Social Phobia
Sarah walks into a crowded classroom on her first day at her new university. She tries to remain inconspicuous as she slides into a seat at the back of the room. A few minutes later, the instructor walks through the door. He goes around the room, asking the students to introduce themselves to their classmates. As Sarah's turn to speak approaches, her heart beats rapidly, her body trembles, sweat forms on her forehead, breathing becomes difficult, and a nauseus feeling overcomes her. She quietly thinks, “What if I say something embarrassing? What if I sound stupid?” Sarah sinks deeper into her seat, desperately hoping that the instructor will skip her.
Sarah, the fictional character described in the paragraph above, suffers from social phobia (also called social anxiety disorder). According to the DSM-IV, social anxiety disorder (social phobia) is “a marked and persistent fear of one or more social performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or possible scrutiny by others” (American Psychiatric Association). Social phobia is much more common than one might assume. It is ranked as the third most common pyschiatric disorder (Beidel, Turner, 19). Research in the fields of neuroscience and psychiatry has proven that the three main factors that work together to cause social phobia are genes, brain composition, and life experiences. Studies have also shown that common effects of social phobia include an inability to form satisfying interpersonal relationships, limited academic and occupational opportunities, and alcohol or drug abuse.
When analyzing the causes of social phobia, life events must be considered first. Ina Marteinsdottir and her colleagues, researchers at the Uppsala Unive...
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In this essay, the author
- Describes sarah's social phobia as she tries to remain inconspicuous in a crowded classroom on her first day at her new university.
- Explains that sarah, the fictional character described in the paragraph above, suffers from social phobia (also called social anxiety disorder). it is the third most common pyschiatric disorder.
- Explains that ina marteinsdottir and her colleagues conducted an experiment to determine what life events could be associated with social phobia.
- Explains that negative life events cause social phobia, and that genetic makeup can make one person more vulnerable to the disorder.
- Explains that abnormalities in the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and gamma aminobutyric acid are associated with social phobia.
- Explains the effects of social phobia, which can be detrimental to people. social phobics are held back by their fears and are less likely to get married.
- Explains that social phobia affects relationships, academic performance, and occupational opportunities. social phobics skip class to avoid oral presentations and seek jobs that require little social contact.
- Explains that people with social phobia often use alcohol or anxiolytic drugs to reduce their anxiety in social situations.
- Explains that social phobia is a complex disorder caused by biological and environmental factors, including genetics, brain composition, and life events. without treatment, people with the disorder can live unfulfilling lives of solitude.
- Cites the american psychiatric association's diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: dsm-iv.
- Explains that anxiety: a very short introduction. oxford: oxford up, 2012.
Related
- explanatory
- Social Anxiety Disorderexplanatory essaySocial anxiety disorder can also be defined as social phobia. It is the fear of social situations that involve interaction with other people. It can also be described as the fear of negatively being judged causing one to feel ashamed and being socially rejected. Social Anxiety was first mentioned as the term social phobia and was discovered in the 1900’s. Although the exact amount of people who are diagnosed with this disorder still remains undetermined, it has been said that about 9,ooo- 15,0000 people will show symptoms of the disorder during some point of their lifetime.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that social anxiety disorder is the fear of social situations that involve interaction with other people.
- Explains that social anxiety comes in two stages, child development and adults. social phobia is often confused with the actual disorder and basic shyness.
- Explains that social anxiety is the third most common mental disorder in the us. it can be caused by inheritance or the nervous system.
- Explains that females are at a greater risk for social anxiety because they are twice as likely to suffer from panic disorders and the fear of being in public places due to scientists believing that sex hormones may be
- Explains that unlike other disorders, social anxiety is a learned behavior. it is possible for one to exhibit symptoms and develop it by observing and associating with the anxiety victims.
- Explains that people diagnosed with anxiety are aware of what is going on, but they realize no one is evaluating them in any shape or form. treatments to help the feeling of being evaluated include challenging negative thoughts, learning to control your breath, facing your fears, building better relationships, changing lifestyles, and taking medication.
