Social Anxiety Disorder/Phobia
"People who suffer from social phobia automatically have a thought or concern that they will behave inappropriately in a feared situation and that there will be major consequences." - Dr. Evans
Social Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety, and Social Phobia are just a few of the terms used to describe a condition whereby the sufferer is unable to function normally with other people in a given situation. Interacting with strangers, or the thought of doing so, can bring on feelings ranging from mild discomfort to intense fear and panic. Depression or alcoholism can be a part of SAD/SP, it can strike people of almost any age, and it can run in families. Perhaps as many as 1 in 7 people are afflicted to some extent by this disorder sometime in their life, and I am one of them.
In my situation, I will very rarely use the telephone, even to talk to family and close friends. Calling strangers, stores, or just about anyone else is out of the question. In recent years, this has expanded to include avoiding things like going to the bank and post office. Just the thought doing them (or mainly the thought) can bring about anxiety bordering on panic.
I can look back over my life and see what may have intensified these problems, and how they have gotten worse over time. Many people have gone through what I have, and worse, however without locking theselves in their homes. I realized that this was abnormal, but I didn't know if anyone else had these feelings, or if anything could be done about them. Catching an ad on television for the PsychCanada Feeling Blue website I learned about Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder (G.S.A.D.).
This site had a self-test for SAD. The instructions said that if you scored more than 19 then you should probably talk to a doctor - I scored 42! Ok, so now I had a pretty good idea of what was wrong with me, and more importantly discovered I was not alone with this disorder. The next thing I did was search the web for more information.
Below is a list of some of the resources I found on the Internet:
GENERAL SYMPTOMS
People with social phobias are not necessarially shy, in fact, in some situations they may display no signs of anxiety whatsoever. Then in other situations they may not be able to cope at all. Symptoms can include, and may not be limited to, any combination and intensity of the following:
- Lack of confidance in public, and a feeling that others can do a job much better. Small mistakes seem worse than they really are.
- Embarassed by the act of blushing itself.
- A feeling that people are watching you, that you are the center of attention.
- Afraid of being with people you don't know well or at all.
- Fear of speaking in public.
- Uneasy talking to persons of authority, including a boss or school principal.
- Anxious about dating, parties and other social activities.
- Unable to use a public restroom or eat in a public restaurant.
- Afraid of using a telephone.
- Uncomfortable writing in front of other people.
Here is something from this website I can really identify with:
THJ: How does it (Social Anxiety Disorder) affect daily life?
Dr. Van Ameringen: Many sufferers are either unemployed or, if they do have a job, they often work part time or at jobs beneath their level of education. Many drop out of school early and almost half never marry, are divorced or separated. There also seems to be an increased rate of suicide attempts.
Dr. Evans: Was it Freud who said that happiness is predicted by our ability to work and love? People with social phobia have a hard time with both. Studies show that a whopping 90 percent have some occupational impact. After awhile, to avoid their feared situations, these patients simply avoid them altogether. That can leave them virtually housebound. And they also have a hard time on the relationship front.
Dr. Misri: Many people with social phobia have a particular problem with authority figures. They're unable to have a conversation with the person in charge. They break out in a sweat, blush, feel dizzy, have fainting spells and start having panic attacks so severe they have to leave the room.
If you think you might be one of the many suffering from this disorder, you should take one of the online tests. You can even print them out to help when you get the nerve up to see a doctor.
TREATMENT
Often the people suffering from SAD/SP know these fears are irrational and that there is no real reason for them. Sometime you can force yourself to do what you are anxious about, but it is not easy, and afterwards you can continue to evaluate how you did, and wonder how the people or person judged you.
Treatment can be either medicine or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
--- More to Follow ---
This page was written on 2000/04/10 and last updated on 2001/03/11.