Numerous mental disorders go hand in hand with substance use disorder. One example is a social anxiety disorder. It’s important for people to learn more about this disorder and some social anxiety disorder symptoms. The more that they know, the more ready they’ll be to seek out help or find help for their loved one.
What Is Social Anxiety Disorder?
Also called social phobia, this condition is one of the most common anxiety disorders that people develop. As the name suggests, it makes them afraid of social situations. These might include answering questions in front of peers, meeting new people, going on a date or attending social events.
When people with social anxiety disorder engage in activities in front of others, they feel fear and anxiety. They worry that others might reject, judge or even humiliate them. This fear or anxiety feeds social anxiety disorder symptoms.
What Are Some Social Anxiety Disorder Symptoms?
People might experience several social anxiety disorder symptoms. Some of the most common include:
- Increased heart rate
- Fear of being around people, especially people they don’t know
- A sick or nauseous feeling in their stomachs
- Fear of attending social events
- Worrying about visiting a public place days or weeks in advance
- Diarrhea
- Difficulty talking normally in front of people
These are just a few social anxiety disorder symptoms that people might experience. They generally feel better when they attend social events with others who they trust, such as close friends or spouses.
The Link Between Social Anxiety Disorder and Addiction
Is there a link between social anxiety disorder and substance use disorder? Yes. In fact, many people try to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol instead of seeking professional help.
Unfortunately, the drugs and alcohol only provide temporary relief for the symptoms. Because of that, those who self-medicate continue to take the drugs to keep getting relief. Abusing drugs in this way can quickly lead to addiction.
At this point, getting mental health treatment is just as important as getting help for the addiction. If they only get help for the substance abuse, then their social anxiety disorder symptoms will only trigger a relapse. They must seek treatment for both issues.
We Can Help You With Underlying Mental Disorders
At Steps to Recovery, we provide treatment for substance use disorder and underlying mental disorders. We know that treating problems such as social anxiety disorder is just as important as treating the addiction itself. That’s why our Pennsylvania addiction recovery services take underlying mental disorders seriously. Some of the services and programs that we offer include:
- Residential treatment
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Outpatient treatment
- Aftercare
- Individual and group therapies
Don’t let underlying disorders spur on your addiction. Let us teach you more about social anxiety disorder symptoms. Get help and more information today at 267.719.8528.