- Explains that learning to control your breath will ease your anxiety. when one loses control of their breathing, they begin to hyperventilate.
- Opines that facing fears is one of the most effective solutions in treating anxiety; avoiding situations can cause the anxiety to increase and get worse.
- Explains that building relationships for people with this disorder can focus on simple things such as building up their social skills. searching and attending social group’s effects the way of thinking.
- Explains that antidepressants, paroxetine, and prozac are effective treatments for social anxiety. however, they can become immune to your system causing it not to be effective.
- Explains that cbt and psychoanalytic therapy are effective treatments for social anxiety.
- Explains that not giving up on the treatment is the key. even if it doesn't seem effective try different solutions. finding the right medication for your situation can take several weeks or even months.
- Explains that social anxiety disorder is a common disorder, and there are many treatments that are self-made and medical.
1066 wordsRead More - Social Anxiety Essayexplanatory essaySocial Anxiety/Wrong Diagnosis Social anxiety is fear of interacting and being ostracized by other people. People with social anxiety are self-conscious; and they often avoid others. Because they fear being judged negatively by others, they have feelings of inferiority, in adequacy, and embarrassment. These feelings can lead to depression.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that social anxiety is a fear of interacting and being ostracized by others. it is estimated to be the third largest psychological disorder in the country.
- Explains that social anxiety produces a constant anxiety that is never relieved. there has been much progress with recovery utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy (cbt).
- Explains that social anxiety develops over time because we learn how to be afraid of situations gradually and repetitively.
- Explains that social anxiety is often misdiagnosed as many other serious mental illnesses.
- Recommends cognitive behavioral therapy (cbt) for people who are misdiagnosed. medication never makes a permanent change in brain chemistry.
- Explains cognitive dissonance is a condition where the inconsistencies and become uncomfortable with these differences. an attraction and repulsion to something at the same time can lead to rejecting the object and feelings of confusion.
- Explains cognitive dissonance occurs when a person engages physically or ethically in something unpleasant for gain. it produces anxiety and anxiety can produce many other symptoms, and possibly displaying as social anxiety.
- Explains that social anxiety is an unpleasant arousal and cognitive dissonance, both presenting as anxiety from unpleasant sources. they cause psychological distress and have changed the self-perception of the individual.
- Explains that people suffering from social anxiety may become socially withdrawn and housebound. they may experience a personality change, abuse alcohol or drugs, and become emotionally or physically ill.
- Explains cognitive dissonance may be the "tip of the iceberg" or the start of social anxiety.
862 wordsRead More - Social Phobia or Anxiety Disorderexplanatory essayHaving anxiety is common and a part of everyday life however; there is a huge difference between a fear and a social phobia or anxiety disorder. The difference and important distinction psychoanalysts make between a fear and a phobia is “a true phobia must be inconsistent with the conscious learning experience of the individual” (Karon 1). Patients with true phobias “do not respond to cognitive therapy but do respond well to psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic therapy” (Karon 2). Social phobia is a serious anxiety disorder that should not be taken lightly or mistaken as a fear you will simply grow out of the older you get. Social phobia has the power to destroy lives and can prevent people from living and enjoying their life to the fullest. Social phobia is a disabling condition that often starts between the ages of early childhood and late adolescence. The origins of social phobia can be linked to “traumatic social experiences and social isolation” (Hudson118-120). Social phobia is treatable however; research and statics show that not many seek help.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that social anxiety is comprised of two fundamental emotions: fear and shame. people with social phobia are at a greater risk of experiencing suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.
- Explains the different methods of treatment for people with social phobia: auto-therapy, pharmacological, behavioral, and counseling.
- Opines that social phobia is a serious problem in the world and that society needs to become more educated about it.
- Explains hudson, j. l., and rapee, r. m. "the origins of social phobia."
- Explains that social phobia is a serious anxiety disorder that can destroy lives and prevent people from living and enjoying their life to the fullest.
