SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER

Social phobia is a disorder in which individuals feel intense anxiety and concern about being judged, criticized, and embarrassed by others in social environments. This state of anxiety and worry creates physical symptoms such as tremors, sweating and redness in the body and voice that can be observed by others in individuals. The individual enters an even more complex situation by worrying about the physical symptoms created by anxiety. Thinking that people will see him as ridiculous, boring, weak, etc. they form negative judgments about themselves. In social situations, all their attention is on themselves, they think about how they look in the eyes of others. They avoid social environments and withdraw from them in order not to be in them, not to worry and not to create situations where they can be judged. This situation causes them to be seen as "shy, timid" by others. All these cause people with social anxiety to limit their lives. Symptoms of social phobia such as meeting others, eating out, talking in public, etc. are often exposed. The main symptoms of social phobia are:

·         Palpitation

·         Shortness of breath

·         Dry Mouth

·         Sweating

·         Trembling

·         Digestive problems

·         Muscle pains

There are three main subtypes of social phobia:

1.  Specific Type: It is revealed in specific and special cases.

2.  Common Type: This type is mentioned in most social environments and in cases of distress.

3.  Performance Anxiety: It occurs when the person performs and therefore is the center of attention. (going on stage, mass meals, etc.)

This disorder usually begins in childhood and adolescence. It is much more common in women. Depression, other anxiety disorders and alcohol addiction are very common in individuals with this disorder.

Multiple factors such as psychological, biological, environmental, and even cultural causes underlie social phobia. Anxiety responses and over protectionism challenge individuals to cope with anxiety. Also the roles and responsibilities imposed on us by the attitudes, values and judgments of the culture and society we live in can also cause an increase in the anxiety level of individuals. Childhood traumas and environmental judgments are among the most basic causes of social phobia. From a biological point of view, unbalanced serotonin releases negativities and lesions that occur in the organization are also thought to cause anxiety levels and therefore social anxiety.