| Social anxiety disorder is a condition which | | | | person's symptoms. If the family tends to |
| can be either temporary or permanent, or | | | | trivialize the disorder or demand improvement |
| somewhere in between. It is a condition | | | | without treatment, the affected person will |
| whereby the sufferer often feels extremely | | | | suffer. You may wish to enlist their help as |
| afraid in social situations, so that they can | | | | educated allies in your fight against your |
| hardly even function. The only way to make | | | | anxiety disorder. |
| sure you do or do not have social anxiety | | | | |
| disorder is to see a doctor for a thorough | | | | Stress management techniques and meditation |
| examination. The best help for anxiety | | | | may help you to calm yourself and enhance the |
| disorders is often self-help, though many | | | | effects of therapy, although there is as yet |
| people with anxiety disorders benefit from | | | | no scientific evidence to support the value |
| joining a self-help group and sharing their | | | | of these "wellness" approaches to recovery |
| problems and achievements with others. | | | | from anxiety disorders. There is preliminary |
| Talking with trusted friends can also be | | | | evidence that aerobic exercise may be of |
| helpful, though not a substitute for medical | | | | value, and it is known that caffeine, illicit |
| care. | | | | drugs, and even some over-the-counter cold |
| | | | medications can aggravate the symptoms of an |
| The family is of great importance and help in | | | | anxiety disorder. Check with your physician |
| the recovery of a person with an anxiety | | | | or pharmacist before taking any additional |
| disorder. Ideally, the family should be | | | | medicines. |
| supportive, without helping to perpetuate the | | | | |