Social Anxiety

Anxiety disorders affect millions of people worldwide. They include panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

Anxiety disorders are some of the most common mental health problems in the United States. You don’t have to live with anxiety or OCD forever.

There are treatments available that can help. In fact, several effective medications can treat these conditions. If you’re suffering from anxiety, talk to your doctor about treatment options.

You can take steps to relieve some of your symptoms, too. This includes talking to a counselor, doing regular exercise, or taking up yoga. However, it’s important to note that not every “cure” for anxiety will work for everyone.

But first things first: What is anxiety? And do you need to know if you have it?

Why Do People Get Anxious?

Some researchers believe anxiety arises due to genetics, brain chemistry, or the environment. However, it also appears to run in families. In addition, some people are more prone to anxiety than others.

People born with high levels of certain hormones, like cortisol, may be more likely to develop anxiety. Also, having parents with anxiety increases your chances of developing this condition.

And yet, many people suffer from anxiety disorders without realizing it. That’s because the first signs of anxiety can appear subtle. And they can be hard to notice unless you pay attention.

So does growing up in a highly stressful family environment – such as one where there’s physical abuse or substance abuse. As a result, anxiety disorders often begin during childhood or adolescence.

What Is Anxiety?

It’s normal to experience moments of worry or fear. But when those worries become excessive – or last longer than 2 weeks – then you may be experiencing an anxiety disorder.

When you’re anxious, you may feel jittery and sweaty. Your heart rate might increase, and you may suddenly find yourself tensing all over.

You could even start shaking. If you’ve ever felt that way before, though, you probably knew it was abnormal.

These feelings are uncomfortable but not dangerous. The good news is that anxiety disorders can be treated with medication and therapy.

Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders

There are seven main types of anxiety disorders:

Panic Disorder

Panic attacks occur when you feel intense anxiety that lasts for at least 1 hour. During a panic attack, you may feel dizzy, lightheaded, short of breath, numb or tingly, or confused.

Most panic attacks go away on their own after 20 minutes. But sometimes they don’t. That’s why it’s essential to seek medical care right away.

Social phobia involves extreme fears about being judged, embarrassed, or humiliated in social situations. Someone with this condition feels intensely self-conscious around other people and avoids places where they would be judged.

People with social anxiety can suffer from agoraphobia (fear of open spaces) or simple fear of public speaking.

Generalized Anxiety

Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by persistent worrying that interferes with daily functions.

Worry is a natural human response, but it can lead to trouble focusing and concentrating, irritability, and sleep issues when it becomes severe or overwhelming.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder happens when someone has been exposed to trauma and experiences symptoms of anxiety or depression lasting more than 4 weeks.

Trauma can be something terrible that happened to you personally, such as sexual assault or child abuse. Or it can involve witnessing a horrific event, like seeing a friend get hurt or watching someone die.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

OCD involves obsessing and repeating thoughts and behaviors until they seem perfectly reasonable. You may have these obsessions or compulsions every day, or only some days.

For example, you may think about hurting yourself or making sure everything is precisely the same twice each week.

Substance Use Disorders

Substance use disorders include alcohol dependence, drug addiction, or dependency. If you’ve had an alcohol or drug problem in the past, it doesn’t necessarily mean you still need treatment.

Instead, it depends on how much you use now and whether you can control your use.

Disorders Associated With Anxiety

Some mental health experts believe that anxiety disorders aren’t really separate entities but different expressions of one underlying cause.

They call this “internalizing.” According to this theory, anxiety stems from psychological problems in children and teens.

One of the most common causes of internalizing involves parents who try to protect their children from negative feelings like anger or sadness.

Unfortunately, this can create problems down the line since young kids tend to imitate what they see in adults.

Treatment For Anxiety

Anxiety can be cured, but there are no quick fixes. Treatment usually takes 6 months or longer. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor about medications, therapy, and support groups.

There are many different types of treatments available. Some work better with certain patients than others. Your doctor will help you choose which ones might be best for you.

Doctors first recommend behavior therapies and medication if the patient shows signs of relapse. These include individual counseling, group therapy, family counseling, and biofeedback.

Medications commonly used for anxiety disorders include antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and beta-blockers.

Talk Therapy

Talk therapy involves talking with a therapist, alone or with another person, to learn new ways to cope with stressful situations.

You may find it helpful to keep a list of things that worry you so you can discuss them with your therapist.

There are two primary talk therapies: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT). CBT focuses on changing unhelpful thought patterns and beliefs.

IPT emphasizes helping people change their relationships with other people. Both forms of talk therapy require a lot of time, attention, and practice before working.

Medication

Medication is generally recommended for mild to moderate cases of anxiety.

Antidepressants are often prescribed, along with anxiolytics (medicines that relieve stress without drowsiness), because they’re less likely to lead to substance abuse.

Support Groups

Support groups are great places to meet other people with similar issues. People with anxiety disorders join together online or attend meetings in person.

They share experiences, ask questions about each other’s lives and provide encouragement.

Check with your local hospital or community college to see if there are any in your area. Many hospitals have their own chat rooms where patients can get advice from other patients.

Final Thoughts

If you recognize these warning signs of anxiety, don’t hesitate to speak with your doctor right away.

A visit to the emergency room is rarely necessary for minor concerns such as colds or sprained ankles.

