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When Shyness Becomes a Social Anxiety Disorder
Shyness is normal. Not everybody is outgoing, self-confident, the "life of the party." Many people are considered shy, introverted, or even awkward or withdrawn socially, yet are not considered to have a mental illness. But for people with social anxiety disorder, everyday social situations involve overwhelming anxiety and self-consciousness. These are the people for whom shyness has become a social anxiety disorder. Shy people do not experience the same intense anxiety as people with social anxiety disorder do. In addition, shy people don't avoid social situations to the extreme that people with social anxiety disorder do. Shyness is not a criteria for social anxiety disorder. In fact, people with social anxiety disorder may be quite comfortable with certain people or family members, or even many people on a one-on-one basis, but may still avoid or feel intense anxiety in specific social situations. The biggest difference between shyness and social anxiety disorder is that social anxiety disorder may come to be debilitating for some people whereas shyness does not. Social anxiety disorder may even begin to overtake every aspect of a person's life; whereas, shyness will not. For people with social anxiety disorder, the main feeling is fear. However, the intensity of that fear varies from person to person, and not every person with social anxiety disorder fears the same types of situations. People with social anxiety disorder may have some or all of the following feelings in social situations:
In fearful situations, people with social anxiety disorder will feel intense
anxiety, so they will tend to avoid these situations at all costs, even though
to other people these fears may seem irrational.
For some people with social anxiety disorder, the anxiety will intensify into a panic attack, which can sometimes mimic a heart attack. These symptoms of anxiety often lead to further embarrassment for the person with social anxiety disorder. Some people with social anxiety disorder are comfortable only with close friends and family. Some people with social anxiety disorder become anxious when dealing with people in authoritative positions (such as bosses or teachers). Some people with social anxiety disorder fear all social situations and are virtually homebound. Other people with social anxiety disorder only fear specific social situations. Public speaking is a common social fear. Other specific social fears include using public restrooms, eating in restaurants, going to the grocery store, department store or mall, and using a public telephone. People with social anxiety disorder often worry for days or even weeks before a feared social situation. Social anxiety disorder may become severe enough to interfere with school or work, and may cause difficulty with close relationships. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the following statistics show who has social anxiety disorder in the United States:
Social anxiety disorder may co-occur with other anxiety disorders as well as mood disorders such as major chronic depression and bipolar disorder. Additionally, people with social anxiety disorder may develop problems with substance abuse when they use drinking or drugs to "self-medicate" their symptoms. Social anxiety disorder is usually treated with therapy, medication, or a combination of both. As with other anxiety disorders, social anxiety disorder will become worse without treatment. Therefore, it is crucial for people who think they may have social anxiety disorder to seek proper treatment as soon as possible. The therapy used most often in treating social anxiety disorder is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Cognitive therapy helps those with social anxiety disorder learn how to cope with and change irrational, repetitive thoughts which may precede and intensify anxiety in feared situations. This therapy may also focus on self-esteem, anger, assertiveness and other issues. Behavioral therapy involves the actual practice of social skills. It may involve desensitization in feared situations. Behavioral therapy is often done in groups where participants may practice skills with people who have the same fears. However, not all people with social anxiety will feel comfortable in groups, so this therapy may be practiced one-on-one with a therapist or other trained mental health professional. Medication may be an important part of recovery for many. This may be temporary or long-term, depending on the individual. The medications most commonly used for social anxiety disorder are:
About the Author Michele Soloway has dealt with bipolar disorder from a very young age. Her grandmother, mother, herself, and her teenage son all have the disorder. She also lost her sister to suicide because of bipolar disorder. Michele has a blog for bipolar survivors at http://bipolarsurvivor.blogspot.com, and is also a contributing writer to www.bipolarcentral.com. Back to Article List |
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Featured Article:
Being the Ultimate Perfectionist By Michele Soloway Sexton
I am the ultimate perfectionist. Yes, me. I even got a fortune cookie one time that said, "You have a yearning for perfection," do you believe that?" Even Confucius knows it!
But it's a real battle for me. I expect things from myself that I would never expect from anyone else, and it really messes with my bipolar disorder, because, well, no one's perfect, and no one can live with that kind of stress.
So I was talking to someone about it lately, and they told me, "It's ok to strive for perfection, as long as you don't expect to arrive at perfection."
It's ok to make mistakes. That's what I've been learning. If you don't learn that, you'll be bound up in fear (another thing that's bad for our bipolar disorder). |
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