subject: Dealing With Social Anxiety [print this page] Social anxiety, also known as social phobia, is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by constant fear of being rejected or criticized by others. Patients who suffer from this condition are constantly worried of being embarrassed or humiliated by their surroundings due to their behavior.
Although it is somewhat natural to be concerned about what other people think of you, in patients with social phobia this sensation is quite extreme. Fear of rejection can sometimes make basic daily activities seem very difficult, sometimes even impossible.
Some patients also suffer from low self-esteem and certain wrong beliefs they find hard to let go.
Anxiety disorder is not at all rare, and it is estimated that approximately 7 percent of the population suffer from it up to a certain degree, and that 13 percent have the chance of having it throughout life. Women are more prone to suffer from anxiety than men (2:1). It is surprising that despite its wide prevalence in the population, not many people know exactly what it is, and how to treat it.
First of all, it is not easy to differentiate between shyness and social phobia. A shy person will not experience the same fear and anxious sensation a patient with anxiety disorder might feel. In addition, a shy person will probably not try and avoid social gatherings or events that could potentially put him in an unpleasant situation, whereas a patient with the disorder will.
There are lots of similarities between the two people, and shyness is probably a major characteristic of patients with this disorder, however it is very important to distinguish the two, and suggest proper treatment. It is also important to distinguish different types of anxiety, and realize not all forms of the disorder are at the same level. Some patients suffer from what is called "stage fright", meaning they will avoid standing out in a crowd, speaking out loud or presenting in front of an audience. Others fear from public toilets. Others might not even answer a question a teacher asks them even when they have the correct answer.
One more important fact is that the condition doesn't always manifest at a young age. Many times these types of disorders develop over time, triggered by a traumatic event related to a social activity, or public humiliation. Of course not everyone is prone to develop social anxiety, and most people have good defense mechanisms assisting them in overcoming such events.
The most important thing is to identify a problem as early as possible, in order for the patient to receive suitable treatment.
