The awkward feeling of being uncomfortable or nervous in social situations is something that most people will likely experience at some point in their lives. However, some people feel get so worked up and uncomfortable that they avoid social situations all together just so that they don’t have to go through this. When anxiety is that severe that it starts to affect your day to day social life and you no longer want to attend social events that once upon a time you would enjoy, it could be that you have social anxiety disorder.
Social Anxiety Disorder can make any kind of social interaction extremely stressful. Even daily activities such as going to work or eating and drinking in public can cause the sufferer to feel overwhelmed. I’ve listed some of the signs below:
- a feeling of anxiousness in social situations. Physical symptoms include sweating, dizziness, racing heart and shortness of breath.
- the feeling of being pressured to do things ‘right’ in social situations
- feeling self-conscious
- worrying that others will recognise that you’re anxious
- intimacy issues with a partner
- avoiding things you want to do because it makes you feel anxious.
- replaying how you acted in a social situation over and over again in your mind afterwards
What can you do about social anxiety?
If you think that you could be suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder then you should consider getting some professional help. This may feel difficult because seeing a mental health professional will require you to interact with someone in a social situation. It will feel like a catch-22 situation. If this is how you feel it’s important to remember that mental health professionals understand your worries and will know exactly how to talk to you. Look at the whole process as the first step in facing your fears and getting your life back on track.
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