We all have the fear of conducting ourselves the wrong way in public or failing to say the right thing at the right place to the right person. And we all feel that our choice of words might fail us. In many cases after coming back home we feel that we could have used better words to convey a certain point. But thats fine. There is no need to be worried about these little qualms and nervousness.
It is only when the fear of being in a social gathering starts becoming disabling that you must take it seriously because in that case you might be suffering from social anxiety disorder.
Some of the symptoms of the problem are shortness of breath, an increase in the heart rate, feverishness, chest pain, excessive sweating etc. In some cases, one might also feel minor delusions. Social anxiety disorder may cause one to stay secluded, which may lead to depression. And sometimes depression gets just too serious to handle and can drive a person into taking extreme steps, which could be lethal.
So, not only social anxiety disorder is dangerous, but the problems associated with it could also be life threatening. Therefore, once you come across the symptoms, it is best that you seek medical help to overcome the problem.
There are effective treatments available for it which consists of counseling as well as medication. Though medication is usually the first thing an expert would advice one to take but in such cases where the anxiety becomes unmanageable, antidepressants may be prescribed for a short period of time.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is considered to be the best cure. It involves making the suffered consciously identify the problem and take corrective steps to get rid of it. This method expects the sufferer to be an active participant. It is not a pop-the-pill method but is very effective.
There are several ways to give effect to the therapy. In many cases, the patient is asked by the therapist to imagine himself in a situation that is likely to give him an anxiety attack. He is supposed to cope with the situation. When the fear of social interactions is countered headlong, the problem tends to disappear. The thinking pattern and the response to the situation are altered in such a way that the person stops fearing and the problem is cured forever. The best part of this method is that one comes to know how to cope with ones fears if and when they come to haunt one again.
So, if you notice the symptoms, do not ignore them. There is ample help available out there and the social anxiety disorder can surely be treated permanently.
