Social Anxiety Disorder Essay

Experimental studies showed avoidance of social situations is a major component in SAD (Kashdan, Farmer, Adams, Mcknight, Ferssizidis, Nezelf 2013). With CBT this component can be treatable. (Kashdan, Farmer, Adams, Mcknight, Ferssizidis, Nezelf 2013).

The DSM-5 (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) defines social anxiety as, “A persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by

Social anxiety disorder (SAD), also know as social phobia, affects between 1.6% and 4.0% of children. Like other anxiety disorders, girls are more likely to be diagnosed with SAD than boys (Chavira & Stein, 2002). The defining features of SAD are excessive self-consciousness that is more than just common shyness. Individuals with SAD fear social or performance situations where they may face scrutiny or humiliation. The two subtypes of SAD are generalized and non-generalized. Approximately 75% of individuals with SAD experience the generalized type, which is characterized by experiencing distress in almost all social situations. Non-generalized SAD is characterized by experiencing anxiety in only one or two types of interpersonal situations, like public speaking. Generalized social anxiety disorder has high comorbidity with major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobias, and ADHD. Non-generalized SAD however has low comorbidity with other disorders. Children with selective mutism have a significantly high comorbidity rate with SAD, about 97% to 100% (Chavira & Stein, 2005).

Due to the limitations of the essay, only the behavioural symptoms will be discussed as it believed that they are a core reason for the maintenance of SAD. Safety behaviours, which are behavioural symptoms, are described as behaviours that are performed in order to prevent or avoid the negative perceived outcome and they can include avoiding eye contact in order to avoid interactions, standing on the perimeter of the crowd, or minimizing participation in a conversation by attending to one’s phone (Heimberg, Brozovich, & Rapee, 2014). In a study conducted by Mcmanus, Sacadura, & Clark, (2008), individuals were tested for their use of safety behaviours and seeing if they were helpful improving social performance in two experiments. In the first experiment, the participants were required to fill out questionnaires that were related to their uses of safety behaviours and upon completion, were required to complete an semi-structured interview with standardized questions. The second experiment required them to have 5-minute conversations with a stranger but each time, they were to alter their use of safety behaviours. The results of the first experiment concluded that both high and low socially anxious individuals believed that their safety behaviours reduced their anxiety,

Social Phobia, also called social anxiety disorder (SAD), is one of the most common, but misconstrued mental health problems in society. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), over 15 million adults suffer from the disorder. First appearing in the DSM-III as Social Phobia, and later in the DSM-IV as Social Anxiety Disorder, this newly established disorder denotes afflicting stress and anxiety associated with social situations (Zakri 677). According to James W. Jefferson, two forms of Social phobia exist: specific and generalized. Specific social phobia indicates anxiety limited to few performance situations, while generalized indicates anxiety in all social situations (Jefferson). Many people often interchangeably link this disorder to shyness––a personality trait. However, although they have striking similarities, the two are divergent. To begin with, SAD has an extensive etiology ranging from multiple factors. Furthermore, symptoms of various aspects accompany SAD. Moreover, SAD has detrimental impacts affecting quality of life. Lastly, SAD has numerous methods of treatment. Social Phobia is prevalent in both women and men beginning at the onset of puberty (ADAA).

     Social anxiety disorder or social phobia is a much more common problem then psychologists originally thought. Millions of people al over the world

Many people upon hearing about social anxiety for the first time assume that it is the same thing as being shy, and that SAD isn't a real disorder. This is a misconception, social anxiety is a real mental disorder

Among all anxiety problems, social anxiety disorder is most common anxiety issue and third most common problem in all mental complications (American Psychiatric Association, 2000; Hofmann & Bogels, 2006). SAD is a mental disorder which has a tendency to become chronic and badly disturbs normal functions of life if not diagnosed and treated in time (Beesdo-Baum, et al., 2012; Garcia-Lopez, Piqueras, Diaz-Castela, & Ingles, 2008). It is also among the most prevailing mental disorders and is described in Criterion A of DSM-V as “Marked fear or anxiety about one or more social situations in which the individual is exposed to possible scrutiny by others. Examples include social interactions (e.g., having a conversation, meeting unfamiliar people), being observed (e.g., eating or drinking), and performing in front of others (e.g., giving a speech)” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). A specific amount of anxiety is always anticipated socially and helps an individual managing future threats (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). But having social anxiety means that anxiety is too much for normal functioning during social situations and often interferes with

