Is Social Anxiety Disorder Keeping You From Living?
Anxiety is a normal part of being human. It helps us cope with tense situations or remain focused for long periods of time. It also alerts us to danger in the environment. However, when anxiety begins to interfere significantly with normal functioning, it becomes a debilitating disorder.
What Is It?
Today, millions of people in the United States struggle with social anxiety disorder. This is defined as an excessive fear of being criticized or judged by other people. This fear pertains to appearance or behavior. It could be as seemingly minor as a propensity for blushing or as major as extreme stuttering. Regardless of focus, these individuals are desperately afraid of being embarrassed or humiliated in public.
Causes of Social Anxiety Disorder
A social anxiety disorder can be caused by a variety of factors. It can be genetically influenced or result from modeling a parent’s behavior. It can also result from a crisis or trauma that occurred in a person’s life. This disorder can develop at any age, though research indicates it is most likely to occur in the mid-teens. A child, who is different or timid prior to the age of ten, may develop an actual disorder around the time of puberty, due to the catastrophic changes taking place physiologically, mentally and emotionally. With that said, it is important to know what this type of disorder is and what it is not. If a young person is anxious about public speaking, or a teen gets a case of “butterflies” before an important test, this is not a disorder. This is simply the basic nervousness we’ve all come to expect under certain situations. However, if a teen is so anxious about interacting with her peers that she is unable to attend school, or she absolutely refuses to leave home or go to a shopping mall because it is too terrifying, this is a red flag. In other words, it is a matter of degree.
When social anxiety graduates from a feeling of mild discomfort to complete irrational panic, when the fear is so great that an individual begins avoiding people and situations altogether, something is definitely wrong.
In adulthood, a social anxiety disorder can result from fluctuating life stressors and demands. For example, say an individual has worked at inside sales for a company for many years. This individual is very comfortable sitting in her cubical, making calls. Abruptly, management decides she needs to become part of the outside sales team. This woman must now meet customers face-to-face, shake hands and make eye contact. Perhaps she has a tendency to perspire when even the least bit nervous. She begins to worry and focus on this problem. She knows people are staring at her; she is very embarrassed. If her stress level rises to the point that she can no longer do her job, perhaps she can no longer even leave her home, then it is time to seek help.
When Treatment is Needed
Social anxiety is highly treatable. As with most treatment, an individual would first consult an outpatient therapist. If that did not garner positive results in a reasonable amount of time, residential treatment may be recommended.
We Are Here to Help
Recovery from an anxiety disorder is possible. It's happening every day at Remuda Ranch. Our residential OCD treatment in Arizona is designed for women over the age of 18. For additional information about the treatment of eating and anxiety disorders, please call 1-800-445-1900 or complete a Take the Next Step form and we will contact you with the information you need.
