Social Anxiety Disorder?

College Life
1

<p>The Top Three Most Common Mental Disorders:</p>

<ol>
<li>Depression</li>
<li>Substance Abuse</li>
<li>Social Anxiety</li>
</ol>

<p>Social Anxiety is the third most common disorder in the US but it is never talked about on TV, in magazines or anywhere. Why? You always see people with Depression and Substance Abuse problems on shows like Dr. Phil, Opera, in commercials etc. but never on Social Anxiety. I think it is a greatly underrated/overlooked disorder that effects about 10 million Americans, why is it not getting the exposer like that of the other mental disorders? I feel like there are many college students, and people in general, whose social phobia is going unnoticed and misjudged by other people.</p>

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[YouTube</a> - Health Matters: What is Social Anxiety Disorder?](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4truuD_xMP0]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4truuD_xMP0)</p>

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<p>Never heard of social anxiety before</p>

3

<p>It does not get talked about much because unlike clinical depression and substance abuse, social anxiety disorder is not really life threatening.</p>

4

<p>Social Anxiety was only taken seriously rather recently. Some people who have it often develop depression and it takes many years for it to get diagnosed. When a person does get diagnosed they might realize that “lost potential” feeling. Like some people might go back to college in their 30’s or 40’s, but it’s not the same. It’s gonna take time for society to realize, I think.</p>

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<p>What are the symptoms of social anxiety?</p>

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<p>I wasn’t aware that people didn’t know about social anxiety disorder. I am pretty sure that’s knowledge I have had since middle school. (And no, I dont have it. :P)</p>

<p>Here is what I found for diagnostic criteria. I don’t have a DSM handy to check the validity of this info, but it sounds about right.</p>

<p>Diagnostic criteria for 300.23 Social Phobia
(cautionary statement) </p>

<p>A. A marked and persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others. The individual fears that he or she will act in a way (or show anxiety symptoms) that will be humiliating or embarrassing.
Note: In children, there must be evidence of the capacity for age-appropriate social relationships with familiar people and the anxiety must occur in peer settings, not just in interactions with adults. </p>

<p>B. Exposure to the feared social situation almost invariably provokes anxiety, which may take the form of a situationally bound or situationally predisposed Panic Attack. Note: In children, the anxiety may be expressed by crying, tantrums, freezing, or shrinking from social situations with unfamiliar people. </p>

<p>C. The person recognizes that the fear is excessive or unreasonable. Note: In children, this feature may be absent. </p>

<p>D. The feared social or performance situations are avoided or else are endured with intense anxiety or distress. </p>

<p>E. The avoidance, anxious anticipation, or distress in the feared social or performance situation(s) interferes significantly with the person’s normal routine, occupational (academic) functioning, or social activities or relationships, or there is marked distress about having the phobia. </p>

<p>F. In individuals under age 18 years, the duration is at least 6 months. </p>

<p>G. The fear or avoidance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition and is not better accounted for by another mental disorder (e.g., Panic Disorder With or Without Agoraphobia, Separation Anxiety Disorder, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, a Pervasive Developmental Disorder, or Schizoid Personality Disorder). </p>

<p>H. If a general medical condition or another mental disorder is present, the fear in Criterion A is unrelated to it, e.g., the fear is not of Stuttering, trembling in Parkinson’s dsease, or exhibiting abnormal eating behavior in Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa. </p>

<p>Specify if: Generalized: if the fears include most social situations (also consider the additional diagnosis of Avoidant Personality Disorder)</p>