what is social anxiety ?
Posted on Nov 22, 2008 under what is anxiety |i think i might have this because i always get nervous around a huge group of people.
what are the symptoms???
behavioral signs
* Intense fear of being in situations in which you don't know people
* Fear of situations in which you may be judged
* Worrying about embarrassing or humiliating yourself
* Fear that others will notice that you look anxious
* Anxiety that disrupts your daily routine, work, school or other activities
* Avoiding doing things or speaking to people out of fear of embarrassment
* Avoiding situations where you might be the center of attention
physical signs
* Blushing
* Profuse sweating
* Trembling or shaking
* Nausea
* Stomach upset
* Difficulty talking
* Shaky voice
* Muscle tension
* Confusion
* Palpitations
* Diarrhea
* Cold, clammy hands
* Difficulty making eye contact
characteristic's include
* Low self-esteem
* Trouble being assertive
* Negative self-talk
* Hypersensitivity to criticism
* Poor social skills
November 20th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Most people occasionally feel nervous meeting a new person or speaking in front of a group. People with social anxiety disorder (SAD), however, become overwhelmingly anxious and self-conscious even in everyday social situations.
Theirs is an intense and persistent fear of being scrutinized by others or of doing something embarrassing. Even though they may find their own anxiety unreasonable, they can’t overcome it by themselves.
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November 20th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
were your scared to talk to others
i think
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November 20th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Nervousness
Lightheadedness
Diziness
Headache? maybe
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November 20th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Social anxiety is feeling scared when around people. You sometimes wont go to an event, school, work, etc because you are scared and nervous of the people around you. What they may think of you, the way they look at you, you always think they’re thinking negative of you.
In school or work you may be scared of going up to people to talk, scared when giving presentations.
♥
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November 20th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
When you say a large group of people, do you mean getting up in front of them, or being around them? And, anyways social anxiety is nervous when speaking to them right? You could just be claustrophobic….
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November 20th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
In most social settings: Inability to speak. Clamy hands, ashen face, feeling cold, shaking short quick breaths, dry throat, keep swallowing but no saliva, turned over stomach, can’t eat, feel like vomiting, light headed jerky leg muscles, unsteady when walking, dizziness and sometimes fainting. No sleep the night before or the next night if dreading a certain social encounter, loose bowels, restless muscles, excessive sniffing and deep breaths.
If you just feel nervous that is normal and can’t be considered social anxiety.
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November 20th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
nervousness, sweating,breathing hard,can’t be still,loss of interest in others conversations
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November 20th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
behavioral signs
* Intense fear of being in situations in which you don't know people
* Fear of situations in which you may be judged
* Worrying about embarrassing or humiliating yourself
* Fear that others will notice that you look anxious
* Anxiety that disrupts your daily routine, work, school or other activities
* Avoiding doing things or speaking to people out of fear of embarrassment
* Avoiding situations where you might be the center of attention
physical signs
* Blushing
* Profuse sweating
* Trembling or shaking
* Nausea
* Stomach upset
* Difficulty talking
* Shaky voice
* Muscle tension
* Confusion
* Palpitations
* Diarrhea
* Cold, clammy hands
* Difficulty making eye contact
characteristic's include
* Low self-esteem
* Trouble being assertive
* Negative self-talk
* Hypersensitivity to criticism
* Poor social skills
References :
November 20th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Hmonster’s post is very much correct from what I’ve experienced.
However, a mental disorder is only classified as a disorder if it interferes with your daily functioning. Simply being a little nervous around people is normal, especially if you are an introvert.
When it starts causing you to stay away from people-or perhaps go to extremes such as not leaving your house-then it becomes a major problem. If it is not affecting you that badly, you may be able to beat it with a bit of cognitive therapy or just hanging around larger groups until you feel more comfortable.
The drugs that they give you for anxiety disorders, in my experience, have many side effects and are not good to take if you don’t gain a major benefit from them.
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Previous experience.
November 20th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Social anxiety disorder is diagnosed when people become overwhelmingly anxious and excessively self-conscious in everyday social situations. People with social anxiety have an intense, persistent, and chronic fear of being watched and judged by others and of doing things that will embarrass them. They can worry for days or weeks before a dreaded situation. This fear may become so severe that it interferes with work, school, and other ordinary activities, and can make it hard to make and keep friends.
While many people with social anxiety realize that their fears about being with people are excessive or unreasonable, they are unable to overcome them. Even if they manage to confront their fears and be around others, they are usually very anxious beforehand, are intensely uncomfortable throughout the encounter, and worry about how they were judged for hours afterward.
Social anxiety can be limited to one situation (such as talking to people, eating or drinking, or writing on a blackboard in front of others) or may be so broad (such as in generalized social phobia) that the person experiences anxiety around almost anyone other than the family.
Some of the signs and symptoms include:
1. An extreme fear of a situation in which you have to meet new people or you may be scrutinized by others
2. The feared social situations are experienced with intense anxiety or avoided entirely
3. The anxiety-provoking social situation causes physical symptoms like blushing, sweating, shaking, trembling, tense muscles, shaky voice, dry mouth or a pounding heart
Some of the situations that may be triggers for you are:
1. Giving a speech
2. Having a conversation
3. Talking to authority figures
4. Going on a date or to a party
5. Eating or writing in front of others
6. Being the center of attention
The basic symptom of social anxiety disorder is of being very anxious in the presence of others. If you suffer from social anxiety disorder, you may think that other people are very confident in public and you are not. Just blushing may feel horribly embarrassing to you, and you may feel like everyone's eyes are always on you. You may feel anxious about giving a speech, talking to a boss or dating.
Some people with social anxiety disorder are afraid of public speaking or parties. Others feel terrible anxiety about using a public restroom, eating out, talking on the phone or writing in front of others.
Almost everyone experiences some social anxiety now and then; it's normal. However, social anxiety disorder consistently limits the lifestyle of those with the illness, in some cases causing them to not participate in school, avoid making friends or miss important opportunities at work. Some people with social anxiety disorder avoid all socially related situations, severely limiting their life, work and social relationships.
I do believe that you may possibly have this disorder, knowing how you mentioned you always get nervous around a crowd of people. The best way to find out whether or not you have an social anxiety disorder, however, is to see a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist will give you an evaluation that is actually legit, unlike self-diagnosing, and if he does in fact diagnose you with social anxiety disorder, he will most likely prescribe you medication that will cease, if not eliminate, your symptoms. Best of luck to you, and I hope this helped!
*Edit
Libit — SAD stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is a disorder completely different from Social Anxiety Disorder. You're giving this person the wrong information
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I was diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder