Social Scapes

Social Anxiety Disorder. It can make life very lonely . It is a crippling fear of being humiliated in everyday life . People with this disease fear that the way that they behave

will lead to being judged negatively by others and they know that it doesn’t make sense.

Almost everyone has some small social anxiety here and there.But people with social anxiety

don’t really have a social life. They are afraid to go to school,they will avoid making new

friends and they will miss advancement in their careers or jobs. Some will even avoid going

out to eat or a movie, avoid using the pubic restrooms,and writing in front of others. Some of the triggers for social anxiety are being introduced to other people,being made fun

of, having to speak in front of others,looking another in the eye,being introduced to others

in authority like the new boss,being observed while doing a job,and beiing the center of

attention.While people with social anxiety know that the fears they have are ridiculous, they still can’t help feeling that the fears are real and allow it to control their lives. Their tthought patterns are thoroughly negative and are ooften overwhelming like “I’ll look dumb” oor “I’m boring” and “They’ll think I’m strange” etc. It is very common and affects millions of americans making it the 3rd most common mental

disorder. It is an equal opportunist affecting men as well as women in the same amount of

numbers where depression affects many more women than men. Teenagers and young adults are very

likely to experience social anxiety because they are trying to fit in and they are worried about their image they project to others.A few times it can be seen in kids under 12. If they haven’t outgrown it by age 12 then they are known to grow up to be the same way as adults.

Kids are worried that the teacher will call their name in class, writing on the board,talking to adults etc.They will complain of stomach aches, be sweaty and have headaches and not want to go to school. Social Anxiety has a lot of symptoms associated with it. Heart going a 100 miles an hour,trembling and shaking, upset stomach,diarrhea, can’t talk, sweating alot and fear that others will notice your fear symptoms and fear of being judged by others. These are severe and can be so disabling that they disrupt a person’s life . Experts have said that some of the biological causes of social anxiety could be genetics. Some babies show behavior where they are upset by things that are not familiar to them and then they grow up that way.There is a part of the brain that controls fear response and it is

over stimulated in people that have social anxiety.Another theory is that the brain chemicals are out of balance. Some other theories are it is learned from interacting with others who have the disease like social anxiety ridden parents or children who get bullied in school or are teased alot.Also trauma that may have happened when a person was young or they weren’t able to form bonds with their parents as babies so they can’t calm themselves down or focus in troubling situations. Treating social anxiety has many facets to it . One therapy is exposing the person gradually to the fear until they no longer percieve it as a threat and another treatment is cognitive behavior therapy which says that your own thoughts not others or situations control your behavior.Certain meds are available to help also . There are antidepressants like zoloft and

paxil. Also valium and Xanax which are enzodiazepines but they can be addictive.Long term life style changes can also be incorporated into a person’s life . Shallow breathing and

positive self talk can reduce social anxiety.Joining support groups and taking a social skills class will also put a person back on the fast track to having a great social life.