You might think that anxiety disorders just mean a very persistent, grave sort of nervousness—especially if you do not have a disorder yourself. However, they and the attendant anxiety symptoms can be very serious and scary—even terrifying. We refer here to phobias, which are classified under anxiety disorders, partly because sufferers experience man of the anxiety symptoms, but often with more gravity. People who have extreme difficulty socializing might actually have social phobia, which can cripple their attempts to make practical networks, and even to find romance.
• In brief, a phobia is an unreasonable terror of some specific thing. People can be scared of snakes, heights, the dark, etc. Phobias are not just annoying fears that give you nightmares and make you nervous. The can have a huge practical impact on your life. Let us take the case of actress Olivia Hussey, whose career looked very promising after she starred in Franco Zeffirelli’s adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. However, she had agoraphobia, and the symptoms of anxiety were so bad that she had a hard time doing what was expected of a young “star.”
• If you have social phobia, do not by any means convince yourself that many types of social interaction are forever beyond your reach. A phobia can be treated in a variety of ways. Some people prefer cognitive therapy, which involves, among other things, turning rational thinking on irrational feelings and impulses. The professional helping you might ask you to examine the reasons behind your fears, and the reasons behind your reasons. Still, this might not be enough to get rid of the root behind your anxiety symptoms. Elements of behavioral psychology may be introduced into your treatment so that you learn to associate the object of your fear with positive stimuli. In terms of social phobia, support groups can also be very helpful. Dates and other types of in-depth interaction might seem a bit scary at first, but with hard work and the right programs, you can learn to manage your fear, and open yourself up to better interpersonal relationships.
