Is Anxiety Keeping You from Social Situations?

Avoiding friends and places where your friends congregate, leaving a job that requires you to be ‘in front’ of people or meet with large groups of people, limiting your future because you are unable to go to business dinners – these are often the result of social anxiety Pittsburg, PA experts report.

Anxiety in social situation can develop into a disorder: social anxiety disorder. People with this diagnosis avoid parties, stay away from friends, and develop a host of coping mechanisms to compensate for their high stress levels.

Do I Have Social Anxiety Disorder? The Signs

Social anxiety is not uncommon. It is estimated that approximately 15 to 18 million Americans suffer from debilitating social anxiety. With signs and symptoms that can be masked by the victim, you may be unaware if your friends are suffering.

A person with this disorder feels extremely self-conscious. In social situations they may feel that every person in the room is looking at them. They have a fear of failure. They feel others are waiting for them to make a wrong move. The anxiety may express itself mentally and emotionally or it may come out in physical symptoms such a vomiting, sweating, stuttering, and other social snafus.

Depression Pittsburg, PA experts say, plays a role in social anxiety disorder. When a person is depressed all other events are compounded. For example, a depressed person who can normally interact with others while feeling just a mild uneasiness may now experience a full blown panic attack.

The Root of Social Anxiety

The first step to treatment for social anxiety disorder is help from a professional. The reason social anxiety develops is not agreed upon by the psychiatric community but help is available for people who suffer from this disease.

There are currently several theories to the basis of social anxiety. Genetics is often thought to play a role in its development. If you have a mother or father who experienced the same problems you may be more prone to social anxiety.

If your parents were very protective during your childhood you have a greater chance of developing anxiety in social situations. Anxiety Pittsburg, PA experts say, can be combined with depression and other psychological conditions such as post traumatic stress syndrome.

One of the biggest fears for most doctors is that social anxiety will result in the individual becoming addicted to illegal substances. People who are anxious or depressed often look for a way out or a way to ease their pain. This can come through substance abuse.

If your doctor is concerned about your levels of anxiety he or she will perform tests to see where you fall. Anxiety producing situations will be evaluated as will physical symptoms such a blood pressure and heart rate.

When treating social anxiety Pittsburg, PA experts will give you a thorough evaluation. They will utilize the latest methods of therapy to develop your treatment plan. For most patients this includes counseling and medication.

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