At every moment in Los Angeles, there is some form of person-to-person interaction going on. Throughout the city, those people are interacting with one another in various ways. People talk to their baristas, their friends, their coworkers, their life coaches, or even strangers that they meet on the street.
For most people in the City of Angels, those interactions are normal occurrences that are forgotten about as soon as they’re done. But, for many people in the city, those interactions will not be so mundane.
Many people in the city live with Social Anxiety Disorder, which can make the interactions that other people take for granted incredibly difficult to get through or even initiate.
For example, while one person can walk into a coffee shop and order their drink, someone with social anxiety will be gripped by panic as soon as it’s their turn at the counter.
That’s just one of the many ways in which social anxiety can be detrimental to living in Los Angeles. But there is hope out there to help a person avoid or manage anxiety in social situations.
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What is Social Anxiety Disorder or Social Phobia?
Social Anxiety Disorder, otherwise known as Social Phobia, is a mental health condition in which an individual experiences intense fear or anxiety when in social situations. Individuals who have this disorder worry excessively, and often irrationally, about being rejected, ridiculed, or judged by other people.
This fear and anxiety can present a challenge to day-to-day life. Many people who have this type of anxiety can find themselves having a hard time with social interactions, attending gatherings, and, in extreme cases, speaking in public.
Because of this disorder, many people find themselves doing everything they can to avoid social situations to avoid other people.
What Causes Social Anxiety Disorder?
The symptoms and causes of most forms of anxiety aren’t well understood. However, it is understood that there is a variety of interconnected factors that can cause someone to experience social phobia.
People have a genetic predisposition to being socially anxious, and it’s often the case that a family history of anxiety disorders can make someone more likely to struggle with anxiety.
Brain chemistry also plays a role in whether someone develops anxiety or not. An imbalance in neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine can affect how the brain processes fear or anxiety.
There are also psychological factors to consider. Low self-esteem, perfectionism, or having a history of being bullied or rejected socially can trigger or worsen social anxiety disorder.
Social Anxiety Disorder can be a learned behavior. Some people can avoid social situations because they’ve been in distressing situations before. Social Anxiety Disorder may also come from environmental factors such as social expectations and stigmatization.
It also can’t be ignored that certain personality traits such as shyness, introversion, and being unable to take criticism can cause someone to develop an anxiety disorder.
It should be noted that while these factors can contribute to Social Anxiety Disorder, every person is unique. A person can have all of the risk factors above and never develop any type of anxiety disorder.
What’s The Prevalence of Social Anxiety Disorder?
Like many other mental health disorders, social anxiety has a way of making those who have it feel alone. Many people with social anxiety feel as if no one understands the panic that grips them when they’re faced with a social interaction.
However, fear of social situations is relatively common. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that as many as 7.1 percent of American adults experience social anxiety.
What’s The Difference Between Living With Social Anxiety and Just Being Shy or Introverted?
On the surface, it may seem as if there is no discernible difference between having social anxiety, being shy, and introversion. All three present as having difficulty with social situations. However, those similarities are surface-level at best.
A shy person may be a little nervous when meeting someone new or interacting socially, but they won’t experience the crippling fear that is so prevalent with social anxiety.
Introversion can be even more distinguishable from social anxiety. While most people think of an introvert as someone who voluntarily withdraws from social situations, introverts are perfectly capable of socializing.
However, they do have a ‘social battery’, and when it runs out, they need time to recharge it alone.
People with social anxiety can find that their condition can be debilitating and affect their work, relationships, and their self-esteem. Their intense fear of judgment causes them to eschew almost all forms of socializing. Shyness and introversion are not medical conditions, but Social Anxiety Disorder is.
While people who are shy or introverted may benefit from therapy, a person who has social anxiety is going to need intense treatment to see any improvement in their condition.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder?
Social Anxiety Disorder is characterized by a variety of physical, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive symptoms. Physical symptoms can include sweating, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, shortness of breath, or stomach problems such as aches or nausea when confronted with the possibility of having to interact socially.
