Social anxiety

Samrah

SOCIAL ANXIETY

What is it?

Social anxiety (also known as social phobia): Social anxiety is the fear of social situations and the

interaction with other people that can automatically bring on feelings of self-consciousness, judgment, evaluation, and inferiority.

About 15 million of adult Americans in

any given year are suffer from

social anxiety

(Anonymous, 2010).

For example

The Third Largest Mental Health Care Problem

In the United States, epidemiological studies have recently pegged social anxiety disorder as the third largest psychological problem in the country, after depression and alcoholism.

 It is estimated that 7-8% of the population suffers from some form of social anxiety at the present time.  The lifetime prevalence rate for developing social anxiety disorder is 13-14%.

Types of social anxiety

Specific anxiety

A specific social anxiety would be the fear of speaking in front of groups (only).

Generalized anxietywhereas people with generalized social

anxiety are anxious, nervous, and uncomfortable in almost all social situations.

Triggering Symptoms

People with social anxiety usually experience significant distress in the following situations.

Being introduced to other people

Being teased

Being the centre of attention

Being watched while doing something

Meeting people in authority

Emotional Symptoms

high levels of fear

nervousness racing heart blushing excessive

sweating dry throat Trembling muscle

twitches.

.

ANDREW KUKES FOUNDATION OF SOCIAL ANXIETY

Personality approaches to social anxiety

.

Psychoanalytical approach Trait approach Biological approach Humanistic approach Cognitive –behavioural &social learning approach (CBT)

Psychoanalitic Approach Classical psychoanalytic theory: mental health problems arise as a

result of repressed unconscious desires from childhood

. Psychoanalysts treat social anxiety disorders by helping the individual understand what is making them anxious.

.

Individuals talk freely about themselves and attempt to overcome inner conflicts.

Trait Theory

Various traits combine = a personality that is unique to each individual.

Focused on identifying and measuring these individual personality characteristics

People with characteristics that fall at an extreme on the chart are likely to have a psychological abnormality associated with that trait.

They are then likely to select their environment in such a way that this trait is brought out.

To keep this from happening, psychologists teach their patients to come to terms with the flawed trait, allowing the patient to break the cycle

Biological Approach S.A.D sufferers:

show increased activity in the amygdala

(i.e., a structure deep inside the brain that generally shows more activity in response to threatening or fearful events)

show decreased activity in cortical areas

(i.e., the outer portion of the brain that is involved in planning and the complex interpretation of events).

People who are very sociable tend to have

increased levels of dopamine.

Biological Approach

Biological Treatment

There are a number of medications that have proven useful for treating social anxiety disorder. These medications include:

Antidepressants,Antianxiety,Gabapentin (Neurontin),

Humanistic Approach

Mission: point the individual in the direction of inbuilt

potentials and resources Hopeful Result:

help them to build a stronger personality and self-concept

Therapist is considered a “guide” Mindfulness and acceptance techniques +

traditional behavior therapy (humanistic approach) = effective treatment (George, 2008)

Cognitive-Behavioral & Social Learning Approach

(CBT) Helps patients:

uncover the underlying causes of your worries and fears;

learn how to relax; look at situations in new, less frightening

ways; develop better coping and problem-solving

skillsgive patients the tools to overcome anxiety

and teach them how to use them.

Medical University of South Carolina Study:

CBT was superior to biological treatments (medication) in the long run

CBT had more successes than the other four approaches (Würz, et al.,

2009).

Conclusion: Best Approach

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: Why? 1. Past higher success rates2. Positive study results 3. More advantages compared to other

approaches4. fewer disadvantages compared to

advantages5. No judgment, just programs geared

towards patient progress.

Therapy (Treatment)

Does your therapist say, "Face your fears and they’ll go away?"

Sorry, but this therapist does not understand the dynamics of social anxiety.

But this can be stopped, quenched, and killed in a relatively short period of time – by finding a cognitive-behavioural therapist who understands and specializes in the treatment of social anxiety.

The most important elements in overcoming social anxiety are followings:

1. An understanding and awareness of the problem .

2. A commitment to carry through with cognitive behaviour therapy even when it is seems difficult.

3. Practice, practice, practice to get that information (i.e., cognitive methods, strategies, and concepts) deep down into your brain - so that these cognitive  methods become habitual and automatic.

4. Participation in a social anxiety therapy group in which you can slowly and gradually work on problems that cause you anxiety in the real world.

Medication For social anxiety, research indicates use

of the anti-anxiety agents, and (perhaps) certain antidepressants in conjunction with CBT have proven most beneficial .

Medication without the use of active, structured cognitive- behavioural therapy has no long-term benefits. 

Only CBT can change the neural pathway associations in the brain permanently.

GROUPS

Therapy groups for social anxiety should always be encouraging, positive, and supportive.  

If the right atmosphere is set, people can make (and continue to make) progress up their "hierarchy" of social anxieties.

Compliance with Cognitive- behavioural Therapy Cognitive- behavioural (rational) therapy is

not difficult to do, and has not been seen this way by participants.

 The first factor in not complying with the therapy is that "I can't remember to do it every day" and "I have a hard time committing to something in which I don't see immediate results". 

The psychologist or group leader should have time-tested solutions to these irrational arguments. 

Prognosis

Prognosis is markedly good. People completing CBT training report a high success rate, compared to control groups.

In the National Institute of Mental Health longitudinal studies, people continued to report progress after CBT behavioural group therapy was over.  

Studies repeatedly indicate that treatment compatibility (i.e., did the person carry out the prescribed therapy?) is the key element in success.

A Big Problem Lack of professional and knowledgeable

therapists is the biggest and most relevant problem to overcoming social anxiety.  While it can be done, and a vast amount of clinical and research evidence supports this, overcoming social anxiety is difficult because of the scarcity of treatment facilities for people with this persistent anxiety disorder.