The Impact of Social Anxiety Disorder on Life in the United States Social anxiety disorder, as the name suggests, is a disorder that induces people to be anxious about social interaction. The disorder is characterized by the fear of being judged negatively by others, which translates into the desire to avoid interacting with others or drawing attention to oneself (Kashdan & Farmer, 2014, 629). Social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia or SAD) affects people in different ways. May have physical symptoms; for example, people with SAD may blush or tremble in situations that induce anxiety (Schneier, 2003, 516). The disorder also features different cognitive and behavioral systems, which we will discuss later. Some people with SAD become anxious only in specific situations such as public speaking, while others may become anxious in a broader range of social situations (Schneier, 2003, 516). SAD appears to have both genetic and environmental causes. Several genes have been found to have some association with social anxiety and it is likely that these may contribute to the disorder (Stein & Stein, 2008, 1118). However, “overprotective but critical” parenting styles can also contribute to the development of the disorder (Schneier, 2003, 516). It is possible that negative treatment from peers at a young age may also contribute; adolescents who experience “relational victimization,” or negative treatment in a social relationship, are more likely to subsequently experience feelings of social anxiety (Siegel et al., 2009, 1096). SAD can be treated with certain medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors; it can also be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy (Stein & Stein, 2008, 1120). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Social anxiety disorder is quite common; it is the third most common psychiatric disorder in the United States (Schneier, 2003, 515-516). 10-15% of people in the United States experience SAD at some point in their lives (Farmer & Kashdan, 2015, 102). It usually manifests itself in the first years of life; about 50% of people with SAD have it by age 11, and about 80% by age 20 (Stein & Stein, 2008, 1115). Cognitive aspects of social anxiety disorder include feelings of low self-esteem and inferiority compared to others. (Farmer & Kashdan, 2015, 104; Schneier, 2003, 516). People with SAD are prone to self-consciousness and are easily embarrassed (Schneier, 2003, 516) and tend to be quick to assume that others dislike them (Farmer & Kashdan, 2015, 104). In some cases, if a person with SAD believes they have made a mistake or been judged negatively during a social interaction, they may think about the event hours or even days after it occurred (Farmer & Kashdan, 2015, 103) . People with SAD often remember negative social experiences more than positive ones, and even friendly interactions can sometimes cause them anxiety (Farmer & Kashdan, 2015, 104). People with SAD tend to experience more stress than others (Farmer & Kashdan, 2015, 110). They expend a significant amount of mental energy trying to avoid anxiety and the possibility of being unpleasant, which can be “cognitively taxing” (Kashdan & Farmer, 110). Compared to others, the self-esteem of people with SAD seems to depend more on their social experiences (Farmer & Kashdan, 2015, 111). As you would expect, people with SAD tend to have higher levels of introversion (Stein & Stein, 2008, 1118). Behavioral aspects of social anxiety disorder include avoidance ofinteract with others and social events and activities (Schneier, 2003). , 515). They especially avoid situations in which they might be evaluated. This avoidance behavior is usually the safest way to prevent their feelings of anxiety, although it is unlikely to be the best course of action for their mental health in the long term (Eggleston et al.al., 2003, 45) . Social anxiety disorder has several effects on the lives of those who suffer from it. As you would expect, their reluctance to interact with others often prevents them from having positive social experiences, so they are less likely to develop friendly relationships and have a meaningful social life (Farmer & Kashdan, 2015, 104). In a work context, it is more difficult for them to have smooth relationships with colleagues (Farmer & Kashdan, 2015, 103). They sometimes engage in certain “safety behaviors” to try to mitigate their feelings of anxiety. These may include “unassertiveness, conflict avoidance, restriction of emotional expression, and interpersonal anxiety” (Farmer & Kashdan, 2015, 104). In an unfortunate vicious cycle, these behaviors may seem unattractive to others and make them uncomfortable, satisfying the person with SAD's fear of being liked less (Farmer & Kashdan, 2015, 104). Some of the potential effects of social anxiety disorder can be felt on a social level. People with SAD often do not perform as well in school as others. They are also less likely to get married (Nardi, 2003, 1287). People with SAD are at greater risk of losing their job than others and on average have lower economic status. Because of the difficulties SAD can cause in education and work, the “financial burden” of SAD “rivals that of depression” (Farmer & Kashdan, 2015, 102). Despite the frequency of social anxiety disorder, it often goes undiagnosed (Schneier, 2003, 516). Most people with SAD do not seek treatment, and 80% of people with the disorder do not receive it. This number is much higher than for other mental disorders; for comparison, 40% of people with major depressive disorder and 50% of people with generalized anxiety disorder receive no treatment (Anderson et al., 2015, 131). This is partly because the feelings of shame that people with SAD tend to experience can discourage them from seeking treatment (Schneier, 2003, 516). They are likely to worry about what others would think (Anderson et al., 2015, 132). As with many other mental disorders, there is a stigma surrounding social anxiety disorder in American society. In one study, some participants indicated that they would like to have more “social distance” between themselves and someone with behaviors typical of SAD (Anderson et al. 2015, 131). For example, they expressed that they would prefer not to have such a person as a close friend or colleague (Anderson et al., 2015, 133). These attitudes were more common among men and people who had no experience receiving mental health treatment (Anderson et al., 2015, 131). Stigma can be especially distressing for people with SAD, due to their fear that other people will think of them negatively (Anderson et al., 2015, 131). Social anxiety disorder may be related to other behavioral health problems. There is “considerable comorbidity” between SAD and major depressive disorder (Farmer & Kashan, 2015, 108). SAD also appears to have a complex and not fully understood relationship with alcohol consumption. SAD and alcohol abuse occur together in many cases; 20-28% of people seeking treatment for SAD also meet criteria for an alcohol use disorder (Eggleston et al.,2003, 34). In others, however, experiencing SAD symptoms was related