Social Anxiety Disorder : The Various Forms Of Success

Social anxiety is “a fear of humiliation or of being judged by others, and an avoidance of social situations where attention centers on the individual” (Martis). According to the Social Anxiety Institute, social anxiety has become the third largest psychological disorder, following depression and alcoholism (Richards). Commonly, victims of this social phobia have problems pursuing social environments, interactions, and relationships (“Social Anxiety Disorder”). The failure to fulfill daily requirements in jobs, social settings, and relationships often leaves them feeling “powerless, alone, or even ashamed” (“Social Anxiety Disorder”). Today in America,“15 million [people] suffer[from] the disorder” (“Social Anxiety Disorder”). Of the 15 million American adults affected, women and men are equally prone to develop the phobia (“Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)”). Currently, the prevalence rate for acquiring social anxiety disorder is “13-14% of all Americans” and continues to rise (Richards). As the number of people affected by social anxiety continues to rise, the understanding of social anxiety’s causes, effects, and treatments is crucial.

This type of Anxiety Disorder has a direct correlation relating to social situations. A person experiencing this disorder has a chronic fear of other people’s perceptions of them. They are especially likely to avoid any situation where they are being observed by others such as giving presentations or activities that must be performed in front of an audience, large or small. In extreme circumstances where social anxiety disorder exists, a person will avoid social situations all together and will become a “hermit” in their own individual abode. This disorder is impairing to one’s normal life functioning because it often affects a person’s ability to perform the essential duties in a work environment. It also deters them from engaging in typical conversations because the fear of being embarrassed or judged is so extreme (Fleming, 2012).

The worsening of social anxiety disorder can potentially lead to AvPD. AvPD is a disorder where the person with the disorder has trouble forming friendships and relationships because they are have feelings of social denunciation and being they feel inferior to whomever they are with (Torvik, Welander-Vatn, Ystrom, Knudsen, Czajkowski, Kendler, and Reichborn-Kjennerud 115). Whereas someone with social anxiety disorder has that personal friendship or relationship its hard for them to maintain it. One other disorder social anxiety disorder can be related to social anxiety disorder is obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD. They can be compared in the area or error-related negativity or ERN. People with OCD develop a behavior where they are compelled to stay away from events where the outcome could be negative, if a negative outcome occurs people with OCD will compensate by trying to fix the problem (Endrass, Riesel, Kathmann, and Buhlmann 1). The same can be said about people with social anxiety disorder their ERN is similar in some aspects, individuals with social anxiety disorder tend to stay from social interaction to avoid negative outcomes, they compensate by simply staying away from people or

Social anxiety is the fear of interacting with people in a social situation. People are afraid of being judged, humiliated, and embarrassed. One of the leading causes of mental illnesses is social anxiety. Medscope states that this disorder is

In recent conversations of how to overcome, a controversial issue has been whether or not individuals who struggle with social anxiety, can be cured without the aid of a professional. On one hand, some argue that because social anxiety restricts the individual from performing normal daily actions, it is impossible for them to overcome their disorder by only using their own efforts. From this perspective we can see that following the steps of “self-help” might be perceived as an unfavorable solution to overcoming social anxiety. On the other hand, others argue that although it might not entirely fix their disorder it still helps ease the symptoms of social anxiety. In the words of Melinda Smith, M.A., Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., and Jennifer Shubin,

     Social anxiety is the fear of social situations and the interaction with other people that can automatically bring on feelings of self-consciousness, judgement, evaluation, and inferiority. Put differently social anxiety is the fear and anxiety of being judged and evaluated negatively by other people, leading to feelings of inadequacy, embarrassment, humiliation, and depression. If a person usually becomes anxious in social situations, but seems fine when they are by them selves, then social anxiety may be the problem.

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

According to the Social Anxiety Institute, “social anxiety is the fear of interaction with other people that brings on self-consciousness, feelings of being negatively judged and evaluated, and, as a result, leads to avoidance.” It also leads to feelings of inadequacy, inferiority, embarrassment, humiliation, and depression (Richards, 1). In the United States it affects approximately 19.2 million people, but is the least understood anxiety disorder. It cannot be prevented, but it can be treated to help the patient live their routine life as calmly and comfortably as possible. Social anxiety triggers feelings of fear, self consciousness, inadequacy, humiliation, and depression. These negative feelings, amongst others, are the reason social

Social anxiety disorder is a much more common problem than past estimates have led us to believe. Millions of people suffer from this traumatic condition every day, either from a generalized or from a specific more social anxiety.

According to Dr. Thomas A. Richards, social anxiety is, “. . . the fear of interaction with other people that brings on self-consciousness, feelings of being negatively judged and evaluated, and, as a result, leads to avoidance.” (Richards, “What is Social Anxiety?”). People with social anxiety, also called “social phobia”, have few or no romantic or social relationships. This makes people with the disorder feel alone, powerless, and ashamed. Social anxiety is a lot like stage fright, but it is constant throughout the day. Although, for some people the fear may be selective depending on the situation the person is in. Some people may experience the anxiety when starting a conversation with a stranger or person of authority.

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

The feeling of anxiety is familiar to all of us and we all experienced some anxiety and fear at least once in our life. Whether that was the first day in a new workplace, the first day in college, or before an important meeting, we felt that we were really anxious and nervous. From the evolutionary perspective, the conservation of fear and anxiety among some species is a good indication that those emotions are highly important for survival. Some people, however, experience an excessive and unreasonable amount of anxiety, which may be the result of social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a psychological disorder during which people experience enormous social phobia and are irrationally afraid of being judged by others in social settings (Lima Osório, 2013). Although it is considered as a common anxiety disorder, I do believe that with appropriate treatments and therapies, individual approach to each patient and willingness to help them, many people can overcome the social phobia, can make stronger interpersonal relationships with their friends and relatives, and can integrate into their social community with no or at least less fear of communicating with others.

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.

Social anxiety is “a feeling of discomfort, fear, or worry that is centered on our interactions with other people and involves a concern with being judged negatively, evaluated, or looked down upon by others” (Social Anxiety Support, 2014). Social anxiety can affect anyone. Individuals with social anxiety tend to prefer to keep to themselves because they are afraid others will judge them negatively and have a hard time interacting socially.

Social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia, is a disorder in which a person has an excessive and unreasonable fear of social situations. Social Anxiety causes intense nervousness and self-consciousness arises from a fear of being closely watched, judged, and criticized by others.