A social anxiety disorder was formerly referred to as a social phobia. It is an anxiety disorder, characterized by excessive self-consciousness and overwhelming anxiety in daily social situations. People with this kind of health condition have an intense, chronic, and persistent fear of being watched and judged by others and being embarrassed or humiliated by their actions.
Fear
A social anxiety psychologist explains the fear of a patient with a social anxiety disorder is the condition as severe, which interferes with school, work, or some other activities. Many people with social anxiety disorder recognize that the fear of being around people can be unreasonable or excessive; they can overcome it. These social anxiety disorder patients often worry for days and even weeks in advance about a dreaded scenario. Additionally, they experience depression and low-self esteem.
Social anxiety disorder is limited to one type of situation, such as fear of public speaking or a person experiencing symptoms when around people. If the social phobia is left untreated, it has severe consequences.
Social anxiety disorder symptoms
There are physical symptoms that often accompany the intense stress of social anxiety disorder, including:
● Blushing
● Sweating
● Nausea
● Trembling
● Difficulty speaking
These visible symptoms can increase the fear of disapproval.
According to a psychologist
According to a psychologist, social anxiety disorder is an intense and persistent fear of being judged and watched by others. The fear affects work, school, and everyday activities. It makes it tough to make and keep your friends. A psychologist can diagnose social anxiety disorder by comparing symptoms to the criteria.
Psychologists view anxiety as a learned response to threatening events in real life. The anxiety produced turned attached to the surrounding events associated with that event, so those events trigger anxiety in the person independently of a frightening situation.
CBT
Social anxiety psychologists state that CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the most effective form of psychotherapy for this kind of health condition. A short-term treatment, in general, focuses on teaching specific skills to enhance symptoms and return to the avoided activities because of anxiety.
Diagnoses
The psychologist can help find out if the anxiety is related to physical health. The professional helps check signs of underlying medical conditions that need treatment. But, you may need to see a mental health specialist if you have a serious social anxiety condition that needs treatment. But, you need to see a mental health professional if you have serious anxiety.
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating a mental health condition. Psychologists and other mental health professionals diagnose anxiety and provide counseling and even psychotherapy. To help diagnose an anxiety disorder, the mental health provider may provide you with these:
● Psychological evaluation
● Compare symptoms
There are two main treatments for social anxiety disorder, these are:
- Psychotherapy
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
Any of the two will work, but you need to talk with a psychologist first.