1. The concept of fear dated back as far as 400 BC. During this time, Hippocrates, an ancient Greek physician described the overly shy person as “someone who loves darkness as life and thinks every man observes him”. When fear is persistent and exaggerated, it results to tension and stress and consequently, anxiety.
2. The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines anxiety as “a nervous disorder marked by a feeling of uneasiness”. An anxiety disorder involves an excessive or inappropriate state of arousal characterized by feelings of apprehension, uncertainty, or fear. There are seven common types of anxiety disorders. They include generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, 16. Challenging Negative Thoughts. People who suffer from SAD usually have negative thoughts and beliefs that contribute to their anxiety. For example, thoughts such as “I know I will end up looking like a fool”, “people will think I am stupid”, or “I will not have anything to say” often reoccur. Challenging these negative thoughts, either through therapy or on your own, is one effective way to reduce the symptoms of SAD. The first step is to identify the automatic negative thoughts that underlie your fear of social situations. The next step is to analyze and challenge them. Through logical evaluations of negative thoughts, a person can gradually replace them with more realistic and positive ways of looking at social situations that trigger anxiety, therefore gradually eliminating that particular fear.
17. Gradually Facing Your Fears. One of the most helpful things you can do to overcome SAD is to face the social situations you fear rather than avoid them. Avoidance keeps SAD going. It prevents you from becoming more comfortable in social situations and learning how to cope. In fact, the more you avoid a feared social situation, the more frightening it becomes. The key is to start with a situation that you can handle and gradually, work your way up to more challenging situations. In addition, improving your communication skills helps as good relationships depend
