Social anxiety disorder is something many people experience. Whether you’re a teen going through puberty or an adult trying to make their way in life, you are at risk of having social anxiety disorder. But what exactly is social anxiety disorder?
What Is Social Anxiety Disorder?
This mental disorder is one of the leading mental disorders in the world. Millions of people worldwide, ranging from the young to the old suffer from it. The most common hallmark of social anxiety disorder is the fact that everyone suffering from it become terrified of being in a social situation with other people.
The majority of people suffering from it know for a fact that their fears are irrational but they cannot explain why. It’s as if control of their emotions have been taken away from them. This makes it difficult to go about their daily life as it can strike whenever a social gathering is about to occur
What Causes Social Anxiety Disorder?
You might be wondering what might cause someone to develop such a crippling disorder. There are two main causes of social anxiety disorder that have been documented.
It Can be Inherited
Genetics is a big part of who you are. It decides what color of skin you’re going to have, whether your hair will be straight, curly or anything in between and many more. It’s also found out that it has a hand in mental disorders.
Social anxiety disorder in particular can be inherited from your parents if they experience it. There is a 30 to 40 percent chance someone will have it if one or both of the parents had it.
It Can Be Developed
Nature and nurture are the two things that can decide a person’s personality. Genetics is the nature side of things while upbringing and personal experience are the nurture. Mental disorders like PTSD stem mostly from traumatizing experiences that a person can experience. However, social anxiety disorder can also happen through these experiences.
One way this could happen is if you had a bad experience interacting with others in your youth. This traumatizes you and will keep you from trying to interact with others in the future. This isn’t a good mindset to have as it will develop into social anxiety disorder if it’s left alone.
What Can You Do About It?
Now that we know what exactly what social anxiety disorder is, we should start looking for ways you can help others or yourself if you feel like you’re experiencing it. However that’s easier said than done. Most people experiencing social anxiety disorder will be hard to approach and have difficulty approaching others. This includes asking for help. So what can you do to help another person or yourself when it comes to this disorder? The best answer here is to immediately look for professional help.
Telling someone to “suck it up and face your fears” isn’t going to work. This is because their entire mindset is set around the fact that socializing is terrifying. However, professionals will understand the inner workings of someone who’s experiencing it. This means that they will be able to provide excellent therapies, medications and advice to help you out of the rut you’re in.
