SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER: what is it, symptoms, causes and treatment

  • Jan 05, 2022
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Social anxiety disorder: what is it, symptoms, causes and treatment

Sometimes life can get difficult. The pressures we receive from our environment can overcome us and that brings us difficulties in our daily life. As we grow, we face situations in which we expose ourselves to be able to live in society. We submit to other people's observation of our beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and thoughts. Many people enjoy these occasions, despite the level of exposure that may be.

The truth is that there are people who benefit from these situations and others suffer unfavorable consequences. In this sense, there are people who suffer from a great fear of bonding with other people and this can have repercussions on their daily activities. Knowing specific data on this problem can provide valuable tools to act in time to address this problem. Therefore, in this Psychology-Online article, we will talk about the social anxiety disorder: what is it, symptoms, causes and treatment.

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Index

  1. What is social anxiety disorder
  2. Symptoms of social anxiety disorder
  3. Causes of social anxiety disorder
  4. Treatment of social anxiety disorder

What is social anxiety disorder.

When we mention social anxiety disorder, we are referring to a clinical picture characterized by the presence of a exacerbated and intense fear of being watched and judged in social situations. This disorder is within the anxiety disorders listed in the DSM-V1]. Its distinction is crucial to be able to establish a correct differential diagnosis that allows adopting solutions that alleviate the symptoms of the people who suffer from it.

Characteristics of social anxiety disorder

Determining the specific characteristics of social anxiety disorder allows us to detect the problem and think about effective treatments. According to the DSM-V, the qualities that social anxiety disorder presents are the following:

  • Fear or anxiety about one or more social situations in which one is exposed to the opinion of other people.
  • Fear of showing anxiety and that it is valued negatively.
  • Generally, social situations cause fear.
  • Avoidance of social contexts.
  • Duration of six months or more.
  • Fear and anxiety disproportionate to the real danger that represent social situations.
  • Fear and anxiety are not related to medical illnesses or substance use.
  • Fear and anxiety are not associated with other mental disorders.

Symptoms of social anxiety disorder.

Once the characteristics of this clinical picture have been identified, it is important to know the symptoms that are possible indicators of the disorder in question. Next, we will locate the main symptoms of social anxiety disorder that manifest when interacting with other people:

  • Fear of being judged
  • Social isolation.
  • Shame.
  • Redness of the face.
  • Negative thoughts related to behavior during a social gathering.
  • Excessive sweating
  • Incrise of cardiac frecuency.
  • Tremors
  • Dizziness
  • Sickness.
  • Stomach pains
  • Muscle tension and / or weakness.
  • Difficulty breathing.

Despite these symptoms, it should be noted that the diagnosis should be done by a professional of health, since it will be in charge of evaluating the characteristics of the patient such as age, sex, pre-existing diseases and family history, among others.

Social Anxiety Disorder: What It Is, Symptoms, Causes And Treatment - Symptoms Of Social Anxiety Disorder

Causes of social anxiety disorder.

Above all, being able to understand the causes that lead to a picture of social anxiety disorder allows us to have more tools to treat it. In the following items, we will describe the main causes of social anxiety disorder.

Genetic factors

The gene transmission it is associated with the emotional responses that a person may have in certain areas. In this sense, there are genes that contain information related to emotions that can be displayed in situations of social interaction. Here genetic inheritance plays a fundamental role.

Environmental factors

Another cause of social anxiety disorder is the unpleasant past experiences. For example, it may happen that the person has experienced a situation of verbal and / or physical abuse between people, which is stored as a memory, and then this behavior is displayed in front of other persons.

Likewise, the behavioral imitation of people from the family environment affects social anxiety disorder. In other words, if within the family there is someone who suffers from this same disorder, there are great possibilities that other people will also be diagnosed with the same clinical picture.

Treatment of social anxiety disorder.

Despite the symptoms and causes that shape social anxiety disorder, there are treatments that improve the living conditions of those who suffer from it. In this section, we will show you how to cure social anxiety disorder.

Psychological therapy

On the one hand, there are long-term therapies that try to locate the origin of the symptoms so that the person can adopt another position in the face of situations of social anxiety

On the other hand, there are short-term therapies that address the emotions, thoughts and behaviors of the person suffering from social anxiety in a limited period of sessions. In turn, this approach provides tools that can be useful to deal with situations of social interaction in a different way. As an example, there are sessions in which situations of social exposure are worked through various interventions.

Psychiatric medication

In more serious cases, the use of psychotropic drugs can be used. In this article you will find information about the types of psychotropic drugs that exist. Medication administration should be guided by a health professional working in conjunction with a psychologist.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Social anxiety disorder: what is it, symptoms, causes and treatment, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

References

  1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed). Arlington: Editorial Médica Panamericana.

Bibliography

  • Frangella, L., Lukaszewicz, C. (2018). Psychoeducational Manual for people with social anxiety. Forum Foundation: Buenos Aires.
  • Muñoz Murillo, J.P., Alpízar Rodríguez, D. (2016). Prevalence and comorbidity of social anxiety disorder. Dome Magazine, 30 (1), 40-47.

Social anxiety disorder: what is it, symptoms, causes and treatment

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