Social Anxiety Essay

Social anxiety (or social phobia) is a disorder that alienates people and causes them to avoid social situations at all costs. It is described by the National Institute of Mental Health as “a strong fear of being judged by others and of being embarrassed (NIMH).” This means that people with this disorder have a fear of people’s thoughts and as a result will try to isolate themselves from others. Social anxiety has a very large limit as to the things that can trigger it. It can go from the simplest of things, such as simply buying an item to the extent of having to do a presentation in front of a large crowd.
This disorder is also more common than one might think, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America says that “about 15 million American adults have social anxiety disorder (ADAA, 2010-14).” This means that 15 million American adults are suffering from extreme anxiety (both mentally and physically) from daily activities. Social anxiety however is something that many people no do not know about and pass as shyness. This can be especially hard for people brought up in a western culture society; aggression, socialization and communication are very important in the job field and are promoted as key characteristics to moving up in society. But in a very well-known American survey “The 14 worst human fears: of 3,000 people surveyed” public speaking was ranked as number one with 41% rating. This outranked death, heights, and financial problems (TMvision). So how easy is it for most people to “buck up” from their shyness and show their key characteristics as society pressures people to? According to this survey, not very easy at all; for some people with social anxiety (without treatment) it can be something that is never achie...

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...ression if they do not seek treatment. Social anxiety often impedes on job interviews, all relationships and school. ADAA says that ‘36 percent of people with social anxiety disorder report symptoms for 10 or more years before seeking help (ADAA).” There are two main types of treatment: psychotherapy and medication. Psychotherapy is a cognitive behavior therapy; this is very useful for phobias. It helps the person with ways of thinking, acting, and reacting to feel less anxious. With medication, the most common ones for social anxiety are anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants. If you need a quick way to determine if you possibly have social anxiety there is an online test at the Social Anxiety Research Clinic webpage where they ask you to rate stations by how much fear and avoidance you feel when doing it, for example answering your phone in public.