Feeling anxious before giving a speech or presenting a project is normal, but when that anxiety carries over into being nervous before going to a casual party or meeting up with friends, that is when it might be more than just nerves. Social anxiety is one of the most common forms of anxiety. About fifteen million adults in America suffer from social anxiety, with the typical onset age being thirteen (Social Anxiety Disorder). Overcoming social anxiety takes tremendous efforts and can take many years. There are many different methods people have tried using to overcome their fears. Two common ones people use are learning to control their breath and cognitive-behavioral therapy. With persistence and determination, people can learn to deal with their social anxiety the healthy way, or better yet, overcome it completely.

Many people upon hearing about social anxiety for the first time assume that it is the same thing as being shy and that SAD isn't a real disorder. Social anxiety is a mental disorder while shyness is a personality trait. While social anxiety and shyness have overlapping traits they are fundamentally different (“Shyness). How they can be mixed up I'm not really sure. While SAD is a recently discovered mental illness, it was diagnosed in the1980’s, it is understandable that the public is not well informed about the subject. Some assume that social anxiety is shyness with negative traits tacked on at the end. This is incorrect many people with social anxiety are extroverted and their anxiety is simply holding them back and restricting them. Those

There’s multiple things, which comes with social anxiety. Social anxiety, is the fear of embarrassment or humiliation in social events and situations ("Symptoms”). Poor sleep quality, has been proven to diminish the effects of social anxiety treatments ("Symptoms”). Someone, may have issues with sleeping, when they find out, that they have to go into the public for an event. People with SAD (Social Anxiety Disorder), often completely avoid any social situations or endure them with any significant distress ("Symptoms”). SAD, can disrupt someone’s education and job success, it can cause financial dependence, and SAD can impair relationships ("Symptoms”). With this disorder, some people have difficulty dating, rarely get married, they have more sick days, the person, reduces their work ethic, that person, can also have a tendency to relay on social assistance ("Symptoms”). SAD, is something that shouldn’t be left alone. Research, has shown there is a higher number of people with SAD, than anyone with regular anxiety

Social Anxiety Disorder or social phobia, is the third largest mental health care problem in the world. (Stein, 2010) National statistical surveys carried out in 2002 in the United Kingdom suggest that the prevalence rates for social phobias among young people in the UK were around 4%. (National Statistics, 2002)

SAD is a disorder that involves persistent anxiety of social and performance situations in which there is scrutiny by other people (Gilboa-Schechtman, Keshet, and Livne, 2017). Social anxiety can develop and become a problem when an individual is in a negative environment or put in an uncomfortable position. People who experience social anxiety tend to think that everyone is either staring at them or talking negatively about them. SAD starts to develop in childhood and can be reliably diagnosed in children as young as age 6 (Heimberg,et al., 2014). It is common for young children and adolescents to feel out of place and alone at times. These young children and adolescents are trying to learn who they are and how to fit in with others. During adolescent years people are introduced to communication skills and how to interact with the people around them. Social anxiety is a common disorder in many people and affects the overall quality of a person’s life by impairing psychological, interpersonal, and professional functioning (Gilboa-Schechtman, et al., 2017). Regardless of age, having social anxiety can have a major impact with a persons’ communication skills later on in their life.

The Social anxiety Association classifies social anxiety as the fear of interacting with other and social situations. Social anxiety causes fear and anxiety in most if not all aspects of ones lives. Social anxiety is the fear of being negatively judge or evaluated by others. It is a chronic disease that it does not go away on its own, only direct cognitive-behavioral therapy can help people overcome their social anxiety. There are a few situations that can trigger social anxiety such as being introduced to

Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) can be described as an extreme, persistent fear of being scrutinized or judged by others in social situations. This fear may lead to feelings of embarrassment, humiliation and self-consciousness. People who suffer from this condition may “feel powerless against their anxiety” (ADAA). These emotions often interfere with daily activities, such as school, work and personal relationships. The person might begin to withdraw socially or avoid situations in which he or she is afraid. Millions of Americans endure this devastating condition every day of their lives. There are several causes, symptoms and treatments.