Sweaty palms. Heart racing. Shortness of breath. Anxiety is a familiar feeling for many. However, when it develops into an anxiety disorder, it can be unbearable.

Anxiety disorders make up a huge portion of mental health conditions. Anxiety disorders are actually counted as America’s most prevalent type of mental health disorder, with it being estimated that around a huge one third of the population of the U.S. is living with some form of anxiety. This is a staggering statistic that is not to be taken lightly.

This article aims to inform you about the different forms of anxiety, with a focus on social anxiety including its symptoms, effects and treatments. One treatment in particular that we will focus on in this article is the use of animal therapy to combat one of the most debilitating anxiety disorders.

Anxiety:  What is it?

Anxiety is caused by a number of factors which cannot be controlled by the person suffering from the disorder. Plus, not all anxiety affects us in the same situations or in the same ways. Overall, anxiety is a malfunction of our stress response, also known as our ‘fight or flight’ response. Anxiety disorders cause this response to fire off inappropriately and excessively, leading to feelings of anxiety in situations where they are not useful and detrimental to health. Anxiety can strike in a number of different ways for different individuals.

The Different Types of Anxiety Disorders

So, there are different types of anxiety disorder, but what exactly are they? The different types of anxiety disorders include:

• Panic disorder. You feel terror that strikes totally at random. This takes the form of panic attacks. During a panic attack, you may sweat, experience chest pain, and feel heart palpitations (unusually strong or irregular heartbeats). Sometimes you may feel like you’re choking or having a heart attack. Your vision may also be affected.
• Specific phobias. You feel intense fear of a specific object or situation, such as heights or spiders. The fear goes beyond what’s appropriate and may cause you to avoid ordinary situations.
• Generalized anxiety disorder. You feel excessive, unrealistic worry and tension with little or no reason behind it.
• Social anxiety disorder. In the past known as social phobia, this is when you feel overwhelming worry and self-consciousness about everyday social situations. You fixate on others judging you or on being embarrassed or ridiculed. This can lead to isolation and avoidance of social situations.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a silent problem that is actually hugely affecting for the U.S. population. Millions of Americans suffer with social anxiety (previously referred to as social phobia) every day. According to statistics, social anxiety is the third largest mental health problem in the States, lagging behind only alcoholism and depression in numbers. Social anxiety can be debilitating, and sufferers may experience anxiety in the following situations:

• Being introduced to other people
• Being teased or criticized
• Being the center of attention
• Being watched while doing something
• Meeting people in authority (“important people”)
• Most social encounters, especially with strangers
• Going around the room (or table) in a circle and having to say something
• Interpersonal relationships, whether friendships or romantic

Treatments for Social Anxiety Disorder

Like a good deal of mental health problems, social anxiety disorder can be successfully treated with appropriate intervention. However, without treatment it may not resolve. That’s why it’s so important for you or your loved one to get the help you need. These are the most common treatments.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy helps those who suffer from social anxiety disorder to change the negative thoughts they have about themselves and develop their skills in feeling confident in a variety of social situations.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most common and effective variety of psychotherapy, and can work in individual and group settings.

By gradually exposing patients to situations that they find difficult, CBT helps to improve coping skills and increases confidence to deal with social situations.

Medication

Medication is always used in a complementary function to therapy, to help patients get back on track. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often the first type of drug tried for persistent symptoms of social anxiety. A doctor may prescribe paroxetine (Paxil) or sertraline (Zoloft). Venlafaxine (Effexor XR) also may also be a treatment option for social anxiety disorder.

Other medications that may also be prescribed include: 

• Other antidepressants.  Antidepressants are often a trial and error process to find those that are most effective for you with the fewest side effects.
• Anti-anxiety medications. Benzodiazepines can reduce anxiety in general. These drugs can be habit-forming and sedating, so they’re typically prescribed for only short-term use.
• Beta blockers. These medications work by blocking the stimulating physical effects of adrenaline. They may reduce heart rate, blood pressure, pounding of the heart, and shaking voice and limbs. These drugs are used for special events and are not recommended for the general treatment of social anxiety disorder.

Animal Therapy

Best Pets for Treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder

The number one all time best pet for social anxiety has to be the humble dog. Dogs require exercise, socialization and interaction to keep them happy and healthy. This means that if you are suffering from social anxiety, you have an outside force motivating you to beat your disorder. Motivation to continue your cognitive behavioral therapy and give it your all is key in persisting in order to overcome your social anxiety. While other pets like cats and rabbits allow you to stay in the house and therefore can feed your social anxiety, dogs require you to get out and about and back amongst it. Another great feature of dogs as pets for social anxiety is the social buffer they provide. Oftentimes, everyone is focused on your dog, not you, which can help to divert the social pressure from yourself in a healthy way. Instead of avoiding social outings, it’s possible to use your dog as a deflection of attention to take the intensity off yourself. Of course, diving straight into a trip to the dog park is not a great idea for those suffering from SAD, but with help from your therapist, it’s possible to work towards getting a pet or even an emotional support animal, who can help you to conquer your social anxiety.

Social anxiety disorder can affect your life negatively, but it doesn’t have to. With treatment (which may include an adorable pet as a emotional therapy dog!) it can be managed, and you can get back to living your best life. Don’t ignore the symptoms, talk to your doctor today and start living the life you deserve!

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