Facing our fears can help make us stronger. Sometimes our imaginations can run away with themselves. That doesn't make the feelings this causes any less real, but we shouldn't let fear control our lives. It's also important to realise what steps people take to keep themselves safe in situations that could be dangerous. For example, heights are scary because we might fall.
Climbers use ropes and wear safety gear to reduce the risks of falling and getting injured. If you're in the grip of feeling scared about something, It's really hard to think clearly. However, you might remember a triggering event—such as being embarrassed in front of a group or being reprimanded in public by a harsh or critical parent.
For some, underdeveloped social skills might be a factor that contributes to their social anxiety. Each person with social anxiety disorder will have their own fears meaning that the specific social situations feared will vary from one person with the disorder to the next.
Some people have very narrow worries, such as only being afraid of speaking in public. This type of social anxiety is usually less chronic and severe compared to people who fear most social and performance situations. In general, people with social anxiety disorder usually feel the worst in situations where they are the center of attention or feel as though they are being judged in some way. If you think you might have social anxiety, you can evaluate your fear of people and try to determine if it could be reflective of an underlying mental health disorder.
The following questions can help you begin to evaluate your anxiety and help you decide if you might benefit from seeking treatment:. While both introverts those who gather energy by being alone and extroverts those who gain energy from being with other people can have social anxiety, people who are introverted can be mistaken as being socially anxious. If you find that social or performance situations leave you feeling drained but they don't cause you particular anxiety, it could be that you are simply wired to prefer having more time alone.
Because anxiety conditions are so common and impact women at twice the rate of men, experts now recommend that all women aged 13 and old are screened for anxiety as part of routine preventative healthcare services.
If you find that social situations do cause you anxiety that interferes with different aspects of your life, talk to your doctor or mental health professional. During your evaluation, your doctor will take a medical history, perform a physical exam, and may conduct lab tests to help rule out medical conditions that might be contributing to your symptoms.
If your symptoms are interfering with your daily functioning or causing stress, it's important to work with a mental healthcare professional. They can help develop a treatment plan that's right for you. People with social anxiety disorder do not always need medication, but the disorder is most often treated with therapy , medication, or both.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs are the first choice medication used to treat social anxiety disorder. When combined with talk therapy , such as cognitive behavioral therapy CBT or acceptance and commitment therapy ACT , treatment success rates are very good. A phobia is an intense fear reaction to a particular thing or a situation. With a phobia, the fear is out of proportion to the potential danger. But to the person with the phobia, the danger feels real because the fear is so very strong.
Phobias cause people to worry about, dread, feel upset by, and avoid the things or situations they fear because the physical sensations of fear can be so intense. So having a phobia can interfere with normal activities.
A person with a phobia of dogs might feel afraid to walk to school in case he or she sees a dog on the way. Someone with an elevator phobia might avoid a field trip if it involves going on an elevator. A girl with a phobia of thunderstorms might be afraid to go to school if the weather forecast predicts a storm. She might feel terrible distress and fear when the sky turns cloudy. A guy with social phobia experiences intense fear of public speaking or interacting, and may be afraid to answer questions in class, give a report, or speak to classmates in the lunchroom.
It can be exhausting and upsetting to feel the intense fear that goes with having a phobia. It can be disappointing to miss out on opportunities because fear is holding you back. And it can be confusing and embarrassing to feel afraid of things that others seem to have no problem with. Sometimes, people get teased about their fears. Even if the person doing the teasing doesn't mean to be unkind and unfair, teasing only makes the situation worse.
Some phobias develop when someone has a scary experience with a particular thing or situation. A tiny brain structure called the amygdala pronounced: uh-MIG-duh-luh keeps track of experiences that trigger strong emotions. Once a certain thing or situation triggers a strong fear reaction, the amygdala warns the person by triggering a fear reaction every time he or she encounters or even thinks about that thing or situation.
Someone might develop a bee phobia after being stung during a particularly scary situation. For that person, looking at a photograph of a bee, seeing a bee from a distance, or even walking near flowers where there could be a bee can all trigger the phobia.
Sometimes, though, there may be no single event that causes a particular phobia. Some people may be more sensitive to fears because of personality traits they are born with, certain genes they've inherited, or situations they've experienced. People who have had strong childhood fears or anxiety may be more likely to have one or more phobias. Having a phobia isn't a sign of weakness or immaturity.
Don't try to be perfect Life is full of stresses, yet many of us feel that our lives must be perfect. Visualise a happy place Take a moment to close your eyes and imagine a place of safety and calm. Talk about it Sharing fears takes away a lot of their scariness. Go back to basics Lots of people turn to alcohol or drugs to self-treat anxiety, but this will only make matters worse. Reward yourself Finally, give yourself a treat. Source: Health Scotland - Opens in new browser window.
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