Social Stereotypes

In simple terms, social anxiety is a disorder that dramatically influences people's daily lives and their relationship with society [10]. In addition to this, social phobia leads people to experience excessive stress and deep fears intensively in a social situation [10]. It should be noted that social anxiety disorder manifests itself with various symptoms that can be listed such as blushing, sweating, trembling, tachycardia, nausea, stuttering, cluttering and more [11,12].

What is social anxiety, how is it different from shyness? And, are we a society of anxiety? Social anxiety disorder is defined by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, as “excessive fear in a social situation in which the person believes he or she will do something embarrassing or have anxiety symptoms, that will be humiliating” These feared situations can vary from interpersonal social interactions in small groups to talking to strangers and performance fears.

Social Anxiety Disorder affects more than 15 million adults in the United States (“Social Anxiety Disorder: How to Cope”, n.d.). Studies have recently placed Social Anxiety Disorder as the third psychological disorder in the United States, after depression and alcoholism (Richards, n.d.). The onset of most symptoms begins in early adolescence, around age thirteen (“Social Anxiety Disorder: How to Cope”, n.d.). Even with early onset, thirty six percent of people with symptoms report waiting ten years (or more) before seeking help (“Social Anxiety Disorder”, n.d.). Diagnosis can be delayed if the symptoms are minimized to be attributed to being merely shy or introverted. Other times, if the person has become socially withdrawn in response to their Social Anxiety, the behavior can be interpreted as being aloof or uninterested (“Social Anxiety Disorder: How to Cope”, n.d.). Further complicating timely diagnosis and early treatment is because many people with symptoms hesitate to talk about their feelings with others due to their fear of being judged negatively (“Social Anxiety Disorder: How to Cope”, n.d.). People with the disorder can be held back by their terror of feeling humiliated or embarrassed (“Social Anxiety Disorder”, n.d.). Left untreated, anxiety can interfere with social relationships, work, school, and the normal enjoyment of life (“Social Anxiety Disorder Social Phobia”, n.d.). The disorder can result in a low self-esteem, passivity, negative

Although they recognize that the fear is excessive and unreasonable, people with social anxiety disorder feel powerless against their anxiety. They are mortified they will humiliate or embarrass themselves in public situations. Social anxiety is the fear of being judged by peers that has no known causes and can be treated with special help by doctors.

When thinking about people that have a very high social status, they generally all have the same careers and are portrayed the same way. I can imagine that people living in fame and fortune, like big actresses and musicians, would initially come to mind. However, these people may not be as satisfied and happy with their careers and society as they may seem. For instance, a professional hockey player could potentially be more unhappy and unsatisfied with their job than a spot welder in a Ford plant. Based off of Eric Nesterenko and Phil Stallings in Studs Terkel’s “Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do (1972)”, it is clear that the way society is perceived is based a lot on your social status and career.

Social anxiety disorder is a mental disorder that many people struggle with each and every day. Social anxiety disorder, according to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is defined and categorized as “a marked and persistent fear of one or more social/performance situations” (Vanin, Helsey &Morgan,2008). It is the fear of being, or interacting, in social situations, which bring on feelings of self-consciousness and judgement from others. Social anxiety disorder, and many other anxiety disorders for that matter, go undetected, and therefore, unresolved. This leads to many people struggling with it their whole lives, which, in turn, causes problems when trying to achieve goals and being successful.

Anxiety is one of the most well-known disorders across the globe, but it comes in many different forms effecting numerous types of people. Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), also known as social phobia, is one of the main run-offs of anxiety that exists in the world today. It is absolutely normal to feel a little nervous or anxious before trying something new; however, Social Anxiety impels the individual diagnosed to feel distress and agitation in most, if not all, social situations that they partake in because they are afraid of the possible embarrassment that may come from it (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013).

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM–5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) defines social anxiety disorder 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 others.” There is is a lot controversy and discrepancies when it comes to social anxiety disorder, people are not aware of what may be really behind the cause. Throughout this paper I will be discussing different theories I have researched on how social anxiety disorder is formed, its effects on people, and how it may be misunderstood.

You're walking in the halls, it's your first day at a new school, everyone is staring at you and you wonder what they are thinking? How they feel about you? Will you fit in? You remember coming from a school where you were always bullied because if what you wore, but what are you supposed to do about the fact that your parents don't earn as much as other families, so your parents can't afford to buy you the new Jordans. You hope and pray that this school is much different and that you may actually have friends this year. Half way through the day you hear whispers and laughter behind you, when you turn around you see a group of girls making fun of you. You turn back around and walk away with your head down, after all you should be used

Social anxiety disorder (SAD), also known as social phobia, is characterized by an invasive, irrational fear of specific objects, activities or situations (Tillfors, 2004). Individuals who are diagnosed with SAD are afraid of making mistakes and looking bad or embarrassed in front of others (“Social Anxiety Disorder,” 2015). Some physical symptoms of SAD include: confusion, pounding heart, sweating, shaking, blushing, muscle tension, upset stomach and diarrhea (“Social Anxiety Disorder,” 2015). The fear and other symptoms associated with SAD can be made worse by a lack of social skills and new social situations. As a result, people may avoid situations that cause them extreme distress (“Social Anxiety Disorder,” 2015). Also, individuals may

Social anxiety disorder (SAD), also known as social phobia, is characterized by extreme fear in everyday social situations. People with social anxiety disorder live in constant fear of being watched and judged by others, so much that it interferes with school, work, athletics, and other aspects in their lives. Most people with SAD know that their fear is irrational, but still cannot overcome it; this causes most to simply avoid social situations so they don’t have to deal with potential embarrassment.

Individuals with generalized anxiety often experience restlessness, loss of sleep, fatigue, inability to concentrate, headaches, nausea, and trembling. Generalized anxiety may cause an inability to make decisions due to the constant worrying that an individual experiences (www.mayoclinic.org, 2014). Generalized anxiety disorder is unique in its characteristics in that “physiological symptoms are indeed a defining characteristic of (generalized anxiety) rather than other anxiety disorders including social anxiety” (Ollendick, Kim-Spoon, & Whitmoore, 2013, p. 457). The characteristics of social anxiety, while similar to those of generalized anxiety, are unique because they are caused primarily by social situations. Behavioral inhibition is a “specific risk factor for social anxiety” (Ollendick, Kim-Spoon, & Whitmoore, 2013, p. 457). Social anxiety is much more than simply shyness. It is a type of phobia, in which the individual affected feels overwhelming fear of social situations and may even avoid socializing all together. This type of anxiety is “linked to a priori assumption of failure and fear that events would… invite ridicule” (Russel& Topham, 2012, p. 380).

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

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

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.