Social Anxiety Disorder

Social Anxiety Disorder Social anxiety disorder, or social phobia, is a fear of being in certain social situations and includes having excessive and unreasonable anxiety before, during or after the situation because of this fear. This anxiety can lead to the development of panic attacks and extreme anticipatory anxiety, where the anxiety is present and becomes worse throughout the duration before the event. This disorder can lead to avoidance of many social situations or can be triggered by just one type of social situation. Many times the person affected by social anxiety disorder has anxiety about many situations such as using a public restroom, talking on the phone, giving a speech, and working in front of others, but can be affected by just one phobia also. Many other mental illnesses have been linked to social anxiety disorder, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder and depression (Cleveland Clinic, 2008). Some physical symptoms, such as nausea, trembling, and blushing, can occur during the social situation which usually increases the anxiety the person is feeling. This disorder affects approximately 15 million Americans and is equal between both men and women, showing its first symptoms during childhood and early adolescence. There are many treatments including psychotherapy and medications (National Institute of Mental Health, 2008). Resources: Cleveland Clinic & WebMD. (2008). Mental Health: Social Anxiety Disorder. Retrieved December 28, 2008 from http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/mentalhealth-social-anxiety-disorder. National Institute of Mental Health. (2008). Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder). Retrieved December 28, 2008 from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/socialphobia/index.shtml. Beth Anderson, OTS Occupational Therapy and Occupational Sciences Tips for Kids Trainee University of Missouri emawwd@mizzou.edu