Psychological Disorders

Social Phobia

- Introduction
Social phobia is a persistent and irrational fear of situations that may involve evaluation or judgment by others. They become overwhelmingly anxious and self-conscious in social situations. More often than not, they may dread social situations to the extent where the anxiety would interfere with work, school and social life. These individuals are well aware that their fears are excessive, but nevertheless are unable to overcome their anxiety around people. For example, individuals are constantly worried that people are watching their every movement and words. Life becomes a daily struggle to deal with these anxiety and in most cases, patients would avoid social situations altogether.

- Symptons

• Intense anxiety in social situations. Such situations include:
  1) eating or drinkin in front of others
  2) working and speaking in front of others
  3) being put in a situation where one is the center of attention
  4) dates and parties
  5) talking on a telephone
• Intense worry can even precede social situations by days, weeks, or even months
• Fear of humiliating oneself in public
• Physical symptoms of anxiety include sweating, blushing, shaking, muscle tension, and pounding heartbeat
• Consequent avoidance of social situations that may even result in disruption of life

- Risk Factors and Causes
Social anxiety is one of the most common anxiety disorders and it usually begins in adolescence, especially for those who have experienced negative social environments and subjected to bullying, rejection and ridicule from peers. Females are also more likely to be diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, although this could be attributed to lack of self-report from males. Genetic links have also been put forward, as some research indicated that one is more likely to develop this disorder if his or her biological parents have the condition. Furthermore, children with a temperament that is characteristically shy, timid and withdrawn when facing novel situations or person may also be a greater risk.

- Treatment
While many patients have the misunderstanding that there is seemingly little that they can do about the symptoms of social anxiety, in reality, there are many empirically proven approaches that can help. Medication is usually prescribed as a first line of treatment to relieve the physical symptoms of social anxiety. For example, beta-blockers work by blocking the flow of adrenaline that you usually experience with anxiety. It is important to note that medication do not address the root cause of the disorder. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been shown to be most effective treatment for social anxiety. The patient would learn how to control the physical symptoms of anxiety through relaxation techniques. Furthermore, negative thoughts that usually trigger social anxiety would be challenged systematically and replaced with balanced views.