Social Phobia

Social Phobia

Michelle Church

Kirkwood Community College

Instructor: Jennifer Brennom

Spring 2015

Social Phobia

1. What is the disorder you are reviewing?

The disorder being reviewed is social phobia, defined as “a strong fear of being judged by others and of being embarrassed. This fear can be so strong that it gets in the way of going to work or school or doing other everyday things” (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d., p. 1).

2. What are the symptoms of this disorder? What would it be like to be a person with this disorder? Be as specific as possible.

The symptoms of the social phobia disorder include the following: extreme anxiety when being with people, feelings of self-consciousness and embarrassment, strong apprehensions and fears of being judged, excessive worrying especially in anticipation of impending social events, deciding to stay away in places deemed to be filled with people, manifestations of exemplifying difficulties establishing friendly relationships and keeping them, exhibiting blushing, trembling, or sweating in the presence of other people, and experiencing nausea or sickness to the stomach when in the company of people (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.). As such, a person with this disorder could be perceived as similar to loners, reclusive individuals, or persons who want to be isolated.

3. Does this disorder fit into a larger category of disorders? (For example, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, etc.) Name and describe this category in detail.

The social phobia disorder is noted as an anxiety disorder (Bergamaschi, et al., 2011). As emphasized, the generalized social anxiety disorder (SAD) “is one of the most common anxiety conditions and is associated with impairment in social adjustment to the usual aspects of daily life, increased disability, dysfunction, and a loss of productivity” (Kessler, 2007; Filho, et al., 2010; cited in Bergamaschi, et al., 2011, p. 1219).

4. What are some possible causes of this disorder?...