Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder, also referred to as social phobia, is when everyday social activities that would seem normal to others, cause extreme anxiety, fear and self awareness making them hard to impossible to do. Social phobia is more than just shyness, it is a chronic mental health condition which is the third most common psychological disorder.http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcevent.nsf/pages/9292A964D056A0124A25752000824338?open

Included on this guide are symptoms of anxiety, treatments, a fast facts section, and dietary recommendations that help improve mood from the Mayo Clinic. There are two featured videos, one from a person who has suffered from this disorder for 10 years and another from a university professor who is interviewed on the "Health Matters" program of Dr. David Granet. Other resources regarding this disorder include relevant links, a blog section and a Mahalo Answers section. If you have a question regarding this topic, please ask a question in the box provided to the right.

People with social phobia will experience extreme fear and anxiety in social situations. In some cases the anxiety is strong enough to keep them from any social activities for fear of being look down upon. Social phobia can affect different people in different ways such as fear of ordering in restaurants or fear of dating.

Some physical symptoms of social phobia include blushing, intense sweating, trembling, shaking, nausea and palpitations. Usually when suffering from social phobia you realize that your fear is out of character but have no control over it.

The two most effective treatments for social phobia are medications and a type of psychotherapy called cognitive behavior therapy. Education and supportive therapy, including within the family and in groups, are part of many recovery programs. There are several home treatment options and other things that can be done individually as described below. http://health.med.umich.edu/healthcontent.cfm?xyzpdqabc=0&id=6&action=detail&AEProductID=hw_knowledgebase&AEArticleID=hw177276

1. Reinforce positive thoughts about yourself. Supportive thoughts can replace self-critical thoughts.
2. Allow yourself to make mistakes and move on.
3. Practice engaging socially, listen and start with small steps. http://www.utdallas.edu/counseling/selfhelp/social-anxiety.html
4. Find a group of people who have interests similar to yours to try new social skills. You are more likely to be comfortable in this setting and can work on your skills more easily and build from there. http://www.utdallas.edu/counseling/selfhelp/social-anxiety.html
5. Start small by greetings and small conversations.
6. Find relaxation techniques that help you such as breath meditations and practice them regularly. Practice this [www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/feap/.../faces-of-anxiety-disorders.pdf deep breathing technique] and find the time to relax each day.
7. Manage stress by various techniques as shown in How to Manage Stress.
8. Find alternative activities that are pleasurable when you feel anxiety.
9. Get enough sleep - A 2002 study revealed that an average of 6.5 hours sleep creates optimum health and helps people have longer lives. http://health.ucsd.edu/news/2002/02_08_Kripke.html
10. Eat well balanced meals and avoid caffeine. See the section below for more recommendations. http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/easing-social-anxiety-during-the-holidays
11. Set realistic goals and adjust goals when necessary
12. Exercise regularly, gradually increasing your exercise to 20-30 minutes a day. http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/easing-social-anxiety-during-the-holidays http://health.med.umich.edu/healthcontent.cfm?xyzpdqabc=0&id=6&action=detail&AEProductID=hw_knowledgebase&AEArticleID=hw177276

Food cannot cure this disorder, but following some recommendations by the Mayo Clinic on foods to eat and foods to avoid can help improve your emotional health and thus support improvement with social anxiety. Here are the dietary guidelines that have been shown to help with anxiety disorders:

1. Eat more carbohydrates, especially complex carbohydrates found in whole foods. This means to eat more whole grains and fruits and vegetables. This means that you should also shun sugars or products that are rich in these simple carbohydrates. The eating of complex carbohydrates helps increase the serotinin level in your brain, which is tranquilizing.
2. Eat several meals, but in smaller portions to keep the blood sugar levels more stable.
3. Although alcohol can calm you, when it is being metabolized by the body it can exacerbate anxiety symptoms, so avoidance is recommended.
4. Avoid stimulants like coffee and tea or other products that have caffeine.
5. Drink plenty of water to provide your body with what it needs. Dehydration, even minor, can negatively affect mood.
6. Eat foods that provide tryptophan in your diet. Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin. Foods in this category are milk and milk products, brown rice, soy, nuts, peanut butter, sesame seeds, bananas, oats, and poultry. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminB6/ http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/coping-with-anxiety/AN01589/METHOD=print
7. Make sure you are getting adequate vitamins in you diet, particularly B1, B3, B6, and folic acid which are necessary for you cell metabolism for making serotinin from tryptophan. http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/proteins.html

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you think you have Social Anxiety Disorder, please consult your doctor.

• Google News: Social Anxiety Disorder Search
• Topix: Social Anxiety Disorder News
• HealthDay: 15 Million Americans Suffer From Social Anxiety Disorder (April 9, 2008)
  • Among people with the disorder, 75 percent said the condition affected their ability to do normal activities. In addition, 69 percent said they didn't want people to think they were crazy, and 58 percent said they were embarrassed by their condition, Ross said.
• The New York Times: The Way We Live Now: 6-24-01; The Shyness Syndrome (June 24, 2001)