But for more severe conditions such as chest pains, shortness of breath, and dizzy spells, going to the ER is often the best way to ensure speedy treatment.

There is often some confusion around the terms “introvert” and “extrovert”.

With the popularization of the terms over the last few years, some of the meaning has gotten lost, and they’re sometimes seen simply as being shy or socially awkward vs confident people.

That’s not really the case, however – there’s a bit more to it than that.

Rather than simply being confident people, extroverts are people who get their energy from social interaction – being the life of the party is something that pumps them up. In contrast, introverts get their energy from being alone.

People also sometimes assume that extroverts never suffer from social anxiety, but that’s not necessarily true. In this article, we’ll go into the details as to why.

What Is An Extrovert?

Extroverts are people who get their energy from being around and interacting with other people. They tend to have outgoing personalities and are sometimes described as the kind of person who’s the life of the party and the center of attention.

They generally don’t need – or even like – to spend a large amount of time alone to “recharge their batteries”. They tend to like being in large groups and are often the ones who are keen to organize events and activities.

What Is Social Anxiety?

A lot of us know someone who suffers from social anxiety, even if we don’t suffer from it ourselves. It is a very common thing for most people to experience at one point, whether temporarily or permanently.

It makes us feel nervous and self-conscious when we have to interact with others, and can be very difficult for some people.

The effects can range from a simple awkwardness in speaking to people (especially new people) to, in the most extreme cases, a total inability to enter into social situations at all.

Can Extroverts Have Social Anxiety?

While you might think that extroverts are immune to the fear of social anxiety, this isn’t completely accurate.

Extroverts thrive on their social relationships, and that leaves them open to fears about those relationships. For example, they might be concerned about how another person perceives them or their actions.

Truth be told, your personality traits don’t give you immunity to social anxiety. At its root, social anxiety is a fear about how others perceive you, and that kind of fear can affect anyone. It also presents a particular problem for an extrovert.

If an introvert has social anxiety, it’s far easier for them to avoid social situations, since they generally don’t mind spending time by themselves.

Extroverts, on the other hand, need social contact to keep themselves happy, but if it comes with constant anxiety, then they can end up being depressed and downcast.

How To Deal With Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is quite different from general anxiety, which tends to arise because of things going wrong – like a bad day at work or exams.

Both forms of anxiety will present as feelings of fear and panic, so if you start feeling anxious at social gatherings and based on your interactions with others, you might have social anxiety.

While both types of anxiety can cause trouble, social anxiety is usually caused by a fear of negative judgment toward yourself.

This means that if you notice that your anxiety arises from a fear of being judged as inadequate by others, this is likely to be social anxiety.

Some people have fears about meeting strangers, having conversations with strangers, public speaking, group discussions, etc. In short, anything where you may feel out of your comfort zone.

These kinds of fears can be extremely debilitating, and they’re often rooted in childhood experiences, so getting past them is just as hard as overcoming any type of social phobia.

It’s important to remember that while these feelings are uncomfortable, they’re not dangerous.

Many extroverts are afraid of socializing with people because of something they’ve experienced in the past, and they’re not necessarily being honest with themselves about that.

However, there are ways to help reduce social anxiety. Here are some tips:

Learn More About How People Behave And React To Each Other

Don’t assume that everyone will be friendly and nice; they won’t always be. You might find that talking to some people is easy, and that it’ll take a little bit longer to talk to some people.

Understand Why You’re Reacting Negatively To Certain Kinds Of Behavior.

Even if you aren’t sure what someone does or says that makes you uneasy, try observing yourself and seeing whether you have a reason. Remember, when we’re nervous, we tend to jump to conclusions.

Practice Before You Get Comfortable

When you go out with friends or family members whom you know well, do small things at first. For instance, say hi instead of waving, smile slightly, look into their eyes, ask questions, tell jokes, share stories, etc.

Avoiding Social Situations Isn’t A Good Solution To Your Problems

But, if you truly want relief, then you should make it a priority to improve your social skills. Your ability to enjoy social occasions doesn’t depend solely upon your personality, and neither does your success in life.

There are many reasons why you might struggle socially, and simply avoiding social situations won’t solve all of your problems.

Talk Over Old Worries With A Friend Who Will Listen.

Friends will respect you for trying to understand your situation and deal with it honestly. They will also offer encouragement if you don’t think you’re up to facing certain challenges.

Look For Opportunities To Help Others

Volunteering is one way to meet new people, while helping others helps you build self-confidence.

It takes time to develop your confidence, but once you have it, you’ll start noticing that people treat you differently, and you’ll enjoy doing new things.

Find Groups Outside Of Your Comfort Zone

A lot of extroverted people shy away from joining groups where they will need to speak up, but that’s where real friendships can happen.

Make an effort to join more groups or activities that involve more interaction, and give it a chance rather than just avoiding them. Keep putting yourself in uncomfortable situations, and see if you can handle them.

Try Mindfulness

Mindfulness has been shown to decrease stress, and it can lower social anxiety too. Practicing mindfulness techniques allows us to focus on whatever is happening right now without focusing on future events and possible outcomes.

Final Thoughts

So, in summary, it is certainly possible for extroverts to struggle with social anxiety, just as anyone can. However, there are still things they can do to attempt to work past it.

A little social anxiety is not uncommon, but if it starts to seriously limit what you can do, then it might be best to seek professional advice.