subject: Social Anxiety Disorder Symptoms Revealed [print this page] One of the most common psychological disorders nowadays is SAD and it is estimated that there is up to 12% of our society suffering with varying levels of social anxiety disorder symptoms today
Social anxiety occurs when someone suffers from dread, uneasiness or fear about a social interaction which can be a cause of a major obstacle in their life. It is quite different from shyness, which is more of a personality trait, where someone may prefer to not expose themselves to social situations. Social anxiety is a problem when the sufferer is unable to involve themselves in normal situations without significant emotional stress.
Social anxiety disorder symptoms are issues that those who have this disorder describe when they are explaining their social anxiety. They can be broadly divided into anxious thoughts, anxious behaviours, and anxious feelings. Anxious thoughts can include over thinking certain situations. For example, a sufferer may think that all eyes are on them, or everyone is laughing at them, or that they are making an idiot of themselves, whereas from an external perspective, everything is as it should be. So someone suffering from social anxiety could be unwilling to go into a crowded meeting because they feel that everyone would be staring at them, as opposed to the main speaker, which of course is completely illogical.
Anxious behaviours can include avoidance - for example, simply avoiding social situations, or being excessively late, or making excuses to leave. They may also include using mobile phones to hide from talking to others or making them uneasy. Their behaviour is centred on avoiding or escaping a situation that has made them uncomfortable and promoted anxiety. These responses and behaviours are essentially learned responses that enable reduction of anxiety. A victim of social anxiety can become focused on repeatedly grooming themselves or spend way to long on getting ready for social gatherings - again a method to help them reduce their anxiety.
Sufferers also describe anxious sensations in their body when they are thinking or experiencing social situations. They may find that they get sweaty and clammy. They may feel their heart beating quickly or thumping. Their breathing can rise, and they may become dis-orientated and like they are going to pass out. They may suffer from a dry mouth and stammer or stutter.
All these social anxiety disorder symptoms have been experienced by everyone to some degree at one point in their lives. In certain situations it is totally normal - there aren't many people out there that wouldn't show some of these symptoms if they had to give a talk in front of a large crowd of people for example. However, when these symptoms are triggered in everyday life, then it can be a significant problem.
People who are unfortunate enough to suffer from social anxiety to a significant degree can find that their lives can be held back in terms of love and relationships, at work, with friends, at play, and even with their families. When these symptoms start to be triggered by everyday things such as meeting a stranger, starting a conversation, entering a new place or even holding eye contact with someone, then it can be a major problem. Fortunately, there are techniques available to help sufferers break free from this and live an anxiety free life.
