It's not all bad. Heightened self-consciousness, apartness, an inability to join in, physical shame and self-loathing—they are not all bad.

Do we know what social anxiety is ? Well, it is obviously not how most people perceive it as. It is not just shyness or awkwardness in front of a mass or a group but it is actually an intense, persistent fear of being watched or judged by others. 

 

Being overly conscious of everything you say, do and show isn’t a blessing but more of a curse. It makes people feel burdened whatever they do or wherever they go. When it is already difficult to let yourself out, exploring others is the farther thing to think of. Yes, this is what social anxiety feels like.

 

Imagine not being able to make friends with anyone, not being able to answer things when they are right, not being able to be involved in a group and more of all not being able to order food for yourself. This might be funny for some of us but it is a reality that people with social anxiety have to live by. To avoid the feeling of embarrassment, people ignore the situation as a whole when social anxiety hits them. People skip social events and gatherings and overthink weeks before about how they are going to deal with it. It is difficult when you have stage fright and even if you try and act normal, the situation plays out to be worse than expected.

 

 I have heard so many people  explain how easy it was to say something you know infront of everyone but it's not the same for all of us. People seriously face situations like increased heart rate, trembling hands and feet, mind going blank and many more however, the good thing is it can be treated.

 

Well, social anxiety may feel like a small mental health problem but it actually impacts life in so many ways. It leads people to overthink every situation and the burden of carrying everyone's opinions made up in your head is very tiring. People get nervous in social situations, thinking a hundred times before saying anything or taking any step and also have certain habits that show up when they experience anxiety like biting nails, picking lips, blushing, sweating and trembling. Social anxiety leads people to question their worth everytime. Avoiding social gatherings, events and any type of social involvements.Well, if you ask the reasons their answer might be “It’s awkward” but trust me it is a lot more than just awkward.

 

The risk of social anxiety may run down in the genetics but it might not compulsorily run in every member. It has also been found that several parts of a human brain are involved in anxiety and fear and the genetics may influence how these areas function. These influences may be the way to reach the treatment point, however, the stress and environment of the person plays an equal role in causing the disorder.

 

Being aware of the symptoms of social anxiety, the first step that needs to be taken is talk to a healthcare provider. They might talk about the history or conduct a physical exam to ensure that there aren't any physical problems causing the social anxiety disorder. They may later refer to a psychologist, psychiatrist or clinical social worker but whatever the case the first step is to diagnose the problem. Social anxiety disorder is generally treated with psychotherapy (sometimes called “talk therapy”), medication, or both.

 

Talking about an interesting fact about people with anxiety, they may refrain from expressing their own emotions just to avoid the rejection that might come along with it. Studies have also shown that the people with social anxiety disorder have stronger suppression of emotional experiences and they also have very minimal capacity to differentiate, describe and monitor their own emotions. These people have fears that are related to emotions and also loss of control over them.

 

No illness cures until you want it to. First step is acceptance of the problem and active involvement in the treatment in different ways possible. If you want some tips to at least overcome a little of the problem, I have listed a few of them here:

  1. Control your breathing
  2. Try exercising or progressive muscle relaxation
  3. Prepare
  4. Start small
  5. Take focus off yourself
  6. Talk back to negative thoughts
  7. Use your senses.

 

You must be sure of yourself and trust the process of growing. Build up your confidence and try to communicate. Your first step of change might be difficult but it will get easier.