ANXIETY

Anxiety

Anxiety

Anxiety is a recurrent topic in professional literature. Social anxiety disorder represents one of the most common forms of anxiety in different population groups. Because social anxiety disorder is often confused with shyness, many of its symptoms and complications may go unnoticed. Thesis: Today, social anxiety disorder presents a serious social problem to those, who either dismiss its symptoms as too insignificant or fail to cope with it without professional assistance.

Social anxiety disorder is one of the most common psychiatric disorders (Author Unknown, treating social anxiety disorder, 2010). Social anxiety disorder is also known as social phobia and “involves persistent fear of one or more social performance situations in which a person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others” (Tolman et al, 2009). Social anxiety does not extend beyond the feeling of fear and embarrassment, but social anxiety disorder is associated with serious impairments and produces significant negative impacts on the quality of individual routine performance (Roy et al, 2009). Social anxiety disorder affects 7% of Americans in any given year and 12% of Americans at some point of their lives (Author Unknown, treating social anxiety disorder, 2010). About two-thirds of Americans with social anxiety disorder are women (Author Unknown, what to do about social anxiety disorder, 2008). Unfortunately, the symptoms of social anxiety disorder in men and women are often confused with shyness and are dismissed as too trivial (Author Unknown, treating social anxiety disorder, 2010). For this reason, researchers often lack opportunities to study social anxiety disorder in more detail, while individuals fail to understand the seriousness of the issue and its psychological/life implications.

Why some individuals are more vulnerable to social anxiety disorder than others is unclear, but that SAD symptoms first appear during adolescence is a scientific fact (Author Unknown, what to do about social anxiety disorder 2008; Author Unknown, treating social anxiety disorder, 2010). The first symptoms tend to appear between ages 10 and 19 (Author Unknown, treating social anxiety disorder, 2010). The onset usually occurs in middle or late adolescence; sometimes, social anxiety disorder is diagnosed as early as 8 years of age (Roy, 2009). Typical symptoms of social anxiety disorder in adults include a dry mouth, a racing heart, blushing and a shaky voice, trembling, sweating, and even nausea (Author Unknown, treating social anxiety disorder, 2010). In younger children, social anxiety disorder can manifest through crying (Author Unknown, treating social anxiety disorder, 2010). The severity of symptoms increases with age: adolescents can successfully cope with their shyness and embarrassment, but younger adults display prolonged symptoms of SAD, and their failure to cope with stressful situations results in continuous social, functional, and developmental impairments (Author Unknown, treating social anxiety disorder, 2010).

The DSM-IV lists the criteria, which individuals must meet to be diagnosed social anxiety disorder. These include persistent fear of situations with unfamiliar people, anxiety and/ or a panic attack produced by the feared situation, and conscious avoidance of anxiety-inducing situations (Author Unknown, treating social anxiety disorder, ...