subject: Causes Of Social Anxiety [print this page] Social anxiety or social phobia as it is sometimes known causes people to become totally overwhelmed by everyday situations. Situations that most of us take no notice of can drive a person who suffers with anxiety into deep fear and sometimes panic.
People that have social anxiety disorders may have some of these symptoms while they are in certain social situations. They fear that they will make mistakes that everyone will notice, they fear that they are always going to be judged by others, they have the fear of being embarrassed or humiliated by themselves in front of others, they think that everyone's attention is on them, and they think that other people are more capable of doing something in the same situation.
When you are entering into a new place or a new situation you may feel a tinge of nerves. The feelings that someone who has an anxiety disorder has will make your tinge of nerves seem like nothing, they may well be trembling, their heart could be pounding, they will feel sick and be sweaty.
The symptoms of social anxiety often lead to severe embarrassment for the sufferer and that in itself starts the whole cycle of symptoms and further embarrassment. This is why so many people who suffer from social anxiety are only comfortable around family and friends that they have known a long time.
Social anxiety isn't something that only happens when you go out to a bar or party. When they are at work dealing with people who are in higher positions within the company they start to feel anxious and that can affect their thinking and reasoning which makes them look less knowledgeable, this is how social anxiety can affect your working life as well as your social life.
Speaking in public is a common fear of people with social anxiety disorder. Other fears can be eating in restaurants, using public restrooms, and using telephones.
No one really knows why but women are more likely than men to have social anxiety disorders, some people have a theory that there are many men who suffer but never say anything and don't get treatment for it. If this is the case they must just retreat into their own world of pain and that is a shame, there are ways for all of us to get help and no one should suffer from anxiety disorders alone.
The signs that someone has or will have a social anxiety disorder usually starts at an early age. Your child may be shy but they can still have bouts of anxiety, there is a difference between shyness and anxiety. People who are shy do not usually avoid social situations while someone who has a social anxiety disorder will do all they can to avoid anything that they feel will cause them to be embarrassed.
