Self help guide for social anxiety

      Imagine you have to give an important presentation in class, and you are feeling nervous. Constant thoughts of how it will turn up and will you be able to pull it start crossing your mind. Your mind is so engaged in this that you don’t pay heed to other things. You are dead scared and so nervous that you feel like making an excuse and opting out of the situation. You fear being negatively judged by your classmates. This exactly is what is known as the social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia). In the era of digitalization, it has somehow hiked as people have become less active physically and more active virtually.

Here are some of the prominent symptoms of social anxiety:

• Constant fear of being judged by others
• Trembling
• Not very comfortable to meet new people
• Keeping quiet as they feel embarrassed
• Excessive blushing
• Increased heartbeat
• Profuse sweating

Causes of social anxiety:

      There is no one definite cause of social anxiety. Several factors collectively play an active role in building up social anxiety. They may be genetic traits or environmental factors. Some other causes could include:

• A social event which has proved humiliating for the individual
• Substance abuse
• Living with overprotective parents who don’t let one explore the explore the world freely
• Growing up in a phobic environment

Treatment of social anxiety:

     If a person experiences the above-mentioned symptoms, he should immediately consult a therapist. A therapist will guide him as to how to overcome it effectively. Ignoring or keeping it to oneself might worsen the condition even more. A combination of therapy and medications might do the work.

Simple ways of overcoming social anxiety:

• Be vocal : There is no shame in admitting that one is diagnosed with anxiety. A person usually dives into his own shell after having been diagnosed with any mental ailment. As it is rightly said “It’s okay to not be okay”. The most important thing is self-acceptance. If one opens up, there is a possibility that it may even give others courage to face their issues.
• Maintain a journal: Keeping a check on one’s emotions is of utmost importance, and what’s best then noting it down in a journal. A journal helps in listing our feelings and thoughts in a disciplined way.
• Deep breathing techniques: It has been proved that deep breathing helps in facing our problems. Practicing breathing techniques improves our mood which in turn helps in our perspective. It helps one calm down and be in control of one’s emotions.
• Consult a therapist: Often people avoid confronting a therapist thinking that this is normal and happens to everyone. But it is very important to confront a therapist as only a therapist can help one overcome the issue.
• Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness is the art of being present at the moment. If one is mindful of his actions and thoughts, he wouldn’t engage in overthinking which is one of the important factor of social phobia.
• Refrain from engaging in substance abuse: Smoking, alcohol or drug abuse proves dangerous in each and every situation. When a person is engaged in any form of substance abuse, he doesn’t have any control over his feelings which might trigger his state of mind. This may worsen the condition further.