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Panic Hub - Anxiety, Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia Information and Help
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Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) or Social Phobia
Irrational fear of people, social gatherings, public speaking or in fact any situation where a person could find him/herself exposed to criticism or “judgment” of other people is a characteristic of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) or also known as Social Phobia.
People suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder experience overwhelming anxiety and exaggerated fear whenever they have to perform some action, or sometimes just to appear in front of unknown individuals.
Fear of public speaking and performing on stage are the most common forms of Social Phobia. Giving a speech at your best friend’s wedding or birthday party, discussing the problems and taking part in debates at your work’s place, school’s or a community hall’s meetings, sitting an oral exam at university or college in front of the fellow students, performing in a school’s play, and so on, are just a few examples of numerous tasks and activities that almost everybody will face sometimes in their lives.
Some persons deal with situations like these in a very confident and calm way and many of them actually enjoy being in the centre of attention but for majority of the people jumping into the spotlight is certainly not something that would rate very high on their “wish list”. When faced with such tasks most individuals feel slightly anxious. Their hands and their voice might tremble, their palms might get sweaty, and their face blushed.
Although these symptoms are characteristics of Social Phobia, by no means “everyone” who experiences them from time to time could be categorized as a Social Anxiety Disorder sufferer (or a Social Phobic). Some people are just shy by nature but their shyness doesn’t interfere, to a great extent, with overall quality of their lives and despite some occasional disappointing or embarrassing experiences, they still manage to achieve their goals and lead a happy and proactive life.
To draw a line between “shyness” and a mild Social Anxiety is sometimes almost impossible. However, if the symptoms and fear become so severe and completely out of control to the extent when they start to interfere with person’s normal, routine activities, their career, family and social interactions, it is certainly the time to seek a professional medical advice and help.
Many Social Anxiety Disorder sufferers, from the fear of further embarrassment or negative evaluation, try to hide their condition. It is not unusual for Social Phobics to turn down promotions at work just because the new position involves, for instance, more dealings and communication with the clients, more meetings, presentations, conferences etc. In some cases Social Anxiety Disorder victims start avoiding the situations in which they can find themselves exposed to “evaluation” from other people.
They come up with all sorts of different explanations and excuses for why they could not attend a party, business lunch or the school’s parent-teacher meeting. Some can develop an extreme avoidance behavior (same as in cases of severe agoraphobia) and find themselves locked in their homes, frightened and completely isolated from the outside world.
Besides public speaking and stage performances there are many other circumstances which might trigger the alarm in mentally disturbed Social Phobia sufferers. Some of the most common situations which can cause fear or panic are:
-meeting with the authorities
-meeting and introducing to new people
-receiving unknown visitors
-being watched while working
-eating and taking food in front of others
-bullying and names calling
-using the public toilets
-talking on phone to unknown people (or even sending e-mails)
-writing or signing documents, forms or checks while being watched
-fear of trembling hands (while serving drinks or food to your guests)
-fear of facial blushing
People suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder are reluctant to start or to take part in conversation and they find it very difficult to maintain eye contact with other people. Sufferers are often unsure of their overall appearance; they do not know what to do with their hands or what body posture to take. Social Phobia victims are overcautious and alert all the time, checking their surroundings to see if anyone is watching them. If tension and the symptoms are very severe sufferers might experience panic attacks.
Social Anxiety Disorder can be General (includes fear in almost every situation when other people are around) or Specific (when person is afraid from a specific activity or situation, for example, public speaking). Specific Social Phobia mostly affects people whose occupations are directly related to dealings with public or audiences (actors/actresses, singers, sales personnel etc). Most of the sufferers fear from more than just one situation.
Social Anxiety Disorder is unfortunately a very common condition in today’s modern society and it is present in almost every culture and nation. It tends to start occurring in very early stages of life. In approximately 40% of all cases it starts before the age of 10 and in 95% before the age of 20. 1-2% of men and 2-3% of women suffer from Social Phobia. The condition might become extremely nasty and serious and it can literary turn the lives of its sufferers into a living nightmare. Many victims develop secondary conditions such as depression, agoraphobia or some other kind of phobias. In the effort to ease the fear some Social Phobics start abusing alcohol, legal and illegal drugs which makes thing even worse and more difficult.
Early detection and right treatment are essential parts in overcoming Social Anxiety Disorder. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and/or medication (Beta-Blockers, Antidepressants and Anxiolytics) are most commonly used methods for treating Social Phobia. Some alternative therapies and programs developed by former sufferers are also showing very positive results.
People suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder experience overwhelming anxiety and exaggerated fear whenever they have to perform some action, or sometimes just to appear in front of unknown individuals.
Fear of public speaking and performing on stage are the most common forms of Social Phobia. Giving a speech at your best friend’s wedding or birthday party, discussing the problems and taking part in debates at your work’s place, school’s or a community hall’s meetings, sitting an oral exam at university or college in front of the fellow students, performing in a school’s play, and so on, are just a few examples of numerous tasks and activities that almost everybody will face sometimes in their lives.
Some persons deal with situations like these in a very confident and calm way and many of them actually enjoy being in the centre of attention but for majority of the people jumping into the spotlight is certainly not something that would rate very high on their “wish list”. When faced with such tasks most individuals feel slightly anxious. Their hands and their voice might tremble, their palms might get sweaty, and their face blushed.
Although these symptoms are characteristics of Social Phobia, by no means “everyone” who experiences them from time to time could be categorized as a Social Anxiety Disorder sufferer (or a Social Phobic). Some people are just shy by nature but their shyness doesn’t interfere, to a great extent, with overall quality of their lives and despite some occasional disappointing or embarrassing experiences, they still manage to achieve their goals and lead a happy and proactive life.
To draw a line between “shyness” and a mild Social Anxiety is sometimes almost impossible. However, if the symptoms and fear become so severe and completely out of control to the extent when they start to interfere with person’s normal, routine activities, their career, family and social interactions, it is certainly the time to seek a professional medical advice and help.
Many Social Anxiety Disorder sufferers, from the fear of further embarrassment or negative evaluation, try to hide their condition. It is not unusual for Social Phobics to turn down promotions at work just because the new position involves, for instance, more dealings and communication with the clients, more meetings, presentations, conferences etc. In some cases Social Anxiety Disorder victims start avoiding the situations in which they can find themselves exposed to “evaluation” from other people.
They come up with all sorts of different explanations and excuses for why they could not attend a party, business lunch or the school’s parent-teacher meeting. Some can develop an extreme avoidance behavior (same as in cases of severe agoraphobia) and find themselves locked in their homes, frightened and completely isolated from the outside world.
Besides public speaking and stage performances there are many other circumstances which might trigger the alarm in mentally disturbed Social Phobia sufferers. Some of the most common situations which can cause fear or panic are:
-meeting with the authorities
-meeting and introducing to new people
-receiving unknown visitors
-being watched while working
-eating and taking food in front of others
-bullying and names calling
-using the public toilets
-talking on phone to unknown people (or even sending e-mails)
-writing or signing documents, forms or checks while being watched
-fear of trembling hands (while serving drinks or food to your guests)
-fear of facial blushing
People suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder are reluctant to start or to take part in conversation and they find it very difficult to maintain eye contact with other people. Sufferers are often unsure of their overall appearance; they do not know what to do with their hands or what body posture to take. Social Phobia victims are overcautious and alert all the time, checking their surroundings to see if anyone is watching them. If tension and the symptoms are very severe sufferers might experience panic attacks.
Social Anxiety Disorder can be General (includes fear in almost every situation when other people are around) or Specific (when person is afraid from a specific activity or situation, for example, public speaking). Specific Social Phobia mostly affects people whose occupations are directly related to dealings with public or audiences (actors/actresses, singers, sales personnel etc). Most of the sufferers fear from more than just one situation.
Social Anxiety Disorder is unfortunately a very common condition in today’s modern society and it is present in almost every culture and nation. It tends to start occurring in very early stages of life. In approximately 40% of all cases it starts before the age of 10 and in 95% before the age of 20. 1-2% of men and 2-3% of women suffer from Social Phobia. The condition might become extremely nasty and serious and it can literary turn the lives of its sufferers into a living nightmare. Many victims develop secondary conditions such as depression, agoraphobia or some other kind of phobias. In the effort to ease the fear some Social Phobics start abusing alcohol, legal and illegal drugs which makes thing even worse and more difficult.
Early detection and right treatment are essential parts in overcoming Social Anxiety Disorder. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and/or medication (Beta-Blockers, Antidepressants and Anxiolytics) are most commonly used methods for treating Social Phobia. Some alternative therapies and programs developed by former sufferers are also showing very positive results.