Emotional symptoms can include excessively worrying about interacting socially or intense fear at the prospect thereof. Many people avoid all social interactions and skip out on parties, public speaking, or any situation where they feel that any attention may be directed at them.
How Do People With Social Anxiety Disorder Cope With Their Symptoms?
Social anxiety can be hard to live with. Many people have it because they feel as if their social skills are insufficient to navigate most social interactions, which is why they experience anxiety or fear when socializing. This causes them to avoid interacting with anyone if they can help it.
However, because they avoid social situations and interacting with other people, they don’t develop their social skills enough to the point where they can confidently interact with people.
Many people who have this form of anxiety may blame themselves for it and think that if they just put themselves out there, their problems would disappear.
However, living with this disorder requires acknowledging it as a valid condition that needs professional treatment. Acknowledging it as such reduces self-blame and fosters a proactive approach to getting treatment.
Another way people cope with their symptoms is to establish a predictable, structured routine. Knowing what to expect gives people a sense of stability and makes them feel like they’re in control. This can reduce triggers that are often associated with anxiety.
Many people who have Social Anxiety Disorder may find themselves gradually exposing themselves to social situations to acclimate themselves to being out and about.
This can help them build confidence in social settings and decrease the fear they feel when interacting with someone.
Something else that people living with social anxiety do to cope with their symptoms is to set healthy boundaries. By setting healthy boundaries in social situations, people can prevent themselves from feeling overwhelmed and triggering their social anxiety disorder.
Anxiety can also cause people to have irrational thoughts relating to social interaction. They may think of the most catastrophic outcome coming to pass, no matter how unlikely that outcome is. They may also greatly overestimate how threatening social situations are.
Individuals may also spend a lot of time thinking about past interpersonal interactions and criticizing themselves over how they behaved.
They may spend a lot of time thinking about a mistake they made, and it won’t matter if they actually made it or not. In the same vein, they may also believe that they’ve offended someone they interacted with, even if no offense was committed.
Social anxiety can also make it hard for people to form or maintain interpersonal relationships. They’ll have difficulty expressing themselves, making conversation, and in some cases, looking another person in the eye.
What’s the Treatment For Social Anxiety Disorder?
There are a few ways to treat Social Anxiety Disorder. As such, people with it have options that can help them manage their symptoms. Some of the ways to treat this anxiety include:
Therapy
A particularly effective modality for social anxiety is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This helps people identify and challenge negative thought patterns, develop coping mechanisms, and ultimately change their behavior when it comes to social interactions.
Another form of therapy that can be helpful and is often used in conjunction with CBT is exposure therapy. In exposure therapy, a person is slowly exposed to their phobia.
In this case, it would be socializing. It’s believed that this gradual exposure can help someone acclimate to their fear and develop a tolerance for it.
Group therapy can also be helpful. Support groups can be vital in helping people share their experiences, gain insight, and get encouragement from people who are facing similar struggles.
These forms of therapy can also help individuals practice vital social skills such as being assertive, effective communication, and conflict resolution. These improved social skills can boost a person’s confidence and reduce the anxiety and fear associated with social situations.
Medication
Some people also take medication to alleviate their feelings of anxiety. These medications can include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).
These are both common antidepressants and can be used to treat social anxiety. Benzodiazepines can also be prescribed for short-term relief, but they do come with a risk of dependency.
Mindfulness Exercises
Mindfulness exercises such as deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation can help people manage their anxiety symptoms and manage their anxiety symptoms. They can also help promote healthy emotional regulation.
There Is Help Out There For Social Anxiety
Anxiety is an emotion that many people will experience at least once in their lifetime. It’s perfectly normal to be anxious every now and then. But it can be a problem when it’s persistent or when it interferes with living life.
Being anxious in social settings can be hard, especially for people who want to have meaningful relationships with others.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. At our luxurious center in Los Angeles, we address anxiety disorders. Contact us now, and we can begin helping you. We take most forms of insurance.
