Social Anxiety Disorder Symptoms Revealed

By Leila Pinto Almeida


One of the most prevalent psychological disorders today is SAD and it is estimated that there are up to 12% of people suffering with some degree 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.

First off, do you have a fear for social situations? If you feel an unexplained feeling of terror whenever you're confronted with the idea of having to talk to someone to ask for directions for example, then you're probably suffering from some degree of social anxiety disorder.Another way that you'll be able to tell if you have a social anxiety disorder is by checking if you have a fear of people gathering in a social event. It can be a small party or a big event, if you feel like your heart's racing just from thinking about it, you might have a problem in your hands. You might even get nightmares or have difficulty sleeping as you get closer to the date. If you find yourself avoiding all social events completely, then you definitely have a problem.

Anxious behaviours can include avoidance - for example, simply avoiding social situations, or being excessively late, or making excuses to leave. They can also involve using mobile phones to avoid talking to others or making them uncomfortable. 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 sufferer from social anxiety may also excessively groom themselves or spend too long preparing for social situations - again a method to help them reduce their anxiety.

Why let a simple panic attack stop you from living your life when you can easily get rid of the anxiety attacks just by following a prescribed treatment method? If you're ready to make that positive change in your life, you need to first admit that you have a problem. Don't take these social anxiety disorder symptoms lightly if you don't want it to develop to something much worse when the time comes.

We all have anxious moments that plague our lives and definitely know what anxiety feels like. Even an exam or an interview makes our heart beat faster. Jittery feelings and butterfly stomachs, we've experienced it all. However, if you find worries and fears overtaking your life and preventing you from being at peace, you may be experiencing the first anxiety disorder symptoms. Today, especially with current lifestyles, anxiety disorders or panic attacks are on the increase.

Normal anxiety is beneficial in an odd sort of way to complete tasks successfully and to respond to threats in a helpful way. Chronic, excessive and exaggerated worry without any valid causes for worry is called generalized anxiety disorder (GAD for short).When a person is constantly worried, nervous, anxious and uneasy for six months or more, he is said to suffer from this condition. GAD can affect a person physically, socially and occupationally. To avoid all the adverse effects of GAD, it must be diagnosed in the early stages. You should know the symptoms to help you make the right diagnosis.What are the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder?It is important to note that everyone experiencing GAD does not have the same symptoms. The symptoms may vary from one person to another depending upon the cause and the severity of the disorder. However, there are some common symptoms of GAD. They are as follows:

Some of the symptoms include rapid heartbeats, tightness, or pain in the chest, dizziness, shortness of breath, insomnia, fatigue, shivering or shaking, the fear of going 'mad', and the inability to control actions. This disorder is a serious issue that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. As the severity of attacks increases, a person becomes more withdrawn from society and in fulfilling his or her obligations. This is why individuals need to look out for early warning signs that could be anxiety disorder symptoms.Attacks may last only a few minutes but the disorder has far reaching effects. The memory of each attack remains firmly in the mind of the victim thereby slowly destroying their confidence.

One of the best ways to diagnose anxiety disorder symptoms is to be aware of the fact that there are two traits that victims exhibit. The first one is that they keep fretting and worrying about the future attacks and when the next attack may occur. This then leads to victims avoiding any situation that they feel are the cause of their attacks. Things can get worse when they start to avoid all places so that they are do not feel embarrassed. This could lead to a victim becoming a recluse and he or she may stop work, shopping, exercise, and similar tasks.

Another serious issue is that these people find it difficult to sleep at night. Sleep disturbance and unsatisfying sleep patterns are two definite symptoms that you can also relate to anxiety disorder. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand the importance of having a satisfying nights sleep. This is another reason why you will find anxiety disorder sufferers fatigued with low levels of energy.If you see these symptoms in a friend or family member, you should never rule out the possibility that they are suffering from anxiety disorder.

Some of the noticeable physical signs of anxiety disorder symptoms include difficulty in getting out of bed, avoiding crowded places, and the constant shaking of hands when nervous. Victims tend to be fidgety, and neglect themselves. One other distinctive anxiety disorder symptom is the compulsion to repeat the same action repeatedly. These symptoms should not be overlooked and treatment in consultation with a therapist should be sought immediately.




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