Posts Tagged ‘ Social Phobia ’

Most of us have felt that the world is about to collapse and everything will end in just a few minutes. This is quite common in situations of stress, worry and uncertainty. The feeling of fear, dread and problems with concentration is what characterizes common anxiety. There’s nothing particularly special about it and usually it can be controlled. However, there are people who live with constant anxiety that cannot be controlled. And to make things even worse, the causes for such anxiety do not lie in the logical realm, being a subjective experience that is rarely linked to actual threat or stress. This is what anxiety disorders are all about and to say that they are unpleasant is like saying nothing at all.

There are different types of anxiety disorders, each of them characterized by different symptoms, intensity of anxiety and circumstances in which it occurs. One of the most common types is panic disorder that manifests through panic attacks that occur for no apparent reason. During such an attack a person feels dread, fear and experiences fast heartbeat and problems with concentration. This anxiety disorder is quite often connected with agoraphobia (fear of large open spaces and social settings) and social phobia, if untreated. However, in most cases this disorder is treatable with medications and psychotherapy.

Other common type of anxiety disorder is OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). This disorder is characterized by obsessive thoughts and ideas that are organized with a ritual-like structure that is believed by the patient to control anxiety itself. This usually manifests in repetitive activities such as washing hands, closing doors and windows, sacking things in a particular order, etc, and if something impedes this activity there’s a feeling of dread in the patient.

PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) is also a quite widespread kind of anxiety disorder, usually linked to tragic events or catastrophes that the patient was witness to. The condition is characterized by emotional numbness, irritability and negligence to social activities and relationships. The problem with PTSD is that quite often it sets after a period of time, not immediately after the tragic events. People who were at war usually experience this disorder when trying to live a normal life again.

Social anxiety or social phobia is quite characteristic for large population areas and is described by fear and anxiety of social activities and large groups of people in one place. This makes it quite hard for urban dwellers to perform such everyday activities such as going to work or college, meeting friends and even going to the supermarket.

One has to understand that most cases of anxiety are treatable and it may be enough to go through a course of Xanax or any other medication to eliminate the problem. It may sound impossible for a person with anxiety disorder, however speaking with a doctor sure helps. Seek professional help if you feel that you have a particular type of anxiety disorder. Don’t buy Xanax, Valium or any other anti-anxiety drugs on your own. Prescription drugs like Xanax should be taken only with your doctor’s consent and following a prescribed dosage. Otherwise you can make the problem even worse.

When facing anxiety disorders a person can have all of its activities, both social and individual, affected in a negative way. And if no treatment is undertaken such disorders usually tend to become even more severe.

Anxiety disorders are usually associated with the feeling of uncertainty and uncontrollable fear, experienced by adults beyond the age of 18. Of course, feeling a bit worried or nervous every now and then is what most of us have to deal with, and that’s OK. Clinical anxiety disorders are characterized by their recurrent nature, inability of the person to control their emotions and dominance of manifestation. If you have more days in the week having experienced anxiety than those without it for at least half a year then you definitely have a clinical anxiety disorder that requires immediate treatment. In most cases anxiety disorders take place along with other psychological or physiological issues, such as mental illnesses, depression, substance abuse or other similar conditions. Different anxiety disorders have different symptoms through which they are classified, however all disorders share a dominant trait – illogical and uncontrollable fear.

The most commonly treated types of anxiety disorders include separation and social anxiety, panic disorders, selective mutism, posttraumatic stress disorder (PST), generalized anxiety disorder, and specific phobia.

Separation anxiety is the feeling of fear and agitation caused by separating oneself from a certain place or people you are related to. The most common symptoms of this anxiety disorder is the strong fear of being away from a person or object your are strongly attached to, and may be manifested through physical conditions such as headache, chest pain, and nausea.

Social anxiety (or social phobia) is characterized by strong and recurrent fear connected to social activities. People suffering from this disorder have a constant fear of being observed and evaluated by other people, and thus making them feel embarrassed. The feeling of dread and fear can manifest itself days before the actual situation is supposed to happen, affecting all other activities of the person.

Panic disorder can have the same physical symptoms as separation anxiety, only that there is usually no cause or external factor initiating fear. The condition can be triggered without any sign and at any moment.

Selective mutism is the inability to speak in certain situations while being able to communicate perfectly in other circumstances. Many specialists make a link between selective mutism and social anxiety, believing they are closely related.

PTS is usually associated with a traumatic event that the person had gone through. This type of anxiety disorder is characterized by recurrent thoughts and memories about the tragic event and being emotionally cold even with the closest persons. PTS disorder may take up to three months after the actual event before showing any signs.

Most anxiety disorders are treatable and controllable, as there are medications like Xanax that can help relieve symptoms of most types of such disorders. However, don’t haste to buy Xanax or any other anti-anxiety medication on your own, because such substances require professional supervision and dosage adjustment. The earlier you go to a doctor the better, for if you will refuse to undergo treatment at an earlier stage it may turn out that no generic Xanax will help you and you will require more serious measures to relieve the condition.