How to overcome your social phobia
by Honoel Ibardolaza
Does fear of embarrassment cause you to avoid doing things
or speaking to people? Do you avoid activities in which you
are the center of attention? Are being embarrassed or looking
stupid among your worst fears?
If you have answered yes to at least two of these questions,
then chances are that you are probably a social phobic person.
Jonathan Davidson, MD, professor of psychiatry at Duke University
Medical Center’s Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Program
have come up with these three questions as a mini version
of his tests that diagnose social phobia. According to his
research, these three questions can diagnose with 93% accuracy.
Experts agree that shyness is common in adults as well as
children. Everybody often feels uncomfortable when meeting
new people or being in new situations. That feeling usually
disappears when one has grown accustomed to the new person
or environment. However, the problem begins when that initial
feeling of discomfort never goes away. When that happens,
simple shyness starts to become social anxiety.
Social anxiety, also known as social phobia, often starts
in adolescence or even childhood according to Barbara Markway,
PhD, co-author with her husband, Greg Markway, PhD, of Painfully
Shy: How to Overcome Social Anxiety and Reclaim Your Life.
Barbara, who also suffered social anxiety as a young adult,
says that “The sooner you can diagnose it, the sooner
you can treat it and avoid the pain and suffering that come
along with the disorder.”
According to her, adults and children alike who suffer from
social anxiety fear that they are the center of unwanted attention
and scrutiny. In kids, these fears can easily lead to a reduction
in class participation and interaction with other children.
In some cases, the child may refuse to go to school altogether.
Social phobics often avoid public places such as restaurants
or beaches for fear of being seen and talked about. They may
have trouble standing up for themselves especially against
people in authority.
Most social phobics usually see themselves as boring people
and assume that other people think of them the same way, too.
Feelings of worthlessness, inadequacy, inability and very
low self-esteem also often make a social phobic overly sensitive.
Simple social events may sometimes prove to be a traumatic
experience to some people that they would resort to using
illicit drugs and alcohol in order to calm themselves. If
left untreated, social phobia can lead to serious problems.
Aside from doctor-prescribed medication, one the best alternatives
to treating social phobia is psychotherapy. Group treatment
may be a terrifying thought for someone who easily becomes
agitated around people they are not familiar with but participating
in a group therapy is an excellent source of motivation especially
in developing confidence. Patients are often encouraged to
heal themselves by replacing negative self-demeaning thoughts
with positive thinking.
For a condition that forces people to avoid other people,
it is ironic to know that simple communication would play
a vital role in helping social phobics cure themselves.
For more information on social phobia, please consult your
psychiatrist or you may visit the following resource websites:
• www.webmd.com
• www.mental-health-matters.com
• www.health-nexus.com/
social_phobia1.htm
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