Social Phobia

People with Social Phobia have a chronic fear of being out in public or in situations where they have to mix with other people. They feel that people may be watching them and judging them and that they may be embarassed or humiliated. This phobia can interfere with normal life and prevent people from enjoying the happy and varied life that they deserve. It may even lead to Agoraphobia.

Social phobia can be limited to just one type of situation, such as public speaking or eating in front of others, or it may be more severe where people may experience symptoms in any situation where they are around other people.

Some of the physical symptoms associated with social phobia include: Blushing, profuse sweating, trembling, nausea and other stomach discomfort. These physical symptoms can worsen the fear of disapproval and fear of the symptoms can create a viscious circle. People worry about experiencing the symptoms and thus increase their chances of developing the symptoms. Social phobia can often run in families and may be accompanied by alcohol dependence and depression.

In the United States 3.7 percent of the population, about 5.3 million people, aged between 18 to 54 has social phobia in any given year. It occurs in women twice as often as it occurs in men but men are more likely to seek help for the disorder.

There is continuing research into the causes of social phobia. Some of these investigations implicate an area of the brain called the amygdala as being the site that controls fear responses. Studies with animals have found that in some cases social phobia can be inherited and is therefore genetic. Some scientists are exploring the concept that a heightened sensitivity to disapproval may be physiologically or hormonally based. Others are investigating environmental influences on developing social phobia in that people may acquire their fear from observing the behaviour and consequences of others. This is a process called observational learning or social modelling.

So what treatments are available? Well as a qualified Hypnotherapist and practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) I would naturally recommend both of those therapies. They are very effective and can be used separately or NLP techniques can be combined with hypnosis. Other techniques include the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). Again this is something I have trained in and highly recommend. You can also try Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), group therapy and family therapy. There are also drug treatments available for which you should consult your own doctor. Whatever happens seek help and advice. There is no need to suffer unnecessarily.