disorder. Social Anxiety Association | A non-profit organization that promotes understanding and treatment of social anxiety disorder. Retrieved June 15, 2014, from http://socialphobia.org/
Social Anxiety Disorder | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. (2013, January 1). Social Anxiety Disorder | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. Retrieved June 15, 2014, from http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/social-anxiety-disorder
Social anxiety disorder (social phobia). (2014, January 1). Definition. Retrieved June 15, 2014, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/social-anxiety-disorder/basics/definition/con-20032524
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