Social Anxiety Disorder: Causes and Treatment Essay Example

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Other mental illnesses may exacerbate social anxiety disorder. These are like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), depression and panic disorders. In fact, these are the reasons most people visit the clinic about, not because of the social anxiety disorder symptoms (Heimberg et al 399).

The symptoms of Social anxiety disorder

• Avoidance of social events or functions
• Intense nervousness or anxiety in social situations
• Physical symptoms such as: palpitations and tachycardia, hyperhidrosis, tremors, muscle tension and rigidity, confusion, dyspepsia, flushing, blushing, tachypnea and hyperventilation, and even diarrhea.

Children may express their anxiety by throwing a tantrum, crying, or clinging to their mother or someone they know.

Prevalence

Social anxiety disorder is actually the 2nd most common kind of anxiety disorder, specific phobias leading, and 3rd most common mental disorder in the United states after alcohol dependence and depression (Bogels et al 179). Almost 19.2 million people in the U.S have this disorder. It is most common in adolescences and early adulthood. However, it can occur at any age. Women are more predisposed than men and it occurs more frequently in the females tan the males.

Causes

No single cause is attributed to social anxiety disorder. There is interplay of psychological, biological and environmental factors.

• Biological factors: currently it is thought that abnormal brain function could cause social anxiety disorder, especially the neural circuits regulating emotion and sympathetic response. Genetics also play a role since this disorder can be familial (Heimberg et al 401). Research shows that a first degree relative to the affected person most probably also has the disorder (parent, child or sibling).
• Psychological factors: humiliating or embossing social experiences in the past
  

may provoke or initiate social anxiety disorder. This includes like having been neglected or bullied by others.

Diagnosis

When symptoms are present, a detailed medical history and physical examination are key in diagnosing social anxiety disorder (Bogels et al 182). Laboratory tests of other physical illnesses such as cardiomyopathies and respiratory and gastrointestinal tract infections could be done to rule out these diseases as the cause of the symptoms. When no physical illness is found, the patient is referred to a psychiatrist, mental health professional or psychologist. After evaluation, the doctor will determine if the degree of dysfunction and symptoms indicate a social anxiety disorder.

Treatment

Cognitive behavioral therapy, which is abbreviated as CBT, is currently the most efficient treatment available. Chemotherapy may also be used to relieve the symptoms and augment CBT. Drugs may however, be used alone.

• Cognitive Behavioral therapy: the aim is to guide the patient’s thoughts to a more rational direction and assist him or her to stop avoiding situations that caused anxiety previously. It helps teach people to react in a different way to situations which make them anxious. Systemic desensitization or an actual real life exposure to the feared situation. Systemic desensitization is where the person imagines the frightful situation but works through his or her fears in a relaxed and safe environment like the office of the therapist (Heimberg et al
  

410).

Counseling to better self-esteem and social skills and relaxation techniques like deep inhalation could go a long way in helping someone overcome social anxiety disorder. Overall, social anxiety disorder is real and affects many people and we have a role to play in combating it.
This kind of disorder in an individual makes someone be very afraid of being judged or scrutinized by the other members of his or her society. Even in times when this kind of person is performing a particular role in representation of a larger group, they are afraid that perhaps the members that are represented may not appreciate them, or even they might criticize them. This in one way or another reduces their performance. The individuals who suffer from social anxiety disorder usually or most of the times have disrupted their day to day lives, or again they might live a life of shyness which is actually a very weak way of doing things.

The individuals with social anxiety disorder normally will have challenges relating with other people. They tend to have a lonely social life. They do not advance so much in romantic relationships. They also tend to shy away from corporate responsibilities which place a direct responsibility on them. They rarely arise to high positions of power or leadership, since they are afraid that none will have faith or rather confidence in them, to an extent of shying away from competition such as political

arena. Many of such characteristics end up being school drop outs, and many end up being jobless. Social phobia is therefore a serious issue that in a way has the ability to interfere with the performance of the nation as a whole. It should be handled with the due seriousness it deserves in order to check the progress of the individual early enough before they reach childhood. Such people should be appreciated for the little things that they do, and in case of a mistake, it should be covered with wisdom and love.

Annotated bibliography

Bögels, Susan M., et al. "Social anxiety disorder: questions and answers for the DSM? V." Depression and anxiety 27.2 (2010): 168-189
In this article, the author discusses the major issues that arise from various people concerning social anxiety disorder. The questions are laid clearly and the answers outlined very well for the clarity of understanding. The author also talks about the depression that most of the times is associated with this disorder.

Heimberg, Richard G., Faith A. Brozovich, and Ronald M. Rapee. "A cognitive-behavioral model of social anxiety disorder: Update and extension." Social anxiety: Clinical, developmental, and social perspectives 2 (2010): 395-422.

In this article, Heimberg and the other authors discuss in depth the signs of an individual who is a victim of social anxiety disorder. The characteristics that distinguish an individual who is suffering from the same sometimes are seen so vividly. This is basically what it talks about, outlining the various ways of knowing the true clinical, social and developmental perspectives of social anxiety disorder.

References

1. Bögels, Susan M., et al. "Social anxiety disorder: questions and answers for the DSM?V." Depression and anxiety 27.2
   

(2010): 168-189