- mild tw: rape -
Definition of SAD
A mental health issue
Fear of speaking or performing in front of others
Terrified of being humiliated and judged by saying the wrong things
SAD vs shyness
SAD:
Extremely concerned + worried about how other people think of them
Physical symptoms: nausea, rapid heart rate, shaking etc.
Shyness:
Just a type of nervousness when facing a crowd
Excessive sweating
Timid voice
Has no serious physical symptoms
Factors
Genetic
One-third of the people suffer from SAD due to pass generations
(Not exclusive and not all will pass SAD to their offspring)
Researchers and scientists have not found any genetic makeup related to SAD yet.
Societal
Example: Taijin Kyofusho
Japanese form of social phobia
Emphasizes group formity instead of individuals to reflect on how you “fit in”.
Stems from judging people based on appearance and body shape etc.
More women get Taijin Kyofusho than men.
Environmental
Direct conditioning: a child might develop SAD at school by classmates. Making fun and laughing at the child for tripping over a stone, or forgetting something, or being scolded by teachers etc, making them feel uneasy to do everything
Observational learning: when the child saw someone or something in an unpleasant situation, they most likely will not do those kind of activities, making them scared to try out new things
Transferring information (indirectly): parents might indirectly tell their children the darker side of society (such as kidnap and rape) during social gatherings etc.
Overprotective parents
Symptoms
Physical
Chest tension
Diarrhea
Dizziness
Derealization
Headaches
Muscle tension
Shortness of breath
Cognitive
Having negative beliefs: being stubborn, holding strong beliefs on how they deal with certain social situations
Being negatively biased: depreciating your social abilities
Having negative thoughts: thinking you can’t socialize well with others and automatically think about negative outcomes and consequences.
Behavioral
Avoiding social activities to reduce the anxiety of facing the crowd
Being “safe”: excessive actions/preparation to control experiences of social situations
Escaping social situations
Diagnosis
Criteria:
The anxiety has continued for 6 months or longer
Meeting new people and giving speeches makes them anxious
Feeling embarrassed if someone rejects them
Being terrified of people who judge their appearance or acts
Constantly experiencing fear before and during social situations
They cause distress and affect their daily living such as sleeping routines
Treatment
Prescription medication
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
first-line pharmacotherapy treatment
potential of having withdrawal effects, including dizziness and nausea
E.g paroxetine, fluvoxamine etc.
Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs): antidepressants that act on neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine, e.g venlafaxine, duloxetine
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs): although effective, they’re not the first medicines given due to severe side effects
Psychological therapy
Cognitive-behavioural therapy
Exposure: imagining/experiencing social situations in real life, to make patients feel more comfortable to go to social activities
Cognitive restructuring: focusing on patients’ negative beliefs, biases and thoughts, identifying and evaluating them, as well as using alternative thoughts to replace the original thoughts
Social skills training: rehearsing and role-playing, to decrease anxiety when facing the public in real life
Acceptance and commitment therapy
Learning to accept negative thoughts instead of throwing them away
Learning skills for practicing mindfulness
Psychoanalysis
Helps you understand some issues in childhood that leads to social anxiety
Useful for people who has deep unresolved conflicts
SOURCES
Yorumlar