Overcoming Social Anxiety

Social Anxiety Disorder is a diagnostic category in the DSM-IV (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fourth edition). The DSM-IV is the primary diagnostic resource used by mental health professionals, psychiatrists, and psychotherapists.

The term ‘social anxiety’ describes a cluster of symptoms relating to excessive anxiety experienced by an individual primarily in social situations. These symptoms are distressing enough to make normal functioning difficult for sufferers of the disorder in at least some areas of daily life.

Social anxiety disorder is sometimes called social anxiety or social phobia. People who suffer this kind of anxiety may have a specific disorder which is triggered by a very narrow set of circumstances, or their social anxiety may be a part of a generalized anxiety disorder that is much more diffuse and all-encompassing.

Women are diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder about one and half times more frequently than men, but this may simply be because women experience less social stigma in seeking treatment. At any given time, it is estimated that approximately 13.3% of the general population experiences social anxiety symptoms severe enough to be considered an actual anxiety disorder.

Click here to overcome social anxiety!

Symptoms

Symptoms of Social Anxiety disorder can be alarmingly physical or they can be primarily mental or emotional in nature. Some of these symptoms include:

• Panic attacks,
• Difficult sleeping, insomnia, and/or bad dreams.
• A dread of social situations in general or of specific social situations.
• Avoidance of the feared social situation to the degree that it causes problems in normal functioning (i.e., poor job performance, lack of social contacts, absence from family gatherings).
• Blushing and uncontrollable sweating.
• Physical trembling and heart palpitations.
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing properly.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Irritable bowel syndrome and/or digestive problems.
• Sensations of pain or tingling in the arms, legs, hands, feet, and face.
• Stuttering and stammering.
• Alcohol and/or drug abuse (to deal with the other symptoms).

Diagnosis

Social Anxiety Disorder is more than simple shyness or a general dislike of social gatherings. In order to be diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder, all of the following diagnostic criteria must be present:

1. A marked and persistent fear of one or more social situations in which the person is subject to scrutiny or evaluation by others.
2. Exposure to the social situation provokes an almost immediate anxiety response, (most often a panic attack).
3. The person recognizes that the fear is excessive or unreasonable.
4. Avoiding the social situation interferes significantly with the person’s normal functioning.
5. This avoidance and extreme fear response has been going on for at least six months.
6. The fear or avoidance is not the result of another medical or psychiatric condition.
7. If another condition is present, the fear and avoidance of social situations is not related to that other condition.

If a person exhibits all seven of these criteria, then according to the DSM-IV a diagnosis of Social Anxiety Disorder can be made.

Click here to overcome social anxiety!

Treatment

Social Anxiety Disorder is treated with medication, psychotherapy, or both. Hypnotherapy, self-hypnosis, and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) have also been found to be useful in the treatment of people diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder.

The most commonly used form of psychotherapy for Social Anxiety Disorder is Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Cognitive Behavior Therapy helps the patient to ‘reframe’ social situations and the way they are perceived so as to make them less threatening and more manageable. Therapy also directly addresses fear of the fear itself in order to break the cycle of panic and avoidance.

Antidepressant medications are often prescribed for Social Anxiety Disorder. The two most common classes of prescription medication are SSRi’s (serotonin reuptake Inhibitors, such as Paxil), and MAOI’s (monoamine oxidase inhibitors).

The SSRI class of drugs works by keeping serotonin (a naturally-produced calming substance) in the bloodstream for longer periods of time. The MAOI class of drugs works by assisting in the body’s use of another essential brain chemical, norepinephrine. A third and newer class of drug for Social Anxiety Disorder makes use of both of these essential chemical reactions in the brain.

Other drugs that are sometimes prescribed for Social Anxiety Disorder are beta-blockers and benzodiazepines. Kava, an herbal drink and supplement, also shows promise in treating the condition.

How To Overcome Social Anxiety Disorder - See next page

Click here to overcome social anxiety!