Social Anxiety Treatment and Support

What is social anxiety? Is it a chemical imbalance certain people are genetically predisosed to, something that can come about as a result of unhealthy lifestyle choices like poor diet and lack of exercise, a predictable response to isolation or lack of socialization, or all three?

The answer is different for each person but the one thing that is true is that to expereience the best social life you’re capable of achieving you have to be willing to put yourself in a variety of social situations, you have to like being around other people (or willing to learn to like it), and you’ll want to be as physcially and mentally healthy as possible.

So let’s say you have social anxiety…what kinds of social anxiety treatments and support exist to help get you back on the right path?

A common misconception many people make is thinking social anxiety and general anxiety are two different conditions when in fact they are very similar. Only in rare cases, such as those where an individual has developed social anxiety after an extended period of isolation or limited social contact, are the two conditions stemming from different causes.  Often times anxiety is a nervous condition that interfers with all aspects of our lives, particular our social interactions.  The difference is we become more aware of our anxiety when in social situations because we’re typically in an unfamilar environment that is outside of our comfort zone and we are constantly picking up on the social feedback of other people.  We’re biologically hardwired to pick up on the subtleties of other people’s reaction to our behaviors because it is a constant barometer for our social acceptance into the group.  Positive social feedback helps us to feel accepted and a part of the social group whereas negative feedback causes us to feel further isolated and uncomfortable.

The problem is further amplified because individuals experiencing social anxiety often find themselves trapped in a negative feedback loop where their social anxiety causes them to behave in ways that are not accepted by others and as a result they get negative feedback and the social anxiety condition worsens.

The important thing to remember is that you are not alone.  There are millions of people in the world dealing with social anxiety everyday. Do a Google search for “social anxiety forums” or “social anxiety support” and you will find hundreds of great resourses filled with people just like you who are working to find releif for their social anxiety condition.  There are also many natural social anxiety treatments like SociaTropin, Seredyn, and Clarocet that can be helpful in relieving mild to moderate anxiety. Just remember to always do your homework and seek the advice of your health care practitioner before starting any new diet or exercise program.