Anxiety is a normal emotion, and we can all get anxious when tackling stressful situations. However, excessive anxiety about everyday situations could indicate that you have an anxiety disorder.

If you suffer from persistent worry or fear, or you experience regular episodes of intense anxiety, an anxiety disorder may be the culprit. Mild anxiety is frustrating, but for the most part, it’s manageable. However, severe anxiety — if left untreated — can hugely impact your daily life. For some, such intense anxiety can derail their social life and relationships with loved ones, and for others, it might hinder their professional or academic advancement. Whatever the impact, it prevents those with the disorder from leading a confident, happy life and performing to the best of their abilities. 

An anxiety “disorder” might sound troubling, but it’s far more prevalent than you may realise, affecting millions of people around the world. Fortunately, it’s also something that can be treated.

In some cases, we can treat anxiety without medication, instead recommending lifestyle changes that will help you manage your feelings. If high anxiety levels are preventing you from leading a normal life or you’re continually experiencing anxiety panic attacks, seeking anxiety therapy from a trained health professional could be a decision that will change your life for years, even decades to come.  

The exact cause of social phobia is unknown, but research suggests that it can be caused by a combination of environmental factors and genetics. If your close family member has an anxiety condition, you might be more likely to develop anxiety yourself, but negative experiences can also contribute, including bullying, family conflict or abuse.

Often, social anxiety is triggered by certain beliefs we have about ourselves. If you were criticised for not being “good enough” or “confident enough”, or you think this about yourself, you may develop social anxiety as a defense against being judged or failing.