It is possible to have both hyperhidrosis and social phobia. In fact, this is not uncommon. Many times in cases of hyperhidrosis, some social phobia can present itself as well. And it is not difficult to see why as you will learn … You see, social encounters can be difficult. Especially for people in their teenage years. During these formative years, your body and mind are changing so much that it is very difficult to feel comfortable with yourself. I believe that most young teenagers have some degree of social anxiety. Feeling awkward in social situations causes everyone to sweat. It's natural to sweat more than normal when you're feeling awkward. So I would not be surprised to find out that you have a form of social anxiety. BUT, I do not think that this is out of the ordinary, nor do I think it is that big of a deal.
People between the ages of 12 and 21 arguably have the hardest lives of anyone. In addition to having to deal with the "daily grind" of working all the time, they have some major uncertainties in their lives that adults do not need to have to deal with. These uncertainties add up to create a sense of anxiety and sometimes even a "social phobia" which makes normal interaction difficult and awkward. To add to this awkwardness, a lot of times the anxiety is accompanied by sweating which tends to make this even worse. So how should today's teenager cope with social anxiety and excess sweating? That's what this article aims to discover …
First off, this is large due to names that we use to define certain realities. You see, when you call it "Social Anxiety" or "Social Phobia" it makes it sound like it's a bigger deal than it really is. If you were to simply say that, "I feel a little nervous in social situations" than it would more accurately reflect reality and not sound so serious.
The sweating, however, works to compound this effect. You are already feeling a little funny socially, and then you notice that you are sweating more than usual. This happens naturally when one feels uncomfortable, but it does not help. Because then what happens is, as you notice that your sweating continues increasing, you feel even more awkward. As that increased awkwardness kicks in, you begin to sweat even more heavily, and as you notice this increased sweating (which could at this point be actually dripping) then you feel very very awkward.
I call this the Never-Ending Negative Feedback Loop and it's a doozie.
It really is tough. But here's what I would recommend you do …
It sounds like your hands and palms are the main areas which are effecting you with regard to sweating. Go see a doctor about this. Tell them that your hands get sweaty sometimes and that it is bothersome to you. They will likely give you a prescription antiperspirant for you to apply to your hands at night. After a few nights you will more than likely find that your hands no longer sweat at all. This will give you more confidence in social situations and you may find that your problem evaporates completely (no pun intended).
Second, as opposed to trying to get rid of your social anxiety, I would simply do some confidence-building exercises. There are tons of different ways to build confidence. One of the most successful ways that I have found is with self-hypnosis. This is where you close your eyes, get into a very comfortable and relaxed state, and visualize yourself acting with a high level of confidence. As you are doing these visualizations, and immediately when you come out of your hypnotic state, you will feel very, very confident. Next time you are in a situation that calls for confidence, you will find yourself remembering how confident you felt in your last hypnotic dream, and this will bring real feelings of confidence into your present moment. You will see results from the hypnosis after a few days. After a few weeks it should become automatic with you permanently enjoying a higher level of confidence.
So that's what you should do …
# 1 – Go to the doctor
# 2 – Try confidence-builders
One thing to keep in mind through your journey is that the feelings and symptoms you are experiencing are far from unique. Almost every young teenager goes through some sort of social anxiety. Most likely what will happen is you will grow out of it rather quickly. Do not pay too much attention to this problem. I can almost guarantee you that a few years down the road, you will look back on this and laugh about how you were making a big deal out of it.
I remember when I was first entering high school I used to be scared out of my mind that the big kids would stuff me in my locker. All the way up to the first day, I was sooo scared. But it turned out the lockers were not even close to big enough to do this. I then made fun of myself in relief that I was so scared.
Same thing here. Do what I told you and continue living your life. This, like everything else, will pass.