Social Anxiety Stages

If someone has a social anxiety disorder, that person gets nervous and over thinks about doing something because of the concern of doing something embarrassing. Having social anxiety makes the person who is suffering the disorder thinks that he/she is not acting right, he/she will be made fun of, and that others will notice his/her discomfort. Social anxiety makes it difficult for someone to meet new people and for showing his/her real personality. According to the Social Anxiety Support community, some

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.

Social anxiety is a prevalent and common disorder amongst society. Social anxiety disorder is expressed as a fear in public and social situations for an individual (Kashdan, Farmer, Adams, Mcknight, Ferssizidis, Nezelf 2013). A person with social anxiety fears that a social appearance, outcome, or situation will lead a to negative response to their surrounding audience (Kashdan, Farmer, Adams, Mcknight, Ferssizidis, Nezelf 2013). However there are numerous treatments for social anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most efficacious treatments that a patient may receive (Hambrick, Weeks, Harb, & Heimberg, 2003. Cognitive behavioral therapy has numerous techniques that can be used on patients. The result of using cognitive

Physiological effects, similar to those in other anxiety disorders, are present in social phobics. For example, when faced with an uncomfortable situation, children with SAD may display tantrums, weeping, clinging to parents, and shutting themselves out. In adults, it may manifest as tears, excessive sweating, nausea, shaking, and palpitations as a result of the fight-or-flight response. Additionally, blushing may be exhibited by the individuals thus, further reinforcing the anxiety in the presence of others.

For example if you have a fast heartbeat, trouble catching your breath, confusion or feeling out of body, Muscle tension, Upset stomach, and dizziness or lightheadedness are all signs that you may have social anxiety. Social anxiety disorder can also be caused from emotional and psychological symptoms. For example, Fear of situations where you can be judged, fear of blushing, sweating, trembling or having a shaky voice, expecting the worse out of situations and avoiding being the center of attention are emotional symptom. Worrying about social situations or worrying about a social event for weeks are Psychological symptoms. People who try to avoid any social situations also can be a sign of social anxiety. For example, if a person avoids attending parties, Social gathering, talking to strangers, making eye contact or entering a room where people are already seated at or avoid any public places, are symptoms of social anxiety disorder. In the article, “Social Anxiety Disorder” (Mayoclinic.com) said,” Signs and symptoms of social anxiety disorder can include persistent: Fear of situations in which you may be judged, Worrying about embarrassing or humiliating yourself, Concern that you'll offend someone, intense fear of interacting or talking with strangers, fear that others will notice that you look anxious, fear of physical symptoms

Social Phobia can also be addressed as Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD); the scientific name for this disorder is ‘Anthropophobia’, which according to Right Diagnosis (2014) means an irrational fear of people or groups of people. The National Health Service (2014) describes Anthropophobia or Social Phobia as a tenacious fear of social situations and people; furthermore, the NHS credits Social Phobia to be the most common anxiety disorder. According to the International Classification of Diseases 2010 (ICD-10), symptoms of this disorder have been known to manifest themselves as blushing, hand tremors, nausea and the frequent urgency of micturition. These symptoms appear when the sufferer is faced with situations where social interactions may arise. Other symptoms may include palpations, dizziness, panic attacks, diarrhoea, muscle tension, excessive sweating, shaking, poor social skills, low self-esteem and high sensitivity to criticism. Due to the nature of the symptoms that accompany Social Phobia,

Social anxiety disorder, which is also called social phobia involves overwhelming worry and self-consciousness about everyday social situations. The worry often centers on a fear of being judged by others, or behaving in a way that might cause embarrassment or lead to ridicule. The fear may be made worse by a lack of social skills or experience in social situations. The anxiety can build into a panic attack. As a result of the fear, the person endures certain social situations in extreme distress or may avoid them altogether. In addition, people with social anxiety disorder often suffer anticipatory anxiety, the fear of a situation before it even happens, for days or weeks before the event. In many cases, the person is aware that the fear is unreasonable, yet is unable to overcome it. (Goldberg)

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 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.

Social anxiety, also called social phobia, is a disorder that affects 200,000 to 3 million people a year. It is the fear of communication with other people and, as a result, leads to avoidance of social interaction (Richards, 2012). People with social anxiety usually experience major distress in situations such as being the center of attention, meeting new people, and being observed or watched while doing something. In the article “Anxiety, emotional security and the interpersonal behavior of individuals with social anxiety disorder”, the authors want to learn how people with social anxiety disorder compare with a control group in social situations. They observed the differences in the participants’ interpersonal behavior; which includes both verbal and nonverbal communication, such as body language or facial expressions. The purpose of this research was to gather further information about the effects of this disorder and how people with this disorder compare to the average person.

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

(Clark & Beck,2010) There is a “marked and persistent fear of social or performance situations in which embarrassment may occur” DSM-IV-TR; APA, 2000, p.450) Social Phobics seem unable to assess friendly facial expressions. (Ballenger,2009) They have an enhanced vigilance to angry faces relative to happy and neutral faces. (Mogg,2004) This affects interpersonal functioning. (Joorman, 2006)

others, being criticized, or being observed by others. Symptoms of social anxiety are high levels of stress, negative thought process, racing heart, sweating palms, etc. (Richards, 2015).

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.

People with social anxiety disorder become anxious that they will make mistakes, feel awful, and humiliated in front of others. The fear become immense due to a lack of social skills or experience in social situations. As a result of that people undergo extreme distress in certain social situation and try to avoid them.