Social Phobias And Anxiety Disorders

Phobias, a common disorder among people of all ages, are a fear of a specific thing. One of the most common types of phobias is social phobias. “Social phobias affect people of all ages, though they usually begin in adolescence. If phobia statistics and facts are to be believed, then nearly 40% of them begin before the age of 10, while 95% start before the age of 20.” (Fear Of, 2017, Para 7). It is clearly shown that social phobias affect millions of people across the world. It is not uncommon to experience a social phobia during any point of your life. “Nearly 15-20% of us experience specific phobias at least once in our life. In the U.S., nearly 8.7% of people (aged 18 and over) have at least one extreme specific fear” (Fear Of, 2017, Para

Although there are many more cases of anxiety, is there really a difference between social phobias and anxiety disorders? It is believed that phobias can be further classified as a mental disorder, more specifically, an anxiety disorder.

There are many different forms of phobias and mental disorders, which can all be easily identified by different factors. “There are three main groups of phobias which include: Specific (simple) phobias, which are the most common and focus on specific objects. Social phobia, which causes extreme anxiety in social or public situations, and agoraphobia, which is the fear of being alone in public places from which there is no easy escape.” (Mental Health America, 2017, Para 4). Specific phobias can be anything from a fear of spiders, to a fear of the dark, or a fear of clowns. These are very common and not anything out of the ordinary. “Specific Phobias; 19 million, 8.7%. Women are twice as likely to be affected as men. Typically begins in childhood; the median age of onset is 7.” (ADAA, 2016, Para 10). Many people, such as young children have

Phobias, or irrational fears can be easily identified by many different symptoms. “Symptoms of a phobia include: Physical symptoms, feeling unsteady, dizzy, lightheaded or faint, feeling like you are choking, a pounding heart, palpitations or, accelerated heart rate, chest pain or tightness in the chest, sweating, hot or cold flashes, shortness of breath or a smothering sensation, nausea, vomiting or. Diarrhoea, numbness or tingling sensations,trembling or shaking.” (Mind, 2013, Para 7). “Other symptoms: feeling out of touch with reality or detached from your body, a fear of fainting, a fear of losing control, a fear of dying.” (Mind, 2013, Para 8). A person dealing with an extreme phobia may not experience all of these symptoms, unless in an extreme case. However, it is not uncommon to experience 2-3 of these symptoms. A person dealing with an anxiety disorder may face very similar symptoms as phobias. If a person is curious as to if they are suffering from an anxiety disorder, they can ask themselves these questions: “Are you constantly tense, worried, or on edge? Does your anxiety interfere with your work, school, or family responsibilities? Are you plagued by fears that you know are irrational, but can’t shake? Do you believe that something bad will happen if certain things aren’t done a certain way? Do you avoid everyday situations or