Almost anybody can get a little anxious when they have to attend a group event – but some people experience far more than just “nerves.”
For the roughly 7% of adults who have a social anxiety disorder, their fears of ordinary social situations can become a genuine disability. Everyday activities can trigger overwhelming negative feelings that can, ultimately, deeply affect both their personal and professional lives.
How social anxiety disorder manifests
Social anxiety disorder is a chronic mental health issue that causes sufferers to experience intense, irrational fear in numerous social situations. They often believe that their actions, words or appearance will be negatively judged by others or that they will ultimately be humiliated in public.
Social anxiety disorder isn’t just a mental state, however. Sufferers often get physically ill when they try to push outside their comfort zone and engage in a social situation. They often report trouble breathing, a rapid heartbeat, sweating, shaking, nausea, dizziness and other psychomotor effects from their condition.
It’s easy to understand how this condition may become disabling when it can be triggered by such mundane activities as meeting new people, going to an office meeting, engaging in small talk, eating or drinking in public, doing their job while under supervision, interacting with clients or customers or even using a public restroom.
Treatments for social anxiety disorder generally involve medications – including anti-anxiety drugs, beta-blockers and antidepressants that are designed to treat the underlying cause of the disorder – and cognitive behavioral therapy that works on helping the sufferer learn to tolerate such situations a little better. However, both approaches are imperfect and can take a long time to be effective.
If you have social anxiety disorder that has become crippling, it may be time to consider a Social Security Disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) application. The right legal guidance can help.