952 wordsRead More - Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)explanatory essayIntroduction Social Anxiety Disorder or social phobia, is the third largest mental health care problem in the world. (Stein, 2010) National statistical surveys carried out in 2002 in the United Kingdom suggest that the prevalence rates for social phobias among young people in the UK were around 4%. (National Statistics, 2002) ‘Social phobia is characterised by intense and persistent fear of social situations in which scrutiny and embarrassment could occur’. (Orsillo & Hammond 2001, p.159)
In this essay, the author
- Explains abbott, maree j., and rapee, ronald m. 1 post-event rumination and negative self-appraisal in social phobia before and after treatment.
- Explains that anthony, m.m. orsillo, and l. roemer, aabt clinical assessment series.
- Explains barlow, d.h., clinical handbook of psychological disorders. a step-by-step treatment manual. guildford press.
- Explains joormann, jutta, and gotlib, ian h., "is this happiness i see?" in the journal of abnormal psychology.
- Explains that assertive defence of the self is a strategy developed by padewsky.
- Explains that social phobia is the third largest mental health care problem in the world.
- Explains that social anxiety disorder is incapacitating and individuals with it suffer from diminished academic, work, and relationships.
- Explains the oxford guide to behavioural experiments in cognitive therapy.
- Describes the results of a multivariate genetic analysis of specific phobia, separation anxiety, and social phobia in early childhood in the journal of abnormal child psychology.
- Explains the relationship between avoidant personality disorder and social phobia: a population-based twin study.
- Explains the liebowitz social anxiety scale, which assesses fear and avoidance separately. it helps identify a range of situations that are problematic for the client.
1074 wordsRead More - Social Adety: Social Anxiety Disorderexplanatory essaySocial anxiety is mental illness characterized by feelings of concern, apprehension, and fear prevalent enough to interfere with a person’s daily activities. It is a disabling anxiety disorder that causes overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social or performance situations (“What Are Anxiety Disorders?”) It can be also extreme fear of being judged in social situations, and/or the anticipation of a future concern. This disorder can have a serious effect on job performance, school work and even personal relationships. If the anxiety is strong enough, the individual will lose the ability to properly communicate and carry out daily functions (“Understand the Facts: Social Anxiety Disorder.”).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that social anxiety is a disabling anxiety disorder that causes overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social or performance situations.
- Explains that social anxiety leads to isolation, low self-esteem, and depression. most people who suffer from this disorder can recognize that their fear is irrational and excessive.
- Explains that an anxiety disorder is caused by a mixture of factors including genetic, and environmental factors.
- Explains that social anxiety is often minimized and compared to shyness, and even though timid children are more likely to be socially anxious, they are not the same thing.
- Explains that social anxiety affects about 15 million americans, and is the 3rd largest mental health disorder in the world.
- Explains that social anxiety is treatable and people can overcome it over time with hard work and patience. cognitive-behavioral therapy is used to treat patients with social phobia.
- Explains the three types of medications used to treat social anxiety disorder: beta blockers, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines.
- Explains that social anxiety is accompanied by feelings of nervousness, fear, and apprehension. it can interfere significantly with daily routines, occupational performance and social life.
1251 wordsRead More - Social Thixider And Social Anxiety Disorderexplanatory essaySocial anxiety disorder also known as “social phobia” is defined as the fear of being judged or humiliated by others in social situations. This causes a feeling of embarrassment or self-consciousness. Many people feel like they are powerless against their anxiety disorder; like there is no way out. Emotions like these can cause problems with daily events such as going to school, going to work, and even relationships. People tend to avoid certain situations that they really want to go to but they know they will be paranoid the whole time they are there.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that social anxiety disorder can be caused by environmental factors, such as overprotective parents, controlling, rejecting, or critical parents.
- Explains that social anxiety disorder can be frustrating for adults because they know their body will take over as soon as they get invited to an event. when in a social situation people's muscles tense up like never before.
- Explains that social anxiety disorder causes sleep problems in children, teenagers, and even adults. therapy teaches children that they are in charge of their anxiety and unwanted behaviors.
