Social Phobias
Social phobias are fears and avoidance of situations in which a person may feel open to other people's judgement or inspection. Social phobia and shyness are different. Shy people are most likely able to participate in social functions to the extent where they feel comfortable. People with social phobia areare disabled by their condition to an extreme point. Their ability to function at work, socialy and in relationships are severely afected. Males and females are affected equally with this disorder.
Some of the most common fears of people with social phobia include:
Adapting with changing environments
Meeting new people
Speaking in public
Eating, drinking in public
Using public restrooms
Attending social events
It seems that Social Phobias begin forming in late childhood and adolescence. This is a time when the individual is commonly faced with dealing with social situations needing the use of their own skills. If such needed skills are not developed in early childhood the person feels inadequate an unprepared to respond, creating fears and anxiety. Fear of scrutiny and judgement is always present and often paralyzing. Subsequently in order to avoid further anxieties the person recoils from social interactions. The most common cause is generaly associated with overprotective parents and/or limited social interaction.
Treatment is aimed to help the person function effectively in social situations. One way of treatment is the use of systematic desensitization. The person is asked to breakdown all the components of their fear. These components are then addressed one by one working from the least fearful to the most fearful. Seeing the total phobia in smaller manageable steps helps to not feel overwhelmed and over anxious over the whole process. Of course the most effective solution is to find and address the actual source of the anxiety, but this is not always possible since they were likely formed at a younger age and the motive might be long forgotten.
What You can do:
Does anything in particular make you anxious especially in a social environment? Well be pro-active. Keep a diary of the experiences and thoughts that seem to be related to your anxiety. This is a way of systematic desensitization. Next to it write down ways you feel you could have handled the situation. You will be amazed how next time you are facing a similar situation you will fell better prepared and have some tools to handle it.
Often, just talking to a friend or loved one is all that is needed to relieve anxiety. But if you feel more in-depth help is needed or if your fear is crippling your quality of life then you can seek professional help. Taking measures to improve your self esteem can be helpful as well.
A professional therapist may recommend social skills training, role playing and modeling. Exercises in social contact within group therapy situations help practice social skills. Also, anti-anxiety and anti-depressive medications are sometimes used to help relieve the symptoms associated with phobias.
Call your health care provider or mental health professional if you feel fear, unexplained anxiety and social phobia is affecting your work and relationships with others. There is help.
actually healthy. It is a premonition of danger and allows our body to prepare itself for an imminent threat. This might turn into a phobic reaction if your fear is irrational and inhibits you from acting. A phobia is a 
phobia can be alleviated. A certified counselor or therapist will show you some relaxation techniques to utilize while confronting your fears. For example, an individual who has a fear of reptiles might begin a therapy session by reading about snakes and looking at pictures of them. In subsequent sessions, they might be asked to look at a caged snake, and eventually to hold one. If the phobia has to do with riding in a elevator, the therapist will go in an elevator with them until their fear subsides.
Public Speaking can be intimidating even when we are well prepared for the event. We may be authorities in the subject, but when speaking to a group we get dry mouth, our hands sweat and the throat tightens up, our knees shake and we suffer the dreaded (and most embarrassing) temporary loss of memory. These are all symptoms of Stage Fright (or as I call it "I want my mommy syndrome"). Yes! if we have a diagnosis we have a treatment, so don't fear my friends!
