Does,Social,Anxiety,Hold,You,B DIY Does Social Anxiety Hold You Back?
When starting a new work at home business it is very easy to become consumed by it. We spend so much time trying to get the business up and running that we may end up becoming burned out and lose our motivation. There is so much to learn and Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in
Publishing Guidelines: You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the resource box is included with a live link to my site. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated. ***********************************************************Title: DOES SOCIAL ANXIETY HOLD YOU BACK?Author: Dave Turo-Shields, ACSW, LCSWEmail: mailto:[email protected]: by Dave Turo-Shields, ACSW, LCSWWeb Address: http://www.Overcoming-Depression.comWord Count: 631Category: Self-HelpDoes Social Anxiety Hold You Back?In the "Anxiety Disorders" section of the manual entitled "Diagnostic Criteria from DSM IV," which is used for the diagnosis of mental health conditions, there are 12 anxiety diagnoses covered.The fifth, and what may appear to be a soft diagnosis, is Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder). In contrast to "Posttraumatic Stress Disorder," "Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder" and "Panic Disorder" this diagnosis may seem to be lighter than the rest.Please don't be fooled by names or the sound of names or even the fact that many of the others have achieved more press time. Social phobia is a very real threat to the quality of life for many individuals.What is Social Anxiety Disorder? Glad you asked. Following is a list of life areas impacted by social anxiety --1. Meeting new people2. Answering the door3. Interacting with merchant clerks at banks, grocery stores etc.3. Setting appointments with doctors offices etc.4. Attending church5. Buying or returning items at retail outlets6. Sick days where your anxiety has made you sick7. Driving (fear other drivers looking at or thinking of you)8. Paying at the gas station9. Eating in front of other people10. Signing your name in front of others11. Attending or hosting social events12. Dating13. Talking in a small or large group14. Expressing your opinion15. Performance situations, such as playing on an athletic team, singing in a choir etc.16. May or may not have panic attacks17. Fear of what others are thinking of you18. Fear of being embarrassed or humiliatedNext is a general physical symptom list of the physical signs of social anxiety --1. Blushing2. Sweating3. Dizziness4. Heart palpitations5. Muscle tension6. Dry mouth7. Shaking8. Nausea9. Diarrhea10. HeadacheThese are a few of the symptoms of social anxiety as experienced in life areas and physically. Many folks have social anxiety but do not realize that this is what they struggle with. Oftentimes thinking about or engaging in any of the activities listed above will induce anxiety.The real danger with this disorder is that it cansubtly grow into a monster. Left unattended, social anxiety can reshape the life that you should be living into one that is centered around avoidance of anxiety. Some of you are aware that you have anxiety and fight with it constantly. Many others are not aware of anxiety as the culprit, even though it's impacting all these life areas. That's powerful!Ongoing social anxiety can result in developing a pattern of avoidance, whereby you begin putting off many of life's activities. Too often, you have only the best of excuses, but if you suffer from social anxiety, it's really anxiety driving your life's bus.There are many keys in the overcoming of anxiety. At the top is bolstering your self-confidence. Ironically enough, the more withdrawn you become while feeing anxious and avoiding activities, the stronger the social anxiety becomes.A FEW KEY AREAS TO TARGET IN OVERCOMING SOCIAL ANXIETY:1. Participate in activities which increase esteem and a sense of personal safety2. Establish an area of expertise or mastery and allowing those abilities to be present in anxiety situations3. Learn relaxation strategies that become serenity-hygiene habits4. Challenge irrational thought patterns that support the anxiety5. Keep an anxiety scale journal to chart goals and progress6. Seek a caring individual to hold you accountable to your goals7. Know that peace and anxiety cannot exist at the same time. Any ritual which brings peace into your life is a great tool to use to eliminate anxiety8. Practice knowing that you are loved and have a right to live a joy-filled life!This is your life! If you find yourself angry over being anxious, that's GOOD -- but only if you direct your anger at anxiety and allow it to become an energizer in your efforts to reclaim your life.
Does,Social,Anxiety,Hold,You,B