- Explains that meds for anxiety that are used for children only can reduce symptoms making behavioral therapy more effective than without the medications.
- Explains that psychotherapy is the most popular therapy for social anxiety disorder. anti-anxiety medications, antidepressants, and beta blockers are prescribed by doctors.
- Explains that social anxiety is a chronic disorder that therapists are ready for. treatments have become beneficial over the years. the biggest struggle is the failure to recognize them in the first place.
- Defines social anxiety disorder as the fear of being judged or humiliated by others in social situations. social anxiety is the third most common psychiatric disorder.
- Explains that social anxiety disorder is caused by people having negative thoughts about themselves for the rest of their lives.
- Explains that people who have social anxiety disorder toss and turn constantly thinking about unimportant things can become frustrating for an individual.
2076 wordsRead More - Social Anxiety Disorder Essayexplanatory essayIn the human body, anxiety is cued as a reaction to adverse reaction due to a stressor; this is a normal part of the human process. When the induced anxiety is abnormally severe and prolonged and occurs in the absence of stress, is when anxiety becomes a disorder. Anxiety disorders include many symptoms and are often coupled with major depression. Although the majority of anxiety disorders are produced based on an individual’s genetic material, other influences exists environmentally that can contribute to an individual’s state of mental instability. Early diagnosis can help reduce the tensions and encourage a life less stressful. One common type of anxiety disorder is known as S.A.D or Social Anxiety Disorder.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that anxiety is a normal part of the human process. anxiety disorders include many symptoms and are often coupled with major depression.
- Explains that social anxiety disorder stems from the persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations.
- Explains that individuals with social anxiety experience impairment in their social, educational, and occupational functioning. they seek public assistance and are more likely to work at jobs that are well below their capacity.
- Explains that more than 80% of social anxiety sufferers qualify for at least one more axis i diagnosis. social anxiety itself may be the marker for other conditions that develop later on in life.
- Explains that family studies have concluded that social anxiety disorder may be at least partially inherited. negative peer and social experiences or embarrassing social incidents contribute to the development and maintenance of the disorder.
- Explains the two branches of psychotherapy that are most commonly used for social anxiety disorder: cognitive-behavioral therapy (cbt) and exposure.
- Explains the first-line pharmacological treatments for social anxiety disorder are known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (ssris).
995 wordsRead More - Social Anxiety Disorder Essayexplanatory essayDefining Social Anxiety Disorder- DSM definition (Dsm IV TR)- current version being DSM V According to DSM V, Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), is defined as a persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others. The individual fears that he or she will act in a way (or show anxiety symptoms) that will be embarrassing and humiliating (DSM V, 2014).
In this essay, the author
- Defines social anxiety disorder (sad) as a persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others.
- Explains that sad is the third most prevalent mental disorder behind depression and alcoholism.
- Explains that parents with overprotective or over-involved rearing styles can influence the onset of sad in adolescents.
- Explains that overprotective parents are hypothesized to diminish a child's opportunity to explore new situations and acquire new skills, and thus may result in lower social competence and higher social anxiety and avoidance.
- Explains that hudson and rapee observed mother-child interactions while the child completed two difficult cognitive tasks. mothers of anxious and oppositional children displayed greater and more intrusive involvement than non-clinical children.
- Explains that mothers will be trying to guess what purpose lie behind researcher's instruction if they were placed in a room with their child doing difficult cognitive tasks.
- Argues that the link between the over-involved parenting attitude observed and the level of social anxiety may be unsustainable since mothers' negative attitude in interaction with their children is crucial to determine its significance in the potential onset of sad.
- Explains that mothers' attitude may not reflect her daily attitude, as hudson and rapee have assumed in the contribution to the onset of sad in children.
- Explains that parental rejection and abandonment can have significant impact on social perception and the potential of developing sad in adolescents.
- Explains that lieb, wittchen, höfler, fuetsch, stein, and merikangas (2000) found that adolescents' ratings of parental rejection predicted diagnoses of social phobia in a large community sample.