to drinking less (Eggleston et al., 2003, 34). One possible explanation is that SAD can potentially push people in two different directions regarding alcohol, depending on how they view it. Some people with SAD may see drinking as a coping method that will help relieve their anxiety and make it easier for them to socialize (Eggleston et al., 2003, 45); these people would be more likely to abuse alcohol. Other people with SAD may be worried about behaving embarrassingly while under the influence of alcohol; these people would be more likely to drink less than average (Eggleston et al., 2003, 34-35). As mentioned above, social anxiety disorder is not diagnosed very often in the United States, although it is quite common and can be treated. Social anxiety disorder is primarily treated in two ways: cognitive behavioral therapy and medication. Studies have shown that both of these treatment methods are generally effective against SAD, although improvements resulting from cognitive behavioral therapy (or CBT) appear to last longer (Stein & Stein, 2008, 1120). In cognitive behavioral therapy, a therapist helps the patient learn to deal with the mental processes involved in SAD and to act in a way that is not so inhibited by the disorder. The therapist helps the patient notice unhelpful thoughts – such as expectations that others will judge him – and think differently. Patients also learn to set constructive goals – such as initiating more social interactions – rather than simply holding themselves to expectations that they find difficult to meet. The therapist can also teach the patient strategies to manage anxiety and relax (Schneier, 2006, 1030-1031). CBT also includes therapeutic exposure. The therapist can help the patient create a “hierarchy” of the situations he fears. Then the patient is gradually exposed to these, both through role-playing with the therapist, and in the real world through “homework” (Schneier, 2006, 1031). CBT certainly works as a treatment for SAD. In a follow-up study, after five years, 89% of people who had done CBT had seen an improvement, meaning that their social anxiety, avoidance of social situations and life problems had decreased in to a certain extent (Schneier, 2006, 1031). Because people with SAD are likely to be anxious when they begin CBT, it is important for therapists to build positive relationships with their patients at the beginning of therapy. This can reduce the possibility of patients deciding not to show up for treatment appointments, which they may otherwise be inclined to do. A helpful action the therapist can take at this stage is to ask if there is anything he or she can do to reduce the patient's anxiety during meetings (McNeil & Quentin, 2014, 273-274). Group forms of CBT do not work as well in treating SAD as individual therapy (Stein & Stein, 2008, 1121). Cognitive behavioral therapy is effective for children and adolescents who show signs of social anxiety disorder (Stein & Stein, 2008, 1121-1122). It can potentially “restore normal social development” in these children and adolescents, preventing them from having SAD in the future (Schneier, 2006, 1034). Therefore, undergoing CBT for children and adolescents who meet the criteria for SAD could be a preventive approach to reduce its incidence. The most important drugs used against SAD are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (or SSRIs) and related serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (or SNRIs). These are now used as “first-line pharmacotherapy”for the disorder and their effectiveness has been established in studies (Schneier, 2006, 1031). Many other medications can also be used against SAD; these include benzodiazepines, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (or MAOIs), and some other anticonvulsants and antidepressants (Schneier, 2006, 1032-1033). There is not as much evidence on the effectiveness of these drugs as there is for SSRIs and SNRIs (Schneier, 2006, 1032-1033), but switching to one may be helpful for patients who do not see improvements with a SSRI or an SNRI (Schneier, 2006, 1034). Patients taking medications for SAD are advised to take them for 6-12 months, after which they can gradually reduce the amount and then stop taking the medication. However, relapse will still be possible and patients should start taking the drug again if this happens (Schneier, 2006, 1003). Medication has quicker results than cognitive behavioral therapy. It is a more feasible treatment option in some situations; this includes whether the patient is “too anxious or depressed” to begin cognitive behavioral therapy, or does not do their homework for it (Stein & Stein, 2008, 1120). Another form of treatment for SAD that has emerged recently is Internet-based treatment (Andersson et al., 2014, 569). In this, patients use an online program that teaches them about SAD and how they can learn to be less affected by it. Many of these programs are similar to CBT in the material they present. Although the programs are usually self-guided, they involve some online contact with a therapist (Andersson et al., 2014, 569). This internet-based treatment appears to have similar effectiveness to CBT performed in person. However, further research would be useful to understand how it might best work (Andersson et al., 2014, 581). If more people were diagnosed with SAD, many of them could receive treatment, which could reduce or alleviate their difficulties with the disorder. . As mentioned above, one of the main reasons so many people with social anxiety disorder go undiagnosed is that many of them never seek treatment. In some cases this is simply due to a lack of awareness of the disorder; some people with SAD do not know that they have a condition shared by others and treatable (Nardi, 2003, 1287). Therefore, raising awareness would be one way to help those affected get treatment. There have been educational campaigns in the media about anxiety disorders which have increased the number of people with these conditions who are treated (Nardi, 2003, 1287). Therefore, media campaigns teaching people about SAD would be an effective way to increase treatment for this disorder. The stigma associated with having a mental disorder is another reason why many people with SAD never seek treatment (Anderson et al., 2015, 131). so reducing this stigma could also help increase treatment for SAD. Doctors could carry with them materials about SAD that expose misconceptions and portray the disorder in a more respectful light. If these materials were shown to people with SAD when doctors recommend treatment to them, they might be more willing to receive it (Anderson et al., 2015, 136). SAD would also be diagnosed more frequently if primary care physicians recognized possible social anxiety more often, even in patients who did not present for SAD-related reasons. Doctors might look out for possible signs of SAD, such as blushing and shaking (Zamorski & Ward, 2000, 251). If a doctor thinks a patient might have SAD, he or she may ask the patient if he or she has social anxiety, starting the process that could lead to the diagnosis. In the medical field, people.