What is Social Phobia? How to Overcome Social Phobia?

Social phobia, also known as social anxiety (anxiety) disorder or social phobia disorder, is the anxiety of being found strange, ridiculous or embarrassing by other people in social situations, i.e. social situations, and even a great fear of these situations.

Are There Types of Social Phobia?

There are two different types of social phobia; common type and uncommon type. If the fears cover many situations, common type of social phobia is seen, while if it covers only some situations, it is uncommon social phobia.

What are the Symptoms of Social Phobia?

• Social situations or more Avoidance of human environments,
  
• Flushing and tremors in the muscles,
  
• Flutter,
  
• tremor,
  
• Sweating,
  
• Tightness in the muscles,
  
• Shaking hands,
  
• Discomfort in the stomach or intestines,
  
• Drying in the throat,
  
• Excessive pressure in the head,
  
• Stuttering,
  
• Voice

In children, these symptoms can be seen as crying, not leaving their parents alone and clinging to them, or tantrums.

What Causes Social Phobia?

factor is effective. It has been determined as a result of some studies by researchers that biological, psychological and environmental factors are effective in the development of social phobia. Examples of these factors are:

• Genetic predisposition (heredity): Having a social phobia in relatives or family increases the probability of developing social phobia in the person.
  
• Imbalance or low serotonin: The most important cause of social phobia is displayed as. In cases where the serotonin balance is disturbed, serotonin can not function as a neurotransmitter and provide communication between nerve cells, and thus, information cannot be transmitted to the brain properly, causing anxiety.
  
• Personality traits,
  
• In case of raising their children in a strict, non-emotional manner but controlling, rejecting and overprotective, the children cannot learn some social skills that they should learn in the normal development process,
  
• The parents have high expectations from the child and Punishment if the n does not meet the expectations,
  
• Bad experiences with other people in a social environment before, that is, social phobia whose mental infrastructure has already been prepared (such as being disgraced, humiliated, excluded, humiliated),
  
• Some events that are important in human life and cause distress and sadness (such as death, separation).

How is Social Phobia Diagnosed?

In case of social phobia symptoms, it is necessary to consult a psychiatrist or psychotherapist. In addition to the physical examination of the patient, the consulted psychiatrist or psychotherapist obtains information about the patient's ailments, general health and physical illnesses. As a result of the interview, it is revealed whether a physical illness is causing these symptoms. If there is no physical discomfort, the patient is referred to a psychologist or psychiatrist. Psychiatrists and psychologists diagnose social phobia according to defined criteria and the result of the Liebowitz social phobia test. At the same time, the severity of social phobia is evaluated. Since social phobia can also be associated with different mental illnesses, the physician should apply tests to the patient in this direction as well.

Is Social Phobia and Shyness the Same Thing?

The diagnosis of social phobia It is important to distinguish between shyness and social phobia. The person may confuse whether the symptoms they see in themselves are shyness or social phobia. Situations such as public speaking, refraining from expressing oneself in some social situations can happen to many people. These situations do not count as symptoms of social phobia. The occurrence of avoidance behaviors in addition to such fears may indicate social phobia. In addition, the person with social phobia knows that the fear of the situation is too much and unnecessary. If he tries to endure this excessive and senseless fear, he may experience great difficulties. The symptoms seen in events that really need to be feared, that is, in which fear is meaningful, do not indicate the presence of social phobia.

How is Social Phobia Treated? How to Overcome Social Phobia

Social phobia can usually be completely cured with the right treatment. It is a psychiatric disorder. However, many factors can affect the success of treatment. These factors are

• together with different psychiatric diseases,
  
• the early age of onset,
  
• the person's desire for treatment,
  
It can be counted as the individual's effort towards improvement in the treatment process. In the light of these factors, expectations should be realistic.

There are two types of treatment in social phobia: medication and psychotherapy. Depending on the severity of the disease, sometimes only psychotherapy is applied, while it is generally preferred to apply both treatments together.
In non-drug treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective method in solving social phobia. Detailed information about cognitive behavioral therapy What is CBT?

The purpose of CBT is to direct the thoughts of the person diagnosed with social phobia to a more logical place and to ensure that the person does not avoid situations that previously caused anxiety. In this therapy, the cause of the anxiety of the person with social phobia is searched and he is made to face his fears. It is ensured that the person recognizes the previous reactions to any event that causes anxiety and gives a different reaction from the previous ones. Systematic desensitization is one of the most important goals of this therapy. As a result of systematic desensitization, the person learns to cope with their fears.

The drugs used in the treatment of social phobia are generally effective on serotonin imbalance or serotonin deficiency. The effects of these drugs can only be seen within 2-3 weeks. However, after 10 weeks of use, a comment can be made on the effectiveness of the drug. These drugs do not cause permanent damage to the person. The average duration of treatment should be 9-12 months for the required effect.

In addition to these treatment methods, techniques such as counseling and breathing exercises can be used in the treatment of social phobia in order to improve social skills.

If Social Phobia Is Not Treated What Happens?

Fear seen in social skills As a result of a deficiency or any bad event, it can become aggravated and turn into a panic attack. It affects the daily life of the person negatively and disrupts the daily routine of the person. In untreated cases, the person may also experience increased depression and alcohol use in the future. You can use the contact form on our website to reach us.

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