Summary: The Better Cure For Social Anxiety Disorders

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) addresses dysfunctional emotions, maladaptive behaviors, and cognitive processes. This is an effective treatment for patients who are dealing with anxiety and depression. CBT refers to a group of psychotherapies that incorporate techniques from cognitive therapy and behavior therapy. Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck are the two psychologists who came up with therapies. Beck developed the cognitive therapy (CT) that focuses on changing the client’s unrealistic maladaptive beliefs and thoughts in order to change the individual’s behavior and emotional state. To help CT is directive collaboration by help teach the client correct their distorted thinking and perception of self,

Cognitive behavioral therapy differs in several respects from more traditional forms of therapy. It focuses on two specific elements: cognitive restructuring and behavioral activation. The client and therapist work together in cognitive restructuring with the goal to restructure thinking patterns. In behavioral activation, the client overcomes barriers to participating in activities. The main focus is on the present and on specific problems. cognitive behavioral therapy is a goal oriented and educational therapy, because goals for both the short and longer term are identified and it teaches the client to modify mood en behavior. The client has therefore an active role in learning e.g. coping skills. Multiple strategies are used in cognitive behavioral therapy, like imagenary, role

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that aims to help a person manage their problems by changing how they think and act. It is a problem solving approach which recognizes that clients have a behavioral

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

During the Enlightenment, philosophers were starting to drift away from religion, and many new truths were beginning to be discovered. When these new ideas, or truths, started to make more sense then the certainty of religion, a state of anxiety began to grow within the human mind. As this state of anxiety grew, many anxiety disorders began to sprout and show themselves within humans. These disorders, such as certain phobias, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) began to take over many people’s lives. For many years, doctors have tried using harmful drugs to change the chemicals within the brain, to help relieve anxiety. As truth continues to be discovered, and anxiety continues to rise, therapeutic interventions will be proven to be more efficient in treating anxiety than its counterpart, the dangerous drugs that humans become dependent on.

Having a fear of people and their personal judgments against oneself is the worry of social scenarios in which the communication with other individuals could immediately bring on feelings of intense self-scrutiny where person feel that others are watching their every move. It is also where a person may feel like they are constantly being evaluated as well as examined adversely others which can bring about feelings of inadequacy, shame, and embarrassment. One should note that if a person only feels like they are sitting on pins and needles in social circumstances, and not when no one else is around, social anxiety should be taken into consideration.

The diagnosis of social phobia has seen substantial changes in the last 25 years, from its first appearance in the DSM-III published in 1980 to the DSM-IV. In DSM-III, phobic disorders and anxiety states were regarded as two types of anxiety disorders, and social phobia was considered a phobic disorder. What do you think of when you hear the words Social Anxiety? Is it a mental illness or is it just a phobia? While there are many feelings tied with social anxiety, social anxiety is a mental illness that people go through in their lives. From personally struggling with this I have always wanted to know what are the causes and how can I deal with this issue. I decided this would be a great topic to do my future research paper on. While researching information I came across a source I believe will help me write my paper. I found this source by using the Tacoma Community College library search. I then typed ‘Social Anxiety Disorders’and found the article “Social Anxiety Disorder: Questions for the DSM-V. The article ‘Social Anxiety Disorder: Questions for the DSM-V by Susan M. Bögels is a credible source based on the author’s educational background, other pieces of work from the author, and a distinguished publishing company.

Anxiety Disorders are characterized by many symptoms and often associated with depressive tendencies. Although the majority are produced in a person based off of their genetic material, other influences exist environmentally that can encourage or discourage the severity of the symptoms and prognosis it has on one’s overall well-being. Early diagnosis and a systematic combination of treatments can help reduce the tensions and encourage a more normal life than what was previously experienced by the person with the disorder.

The introduction starts by explaining in great detail the real definition of SAD, previous research on CBT and how this research fill in the gaps left by previous research. This article defines SAD as “debilitating fear of being scrutinized by others and avoidance of social events that evoke this fear” (Hedman et al., 2013 p. 1). The authors go on to state how important it is to find treatment for this disease as it can be associated with “substantial impairment and an increased risk of developing other psychological disorders” (Hedman et al., 2013, p. 1). In the introduction the authors talk about how SAD must have developed based on an evolutionary standpoint in which humans were conscious of their actions so that they would stay in the group and not be excluded. This is where the fear of being excluded originated from. Many scientists say that shame is a huge factor in SAD where individuals with this disorder have a higher amount of internal and external shame than an individual without this disorder (Hedman et al., 2013, p. 1). The paper goes on to state how other scientists have found a correlation between shame and SAD and how they relate and their reasoning behind it. For example, Clark and Wells believe that one “core feature of SAD is the desire to appear favorable to others, but believing that one is incapable of doing so” (Heldman et al., 2013, p. 2). Rapee and Heimberg believe that social anxiety starts when an individual decides that he or she is unable to meet the demands of others (Heidman et al.,

Social phobia, for example, is a form of anxiety caused by contact with unfamiliar people. Thus, IPT serves as a natural treatment method (Weissman et al, 2000). Lipsitz, Markowitz, Cherry, and Fyer (1999) conducted an open trial of interpersonal psychotherapy for the treatment of social phobia. Here, Lipsitz et al attempted the first clinical trial of IPT for treating anxiety. The study enlisted nine participants with an age range of 25-49 (Mean = 38, SD = 8) from a list of patients seeking treatment for social phobia in New York State Psychiatric Institute Anxiety Disorders Clinic. Participants only included those who were not already under a different treatment plan or co-morbid with other disorder. Fourteen weeks of sessions in IPT for social phobia were conducted by an experienced interpersonal psychotherapy for depression while an experienced psychotherapy

     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

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a technique in which the individual with social anxiety changes their beliefs that influence their perception of their environment. People with social anxiety typically have more negative thoughts that don’t align with reality. They might think about something simple and then over think it and make it a much bigger deal in their head. The goal of cognitive-behavioral therapy is to replace those over dramatic thoughts with more realistic ones (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). The behavioral part of cognitive-behavioral therapy is exposure training. Many people with social anxiety have probably been told to just go out and face their fears, but this will not work. The exposure training has to be very gradual and is a step-by-step process. The process is very slow, and if it moves to fast it will backfire (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). Once those two steps, cognitive and behavioral, have been taken and are headed towards improvement, one will be well on their way to overcoming their social

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.