Diagnosing Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder is a debilitating disorder, also known as social phobia that is characterized by excessive and unreasonable fears of social situations. Individuals suffering from this disorder experience intense nervousness and are extremely self-conscious in social settings. They fear that others are watching them closely and will judge and criticize. As a result, they are afraid of making mistakes and fear being embarrassed or humiliated in front of others. Individuals with social anxiety disorder usually lack social skills and don’t have much experience in social settings, and tend to avoid these types of situations.

Symptoms

People suffering from social anxiety disorder sometimes feel as if something is “wrong” with them, but often don’t realize that they are plagued by an actual illness. According to WebMD.com, symptoms of this disorder include:

·         Intense anxiety in social situations

·         Avoidance of social situations

·         Physical symptoms of anxiety, including confusion, pounding heart, sweating, shaking, blushing, muscle tension, upset stomach, and diarrhea

For children suffering with this disorder, their symptoms may include crying, clinging to a parent, or throwing a tantrum.

Social Anxiety Disorder is Quite Common

An estimated 19.2 million American are thought to have Social Anxiety Disorder, making it the third most common mental disorder in the U.S. after depression and alcohol dependence. While being more common in women than men, it can appear at any time, from childhood into adulthood. Although it is not known exactly what causes this disorder, research suggests the possibility that there are biological, psychological, and environmental factors that are responsible:

·         Biological: Social anxiety disorder may be related to abnormal functioning of brain circuits that regulate emotion and the "fight or flight" response center in the brain.  Genetic factors may also contribute, because social anxiety may be somewhat more likely to occur when it is also present in a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child).

·         Psychological: The development of social anxiety disorder may stem from embarrassing or humiliating social experiences in the past, such as being bullied or neglected by peers.

·         Environmental: People with social anxiety disorder may develop their fear from observing the behavior of others or seeing what happened to someone else as the result of their behavior (such as being laughed at or made fun of). Further, children who are sheltered or overprotected by their parents may not learn good social skills as part of their normal development.

How is Social Anxiety Disorder Diagnosed?

If it is determined that there are symptoms of social anxiety disorder present, the physician will generally conduct an evaluation by asking questions about your medical history and, although there are no tests to verify the presence of social anxiety disorder, a physical exam is usually conducted to rule out other possible illnesses. If there is no sign of a physical illness, you will probably be referred to a mental health professional that is trained in diagnosing and treating mental illnesses.

Social anxiety disorder is a debilitating disorder, also known as social phobia that is characterized by excessive and unreasonable fears of social situations. It is very prevalent in the U.S. and while there is not a specific test to determine if a person has this disorder, generally an evaluation and a physical exam will rule out other illnesses. A referral is then usually given to a mental health professional that is trained in diagnosing and treating social anxiety disorder

NEUROFEEDBACK FOR ANXIETY