Social anxiety disorder
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GET AWARENESS OF MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS AFFECTING CONTEMPORARY SOCIETYย
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Mental health problems encompass a range of conditions that affect mood, thinking, and behavior. They can vary in severity and include disorders like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. These issues can impact daily functioning, relationships, and overall well-being, highlighting the importance of awareness, support, and access to proper treatment.
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LIST OF MENTAL DISORDERSย
- Schizophrenia
- Paranoia
- Social anxiety disorders
- Avoidance personality disorders
- Obsessive compulsive disorders
- Depression
- Psychosis
- Borderline personality disorders
- Seasonal affective disorders
- Sun down disordersย
SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDERSย
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Social anxiety disorder, formerly referred to as social phobia, is an anxiety disorder characterized by overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situations. People with social anxiety disorder have a persistent, intense, and chronic fear of being watched and judged by others and of being embarrassed or humiliated by their own actions. Their fear may be so severe that it interferes with work, school, or other activities. While many people with this disorder recognize that their fear of being around people may be excessive or unreasonable, they are unable to overcome it. They often worry for days or weeks in advance of a dreaded situation. In addition, they often experience low self-esteem and depression.
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Children who are teased, bullied, rejected, ridiculed, or humiliated may be more likely to develop social anxiety disorder. Family conflict, trauma, abuse, or other negative life events may also be linked to the condition.
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Meeting new people, giving a speech, or having to make an important presentation at work may trigger social anxiety disorder symptoms.
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Facial disfigurement, stuttering, tremors due to Parkinsonโs disease, and other conditions can make people feel self-conscious and may trigger social anxiety disorder.
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Children who are shy, timid, withdrawn, or restrained when dealing with new situations or people may have an increased risk of developing the disorder. People who have social anxiety disorder commonly say they were extremely shy as children. (However, social anxiety disorder and shyness are not the same thing.)
> Social anxiety disorder causes
Although it may feel like youโre the only one with this problem, social anxiety is actually quite common. Many people struggle with these fears. But the situations that trigger the symptoms of social anxiety disorder can be different.
๐ Some people experience anxiety in most social situations. For others, anxiety is connected to specific social situations, such as speaking to strangers, mingling at parties, or performing in front of an audience. Common social anxiety triggers include:
_ Meeting new people
_Making small talk
_Public speaking
_Performing on stage
_Being the center of attention
_Talking with โimportantโ people or authority figures
_Being watched while doing something
_Going on a date
_Being teased or criticized
_Speaking up in a meeting
_Being called on in class
_Using public restrooms
_Taking exams
_Eating or drinking in public
_Making phone calls
_Attending parties or other social gatherings
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Symptoms of Social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety is more than shyness. Itโs an intense fear that doesnโt go away.
It can affect your:
_Everyday activities
_Self-confidence
_Relationships
_Work or school life
_Many people worry about social situations from time-to-time. Someone with social anxiety feels very worried before, during and after them.
You may have social anxiety if you:
๐) Dread meeting strangers, starting conversations, speaking on the phone, working or shopping
๐) Avoid or worry a lot about social activities โ group conversations, eating with company, and parties
๐) Always worry about doing something you think is embarrassing โ blushing, sweating or appearing incompetent
๐) Find it difficult to do things when others are watching
๐) Fear criticism, avoid eye contact or have low self-esteem
๐) Often have symptoms such as feeling sick, sweating, trembling or heart palpitations
G) Have panic attacks
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Your healthcare provider will diagnose social anxiety disorder from a description of your symptoms and behavioral patterns. During your appointment, you will be asked to explain what symptoms you are having and discuss situations in which these symptoms present themselves. The diagnostic criteria for social anxiety disorder, as outlined in the DSM-5, includes:
โก๏ธ Marked fear or anxiety about one or more social situations in which the individual is exposed to possible scrutiny by others lasting for 6 months or more.
โก๏ธ Fear of acting in a way that will reveal anxiety symptoms that will be negatively evaluated by others. In children, the anxiety must occur when the child is among peers and not just adults.
โก๏ธ The social situations almost always cause fear and anxiety.
The social situations are avoided or endured with intense fear.
The fear or anxiety is out of proportion to the actual threat posed by the situation.
Differential Diagnosis
There are many conditions that share similarities with social anxiety disorder. Often, these may be diagnosed along with SAD. Differential diagnosis might include the following conditions:
โฉSelective mutism: Selective mutism involves a failure to speak in specific social situations (e.g., at school) and is usually diagnosed in childhood. Children with this disorder will fail to speak at school but may talk with their family at home.
โฉChildhood-onset fluency disorder (stuttering): Childhood-onset fluency disorder is listed as a neurodevelopmental disorder but can also cause anxiety about speaking in public.
โฉAvoidant personality disorder: This disorder involves the same symptoms as social anxiety disorder but to a stronger degree, with a broader pattern of avoidance.
โฉPanic disorder: Panic disorder involves unexpected panic attacks that appear to come out of the blue. Unlike those with SAD, people with panic disorder may suspect a medical cause for their anxiety.
โฉAgoraphobia: Agoraphobia is diagnosed alongside panic disorder and refers to a fear of having a panic attack in a place from which it would be hard to escape. People with social anxiety disorder may also be diagnosed with panic disorder and agoraphobia, but these are separate conditions.
โฉAutism spectrum disorder (ASD): Autism spectrum disorder involves impairment in social communication across a range of contexts. Children who have high-functioning autism (Level 1) may also have social anxiety.
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Of all the professional treatments available, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to work best for treating social anxiety disorder. CBT is based on the premise that what you think affects how you feel, and your feelings affect your behavior. So if you change the way you think about social situations that give you anxiety, youโll feel and function better.
CBT for social phobia may involve:
๐ฎ) Learning how to control the physical symptoms of anxiety through relaxation techniques and breathing exercises.
๐ฏ) Challenging negative, unhelpful thoughts that trigger and fuel social anxiety, replacing them with more balanced views.
๐ฐ) Facing the social situations you fear in a gradual, systematic way, rather than avoiding them.
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Lifestyle changes to reduce anxiety:
_Learn and practice stress-reducing techniques such as meditation and deep breathing
_Be physically active and exercise on a regular basis
_Get enough sleep
_Eat a healthy and balanced diet
_Avoid smoking and alcohol
_Limit or avoid caffeinated drinks such as coffee and tea
Chamomile, valerian, kava root, and passion flower are sedative herbs that have been known to exert a calming effect
_Take a part in social events and spend time with a person whom you feel comfort.