- Explains that bogels et al. found that children's perceived parental rejection did not predict self-reported levels of social anxiety.
- Opines that the link between parental rejection and child social anxiety remains unclear and needs replication.
- Explains that the link between parental and offspring anxiety has been established through twin and family studies.
- Explains that lieb, holfer, scheirer, and wittchen (2008) aimed to assess the association of parental social phobia, other parental psychopathology, etc., with adolescent.
- Explains that the low genetic concordance rates for social anxiety disorder in monozygotic twins suggest that genetics plays a limited role in its development.
- Explains that the importance of parenting rearing behaviour (overprotection and rejection) is emphasized through empirical researches and studies. however, there are many counter-arguments that effectively establish an interaction between genetic and environmental factors.
- Explains that home environment refers to aspects of people's domestic lives that contribute to their living conditions.
- Explains that bogels, greco, and morris (2002) found that children's perceived parental overcontrol was associated with higher levels of self-reported social anxiety within both a clinical outpatient sample of youth with various psychiatric disorders.
- Analyzes how greco and morris (2002) examined associations between perceived and actual father behavior and child social anxiety.
- Explains that the sample of clinically anxious children, oppositional defiant children and non-clinical children lacks population validity. results are difficult to generalize as findings of small sample may not reflect accurately parental rearing style's influence on large population of children.
- Opines that interviews increase the ecological validity of the study, but interview methods may encourage demand characteristics or researcher bias which can affect the validity.
- Explains that limited research is conducted to assess the contribution of nature and nurture factors to the onset of sad in adolescents.
1931 wordsRead More - Essay On Social Phobiaexplanatory essayThe term social phobia is described by the presence of anxiety or tendency to experience excessive fear while social interaction is present. Social avoidance is also described as a combination of syndromes performing in a person perceived as embarrassment. The anxiety in the individuals experiencing this type of phobia is cause by the tendency of exaggeration in self-evaluations , having a negative perception of themselves based of their own negative judge. The tendency of being self-critical is lead by fear during social interaction or even during intrapersonal situations. The anticipation of anxiety and fear is often part of a vicious cycle in which persons experience a physical symptom such as blushing, palpitations , sweating, avoiding eye contact and trembling (Heimberg, 1995). However, some persons with social phobia report no physical symptoms of anxiety only self-consciousness and fear.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that social phobia can be diagnosed as one of two subtypes, nongeneneralized and generalized criteria called avoidant personality disorders.
- Explains that the american psychiatric association has a standard criteria for the patient to meet on the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. psychotherapy is the most common for people with anxiety disorders.
- Explains that social phobia is caused by the tendency of exaggeration in self-evaluations, having a negative perception of themselves based on their own negative judge.
- Explains the cognitive model of social phobia, which is based on a self-regulatory information processing model.
773 wordsRead More - Understanding Psychological Disorders and Therapy: Social Anxietyexplanatory essayMost people tend to get nervous when they are about to give a speech in front of people, or when they have a job interview. Everyone has a phobia, regardless if its something totally normal like clowns or something rare, like the number 13. Social phobia isn’t just a normal phobia though it’s much more. Social anxiety is more than just being shy or nervous about little things. Social phobia is also referred to as social anxiety, which is a panic disorder. With one of eight adults in America having at least one experience with social anxiety in their lifetime, it is the most common psychological disorder.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that everyone has a phobia, whether it's something totally normal like clowns or something rare, like the number 13. social anxiety is more than just being shy or nervous about little things.
- Explains that social anxiety disorder is the fear of social situations because you feel like you are being watched or judged by others.
- Defines panic attacks as a sudden episode of extreme anxiety that rapidly escalates in intensity. they often occur during social interaction when it is too much for them to calm down.
- Explains systematic desensitization, which is a type of behavior therapy, helps with anxiety by learning relaxation and creating anxiety hierarchy.
- Explains cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based therapy, which targets both thoughts and behaviors.
- Explains that biomedical therapy is the use of medication or other medical treatments to treat social anxiety disorder.
658 wordsRead More