Situational Anxiety

Many anxiety sufferers have certain triggers or events that can bring about the uncomfortable feelings associated with anxiety. I refer to this as situational anxiety. For example, those who have social anxiety may feel fine when they are at home or with family, yet when they get in a social setting or in an area with a lot of people, anxiety comes creeping in.

One of the events that triggers my anxiety is driving. I'm fine driving around my town, but when I get out on the open road, I begin to allow negative thoughts to take over. I start thinking what if I have an anxiety attack so far from home? What if my car breaks  down and I have an anxiety attack? What if I lose control in front of my friends?

Once you start down the road of what if thinking, it can be difficult to get back on track. Last week I went for a drive several hundred miles from home. My anxiety went up and down and I even suffered one panic attack. However, I kept driving to my destination.

What I took away from this experience was to prepare for situations that I know may trigger my anxiety. I took my anxiety medication on the trip as a security blanket. Though, even after having a panic attack I did not take them.

I also brought along two good friends of mine that are understanding and good conversationalists. This was extremely helpful.

If you are going in to a situation that triggers your anxiety, plan ahead. Don't let anxiety rule your life. I went on that trip in spite of my anxiety. Yes I was uncomfortable, but it was better than staying home and feeling bad that I gave in. The more you plan ahead and practice situations that are difficult, the less intense the anxiety will be and the better you will feel about yourself. Of course, if the anxiety gets too bad, be compassionate with yourself and have a back-up plan. Mine was to turn around if it got to bad and go back home. My friends were aware and cool with that and I wouldn't have felt bad about it.

Social Anxiety Forum

For many who suffer from social anxiety, getting help can be difficult due to hang-ups about 'shrinks', or financial reasons or even embarrassment. Sometimes the best social anxiety support can come from just talking with others who experience social anxiety and can relate.

A Social anxiety forum is a great place to get support. A Social anxiety forum gives you the ability to ask questions, vent and all the while remaining anonymous.

Here a re a list of sites for social anxiety support as well as a social anxiety forum:
Social Anxiety Support
Heal Social Anxiety
Anxiety Tribe
Daily Strength

Im sure there are many social anxiety forums out there as well as many site for social anxiety support, though these are the ones I am familiar with and highly reccomend.

And if you are ready to go beyond your social anxiety don't forget to check out Panic Away, great for all anxiety related disorders.

Social Anxiety: Fear of Public Speaking



Social Anxiety is a common form of anxiety disorder. Many people experience the symptoms of social anxiety while in large crowds or public places. Others may experience the symptoms of social anxiety or social phobia when speaking in public.

Social Anxiety Symptoms

The symptoms of social anxiety may often be misunderstood as shyness, or anti-social behavior. Social anxiety symptoms can include both physical as well as emotional symptoms. The more common symptoms are as follows:

Social Anxiety and Depression

Did you know that social anxiety can lead to depression? Unfortunately, many social anxiety sufferers avoid social situations such as going out into public situations where they may fear experiencing anxiety. Often, social anxiety may keep a person locked up in their house. The lack of socialization or social contact can lead to depression.
It's not always the case that someone who suffers from social anxiety is shy or anti-social. Actually, many social anxiety sufferers tend to be very outgoing, enjoy socializing and making new friends. Though, the experience of anxiety in social situations deters them from engaging in future social events for fear of experiencing anxiety.

Social Anxiety

Social anxiety disorder is also referred to as social phobia. This is an anxiety disorder in which a person is abnormally fearful of social situations. The social anxiety stems from the fear of being scrutinized, judged, or criticized by others.

One who suffers from social anxiety may be afraid that he or she will do something to embarrass or humiliate themselves in front of others. A lack of social skills or not being used to social settings can make matters worse. Often, the anxiety can progress into an anxiety or panic attack. This can lead to the sufferer avoiding future social events. It’s also fairly common for people who suffer from social anxiety to also have what is

Anxiety and Medication

Many people may believe that anti anxiety medications might offer a quick solution to your anxiety problem. They are not always the best method of treatment, or necessary. Anti anxiety medication may include benzodiazepines--the more traditional anxiety medication--, SSRI’s (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), antidepressants or beta-blockers. Medication can help reduce your anxiety disorder while you receive therapy to get to the root of the problem. Though, just to let you know that these types of drugs don't cure the cause of the anxiety disorder and they do come with side effects. Taking these types of medications for an extended period of time is not recommended.