Social phobia is an anxiety disorder is normally developed from a young age and affects absolutely millions of people. Therapies have been highly effective in the treatment of social anxiety disorder. Although symptoms of social phobia can be treated with medication there are better long term options.

In addition to treatments, sufferers can apply self help techniques to help them overcome Social Anxiety. Relaxation and visualization techniques can be highly effective especially when practiced regularly. The subconscious part of the mind can be trained using visualizations and learn new behavior from doing so.

Your imagination and thoughts influence your feelings and behavior. You might feel anxious and scared just by thinking of something you fear. Just as the mind picks up negative behaviors it can also learn positive ones. Associations are made stronger when a person practices or experiences something repeatedly.

Many pro athletes visualize winning before an event. Some top major league baseball players imagine swinging and making perfect contact repeatedly. Through mental practice they improve their ability just like through normal practice. By using the imagination you can change your behavior. The amazing thing is it can be used for practically anything including overcoming social anxiety in specific situations.

Let’s imagine that you have to give a presentation in a few days. When told this, thoughts of embarrassment spring to mind and you become very nervous. You start to get anxiety symptoms like a tight chest, shaking and a racing heart. On the day you feel like a total wreck and the experience is one you’d rather forget.

In social situations the behavior and thoughts of social anxiety sufferers is self sabotaging. By using positive visualizations and affirmations it is possible to break from old habits and learn new ones. In time with enough practice anyone can overcome their fears.

Start practicing being confident and in control now. Find somewhere quiet to sit and close your eyes. Begin to breathe deeply and slowly, relaxing the muscles in your body. In your mind imagine what it would be like to be full of confidence and uninhibited in any social setting. Think about how you would stand, talk and gesture. Imagine how others would respect and treat you.

Build this image and think about you living your life without Anxiety symptoms. Let that internal voice in your head tell you positive things. Give yourself praise and motivating words. Vividly imagine the next presentation a complete and utter success. Imagine everyone reacting positively and you full of confidence and charisma.

Play this visualization over in your head a few times and then finally stir yourself out of deep relaxation. That felt great right? Giving a presentation now doesn’t seem as daunting as it did before. With regular practice you’ll feel less and less fearful. Part of putting on a great performance is acting. Don’t worry if you feel a little anxious on the day and things don’t go as planned. The more you practice the more you will improve.

Most doctors would agree that medication is not always the best solution in curing anxiety disorders and that self help methods are much more effective. Anxiety disorders are pathological and the problem lies in the person’s subconscious. Medicine can reduce anxiety but generally does not tackle the underlying cause of it.

What I’ve compiled is a mini anxiety help guide that can help improve health and wellbeing which is essential for recovery and prevention of anxiety disorders. First of all recognize and accept that you have a disorder. Most people would rather pretend that nothing is wrong and mask their problems. Accept that at times you will feel overwhelmed with anxiety symptoms but realize that they do not control you.

Talk about your disorder with family and friends and let them know what you’re going through. It will help you relieve some of the built up stress and anxiety that you’ve been bottling up. Talking about your problems can be empowering and make you feel that your facing them rather than running away. Furthermore you will be more motivated and confident in tackling your disorder. With support from family and friends you will also feel more secure and less alone.

Your lifestyle can directly affect your behavior and emotions. You can help prevent diseases and conditions simply by maintaining physical health. Get into a routine of exercising frequently and eat a healthy diet. Exercise can enhance mood and be a great reliever of anxiety. During exercise natural mood enhancing chemicals are released.

These are the same chemicals found when experiencing laughter and happiness. So why not make an effort to have more of these endorphin releases by having more fun in life. Find the things you enjoy in life and make an effort to do more. Try new things that you’ve always wanted to do and try and break away from your routine. Add more excitement in your life so that you have things to look forward to.

Finally, many would agree that relaxation is a great anxiety help. As easy as it sounds, most of us don’t relax enough. When relaxed the body and mind is at optimum state and is able to restore energy. Meditate to help you relax and also during periods of stress and anxiety. Try incorporating positive visualizations and affirmations for that extra boost of good feel endorphins.

Try and notice the sensations and realize that they will eventually stop no matter how scary they are. Scarily many sufferers believe they are dying during an anxiety attack. Symptoms of panic can seem like one is having a cardiac arrest or stroke.

Symptoms or ‘sensations’ like severe chest pain, shooting pains and trembling are very distressing for the sufferer. Keep in mind whatever might happen that you cant die from having panic attacks. When you have an attack try to inhale slowly and deeply and try to relax.

Often people hyperventilate when having an anxiety attack which triggers other symptoms. So try and take control of your breathing and inhale slowly. You’ll find that you’re symptoms will dissipate more quickly. Getting up and walking about can also help you feel more at ease.

Usually minor symptoms linger long after the main attack, so it’s important to keep focusing on your breathing to relax. Do something mentally or physically engaging to divert your attention away from feelings of anxiety. You can try lots of things; take a bath, go for a cycle, read a magazine or talk to someone for support.

If you suffer from an anxiety disorder, it’s important to get help. Your problem won’t go away by ignoring it. It’s been proven that therapies have a high success rate with anxiety disorders. A sufferer might find that his or her condition degenerates without the right treatment. Sufferers without treatment are also likely to experience sleep problems and depression.

Having multiple disorders can be extremely hard to cope with. A person suffering from depression experiences feelings of gloom and despair often. Sufferers might think that their life is pointless and have feelings of no self-worth. It’s usual for sufferers to experience a lack of interest in anything.

It’s not surprising to hear that it’s far more difficult to cure Anxiety Depression. People with both disorders are at a higher risk of suicide and are much more likely to turn to drugs and alcohol. Although recreational drugs and alcohol might provide temporary relief in some people, long term use can actually worsen the problem. What’s worse is that sufferers can become dependent and unable to stop.

Insomnia is another frequent problem that crops up with anxiety disorders. A majority of people who suffer from anxiety disorders also complain frequently of the inability to sleep. Anxiety symptoms such as a racing heart, tension and feelings of apprehension might keep a person feeling mentally alert. Come bedtime they feel restless, tense and unable to switch their minds off no matter how tired they are.

Anxiety symptoms feel much worse following a night of little or no sleep. Sleeplessness can be chronic and some people might experience months without proper sleep. It’s best to get anxiety and depression treated as soon as possible. If you suspect that you have a problem don’t ignore it and get help immediately.