Generalized Anxiety

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There are countless types of mental illness that people sweep under the rug out of the disbelief that they are legitimate illnesses and not just made up for attention or created in one’s mind to cope with the symptoms they are experiencing. Imagine living constantly second guessing yourself or something you said. Always feeling the overwhelming need to critique your outward appearance so that your preconceived notion that people are whispering behind your back about something you’re wearing or the way you’re wearing your hair. Imagine having to listen to countless negative thoughts about yourself, subsequently altering the way you see yourself completely. Generalized anxiety is an all too real phenomenon people experience in their everyday …show more content…

Someone suffering from social anxiety may even push friends away by going out of their way to avoid hanging out in public or somewhere they might be put in a situation where they meet new people. “As of 2008, social anxiety disorder prevents some fifteen million Americans from leading normal social and romantic lives, a new survey finds” (Reinberg, S., 2008). There are various types of social anxiety, including fear of seeking help or asking questions, fear of interacting with authority figures, the fear of using public bathrooms where someone might hear you urinate, and more. The quality of life for a person with social anxiety is reduced considerably compared to that of someone without the disorder. Not only is the sufferer affected, but their work life, social skills, and personal relationships with friends and significant others are greatly affected as well. “Social anxiety disorder is generally found and is prevalent amongst adolescents. As of 1999, onset of social phobia typically occurs between eleven and nineteen years of age” (Bruce, T. J., PH.D., Saeed, S. A., M.D., 1999). “Social anxiety rarely …show more content…

“For example, studies have found that those with depression have greater difficulty functioning in their normal roles than the rest of the population” (Craig and Van Natta, 1983; Wells et al.,1989). In conclusion, social anxiety disorder is a debilitating condition stemming from severe bullying in early childhood development or from an embarrassing event. The fear brought on by social anxiety may cause a person to develop self-destructive habits, poor social skills, and low quality of life. A controlled study in South Africa on genetic traits in patients with social anxiety disorder concluded, “to date, genetic findings in SAD have been inconsistent; nevertheless, serotonergic variants… deserve further exploration” (Seedat S., 2006). Although social anxiety disorder has not yet been proven genetic, the disorder may “run in the family.” Social anxiety stemming from a traumatic even during someone’s childhood or during adolescents can very well follow them throughout their lives and have the potential to grow into unhealthy habits, as well as poor quality of life. The many results and consequences of social anxiety disorder cause real world routine hardships for those

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