By David Joel Miller.
What is Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia.)
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Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia.) Was 300.23 now F40.10.
Social Anxiety Disorder sometimes called Social Phobia is far more common and debilitating here in the United States than is generally recognized. The most recent estimates are that in excess of seven percent or over 22 million Americans have Social Anxiety Disorder. The U.S rate runs 3 to 6 times the rate reported in other countries.
Fully three-fourths of those who will revive this diagnosis first have symptoms during childhood from the fourth to the tenth grade. This results in significantly lower graduation rates by those with Social Anxiety Disorder. Lifetime someone with Social Anxiety Disorder is more likely to be lower-income and socioeconomic status.
The rates of Social Anxiety Disorder are highest among those who are single, unmarried, or divorced. The disorder may be severe when young and single, become milder when the person is married, and reemerge when they are divorced. The typical person with this disorder waits from fifteen to twenty years before seeking treatment.
The symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder.
People with Social Anxiety Disorder become extremely, excessively, anxious when they will be in social situations where they may be judged or evaluated by others. While you are only required to be anxious in one social situation to be diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder most people with this condition are anxious in many situations.
Someone with Social Anxiety Disorder will report that they can’t relax around others. They may hide achievements that would get them noticed, avoid attention, avoid eating in front of others, and when in social situations they will listen instead of speak.
Other ways this disorder will manifest include, avoid confrontations, preferring to work alone, being afraid to ask questions, avoiding social gatherings, parties, etc. They will underachieve to avoid attention, may drop out of school, or not apply for a job or promotion.
Performance Anxiety is a special case of Social Anxiety Disorder.
People who are in the public eye are at extra risk for Social Anxiety Disorder. Many people are afraid of public speaking, this will not count towards Social Anxiety Disorder if you do not normally need to speak in public. But if your job requires public speaking, or being on stage and when you do this you become extremely anxious then that would be considered a case of Social Anxiety Disorder.
Children with Social Anxiety Disorder.
For children, we do not count situations in which they become anxious in front of adults. Children who develop the disorder also need to be excessively anxious in front of their peers.
Children may try to avoid social anxiety by crying excessively, having tantrums, being clingy, or going mute.
With Social Anxiety Disorder you can run or suffer.
Most people with Social Anxiety Disorder will go to great lengths to avoid social interactions. Some attempt to stay at home with parents well into adulthood convinced that they simply can’t venture out around strangers. They may settle for living in poverty, staying in abusive or dysfunctional relationships rather than attempt to move outside their residence.
Social Anxiety Disorder is neither brief nor temporary.
When we talk about Social Anxiety Disorder we are expecting a problem that is ongoing not a brief temporary fear of a social situation. Typically this has lasted for six months or more. Though clinicians are encouraged to use some judgment here. If you come in asking for help after only five months and three weeks you should get the help despite it being less than six months. In this disorder, the fear also should be far more severe than the situation would merit. If the danger is real and severe, this is not Social Anxiety Disorder.
Treatment for Social Anxiety Disorder.
Treatment for Social Anxiety Disorder can be very effective if the client can get to the treatment. One promising development has been the use of distance counseling over the internet for those too anxious to travel to the counselor’s office. Treatment has been effective both in reducing the Anxiety symptoms and in shortening the duration of the disorder.
There are other things that kind of look like Social Anxiety Disorder.
Professionals need to look at a bunch of other things and make sure that they are not sticking this diagnosis on someone when another diagnosis would fit better. The DSM-5 lists fifteen things that need to be ruled out before deciding on Social Anxiety Disorder. At the top of that list? Social Anxiety Disorder needs to be more severe and cause way more problems than just normal shyness.
As with the other things we are calling a mental illness, Social Anxiety Disorder needs to interfere with your ability to work or go to school, your relationships, your enjoyable activities or cause you personal distress. Otherwise, you may have the issues but you will not get the diagnosis if this is a preference, not a problem. If the only time this happens is when under the influence of drugs or medicines or because of some other physical or medical problem this fear needs to be more than your situation would warrant. These other issue needs treating first, then if you still have symptoms you could get the Social Anxiety diagnosis.
FYI These “What is” sometimes “What are” posts are my efforts to explain terms commonly used in Mental Health, Clinical Counseling, Substance Use Disorder Counseling, Psychology, Life Coaching, and related disciplines in a plain language way. Many are based on the new DSM-5, some of the older posts were based on the DSM-IV-TR, both published by the APA. For the more technical versions please consult the DSM or other appropriate references.
Staying connected with David Joel Miller
Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!
My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.
Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.
Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.
As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.
Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get your life out of the ditch.
Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.
Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.
Planned Accidents The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.
Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.
What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?
Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.
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