What is Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)? – GOOD SHAPE

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) or Social Phobia, is an Anxiety Disorder, where the individual has a constant and excessive fear of being criticized and judged in social situations or has some criticism of their performance, that is, the individual sees himself observed and criticized by others.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines Social Phobia as the fear of being observed by others, leading the person to avoid social situations.

When shyness prevents the individual from keeping up with friends, going to school or even leaving the house, it is a phobia and needs to be treated. This is what differentiates shyness from illness. The condition currently affects 13% of the world’s population.

According to the UK’s Royal College of Psychiatrists, women are two to three times more likely to develop the disorder.

Its diagnosis is associated with the presence of three aspects: suffering, disability and disadvantages.

Despite its high prevalence in society, SAD is an under-recognized and under-diagnosed condition because it is associated with other clinical conditions such as depression, mood disorders such as dystonia; alcohol and drug abuse and dependence, suicidal ideation, eating disorders and other anxiety disorders.

The symptoms of social phobia are formed by emotional and physical sensations.

Sometimes the symptoms can be confused with shyness. However, its consequences are much more serious.

The person with shyness will show some nervousness in situations that they are exposed to, but the person who has a more intense sensation, appearing to be somewhat terrified and quite anxious, which leads to losses in their studies, work and social life.

Let’s separate the symptoms of social phobia into behavioral and physical:

Behavioral:

Fear of interacting with unknown people, authorities or prominent people
Fear of showing nervousness and anxiety
Fear of showing physical symptoms (such as flushing and a shaky voice)
Feels judged and evaluated all the time
Afraid to go through embarrassment
Extreme anxiety leading up to an event, appointment, or encounter
I fear being put in the spotlight in some situation
I am afraid of arriving in a room with people already seated
Being apprehensive about taking a stand in disagreement with someone
Afraid to express your opinion
Dread of situations where it can be evaluated
Getting nervous when meeting friends at a party or work colleagues after hours
Afraid to answer the phone or other calls
Discomfort maintaining eye contact with someone during a conversation
Enters the anxious loop, looking for mistakes they may have made in relation to their behavior or what they said or did not say, after participating in any event

Physicists:

wheezing
Fast heartbeat/palpitations
Dry mouth
flushing of the face
Nausea or nausea
Dizziness
Stomach pain and/or diarrhea
Muscle tension
Sweating

CAUSES

The causes for social phobia range from your interaction with the environment and your experiences and relationships, your personality, genetic/heredity factors, brain structure and neurological factors.

TREATMENT

The treatment can be carried out with psychotherapy, medication prescription, usually antidepressants or anxiolytics, or combine the two methods, if necessary, especially in the most serious cases, where your quality of life is greatly impaired in several sectors, such as your personal life, work and personal relationships.

The important thing is for the patient to be able to cope better, without causing significant losses, in situations involving stress, as the patient often isolates himself from people, misses out on opportunities and lowers his performance in daily activities, which can lead to other disorders. mental health and substance warning, such as alcohol and drugs.

The best thing to do, in terms of behavior, would be to strengthen ties with people you trust, so you can ask for support and share your situation.

It is also worth looking for support groups or group therapies, with the aim of confronting the situation and bringing people close to help.

About 70% of people show significant improvement in the condition. Another 30%, only partial improvement. But they tend to perpetuate themselves.

Below are some suggestions for the most commonly used therapies:

-Training of social skills: The treatment is based on the use of techniques that teach patients to develop verbal and non-verbal skills necessary for social coexistence.

-Exposure therapy (behavior): This format is based on the premise that repeatedly exposing the person to situations that cause them discomfort can reduce symptoms. Research indicates that for the treatment to have practical effect, it needs to be repeated many times.

-Cognitive therapy: Seeks to correct the irrational thoughts that contribute to the development of the phobia.

-CBT (Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy): This therapy mixes concepts from exposure therapy with cognitive therapy. Using exercises that make the person aware of their thoughts and exposure to problematic situations.