Anxiety or social phobia can damage the quality of life of those who suffer from it. We tell you what its symptoms are and how to deal with them in the next article.
Humans are social beings from birth to death. For this reason, for a person to develop all his capacities, it is necessary for him to interact with his environment and the people around him. In this sense, social anxiety prevents a full quality of life
Today, this type of alteration that prevents proper functioning in society is very common. TAS, also known as social phobia, seriously affects daily routines.
What is social anxiety?
Feeling nervous or shy about certain everyday situations (such as standing in front of the class, asking a passerby for directions, having an appointment, or asking a salesperson a question) are usually minor problems. However, for those who suffer from social anxiety, the feeling turns into panic.
Faced with this problem, the person begins to avoid situations or places that make them feel uncomfortable. In the long run, he isolates himself more and more. Of course, school performance, work performance, and affective relationships are affected.
What are the symptoms?
In addition to psychological symptoms, people with social anxiety may also present with sweating, rapid heartbeat, and other physical manifestations.
It is difficult to diagnose because the person who suffers from it tends to hide what they feel. Sometimes a child with social anxiety may be aggressive or indifferent. However, the symptoms are felt inside.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health of the United States, they are the following:
- The anguish of being humiliated in public.
- Fear of being judged.
- Panic to speak in public.
- Fear that others will find out what is happening.
- Excessive sweating, shaky voice, and stuttering, intense flushing, nausea, and vomiting.
- Tachycardia and tachypnea.
- Inability to move from the site.
- Dizziness and muscle tension.
- Avoid any activity or situation that represents interacting with others or in public.
- Negative feelings and pessimism.
All these symptoms can present completely in severe cases. Therefore, the person avoids any type of social event. Teenagers avoid going to parties, dating, talking to their schoolmates, or eating with them, for example.
In the case of adults, having to change a product in a store, eating alone in a restaurant, using a public bathroom or maintaining eye contact is torture.
However, there are ways to cope with social anxiety and achieve a calm and fulfilling life. As?
5 Ways to Cope with Social Anxiety
With a suitable therapist, it is possible to delve into the progressive exposure to social situations that generate anxiety in order to overcome it.
Taking into account the following tips helps to control social phobia and feel much better in public:
- Seek help immediately: in the presence of the aforementioned symptoms, it is vital to seek professional help. Parents who observe unusual behavior in their children should seek advice from a psychologist.
- Prioritize: those who suffer from social anxiety tend to stop doing the activities they enjoy out of fear. In this case, it is important to organize time and have energy for hobbies, sports, etc.
- Writing a diary: recording the events that happen on a day-to-day basis helps the person and the specialist to determine the causes of anxiety in order to give it the correct treatment.
- Avoiding Harmful Substances: Sometimes a social anxiety sufferer turns to drugs or alcohol to get rid of the fear of dealing with others. This leads to addiction and even more serious health problems.
- Psychoactive drugs and therapy: if the disorder requires it, specific medications or cognitive-behavioral therapy will be prescribed.
It is possible to overcome the problem
The habit of learning to cope with social anxiety equals enjoying life. For this reason, it is good to talk to someone you trust and request medical assistance at any sign of this disease in order to combat it successfully.
The sooner the advice is put into practice, the better the future results will be. The important thing is not to isolate yourself or think that it is something unimportant: any problem that prevents you from leading a normal life must be treated and evaluated.
