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Josephine Cammue
Professor Schwirian
English 101
October 10, 2013


Social Anxiety is a big problem here in the United States. About 15 million
American Adults have this disorder. It starts typically at the age of 13. 36 percent of people with
this disorder report symptoms for 10 or more years before they seek help. It effects them in their
daily life to do things normal people would do. (ADAA)
People with Social Anxiety also known as Social Phobia avoid situations which they
think theyll be closely watched, judged and criticized by others. Whether its [eating in front of
others, writing in front of other, being the center of attention, interacting with others; including
dating or going to parties, asking questions or giving reports in front of groups, using public
toilets and talking on the phone.] (WebMD) They dont want to get embarrassed by their reaction
and thats their main issue.
Some reactions that people with Social Anxiety have are confusion, rapid heart pounding,
sweating, shaking blushing, muscle tension, upset stomach diarrhea and even a panic attack.
(WebMD) These reactions are embarrassing and traumatizing to them. So they try to avoid
situations like this as much as they can.
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Most adults or people in general develop social anxiety at a young age due to activities that
had happened to them. The most common reason would be bullying. Social Anxiety cannot be
cured. But you can get help to ease the disorder. Most people with Social Anxiety are too scared
to seek help.
Its not a surprise that people with social anxiety are scared to seek help. They are most
likely scared to get on the phone with people or even meet people. So just contacting a
psychologist to help get rid of their phobia is a big step. The ones with low social anxiety dont
find it that hard but the ones that are really affected they most likely wont get help.
They think distorted thinking, including, false beliefs about social situations and the
negative thoughts. It makes them worry for days or weeks before an event where other people
will be. (WebMD) They think about things like being scared, appearing foolish/ less intelligent
than others (Shy Children Phobic Adults pg.15), negative evaluations and negative
consequences. Theyll have thoughts before entering a room like everybody is going to stare and
think they look disgusting.
Social Anxiety Disorder may be caused by the neurotransmitter serotonin.
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the brain that help move information from nerve
cell to the other. If they get out of balance, messages cannot get through the brain properly. This
can change the way the brain reacts to stressful situations. (WebMD)
Social Anxiety appears to run in families. This could mean the disorder may be passed on in
families through genes. That is the material that contains instructions of each cell in the body.
(WebMD) About 15 million American adults suffer from this. The typical age for it to start is 13.
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Thirty six percent of people with social anxiety disorder report symptoms for 10 or more years
before getting help. (ADAA)
Another reason that may develop this disorder is the cause of an embarrassing or
humiliating experience at a social event in the past. (WebMD) Where people are laughing at their
appearance, something they said, or something they did that they didnt mean to be funny. Again
bullying as I said earlier.
Some children who are sheltered or overprotected by their parents may not learn good
social skills as part of their upbringing. (WebMD) This causes them to not know how to really
react when people are talking to them. They will cry, cling to their parent or someone they trust,
or throw a tantrum. Children with social anxiety may also have stranger anxiety. With stranger
anxiety children are most likely to cry, turn, or pull away when encountering unfamiliar people.
This is not present in all children and may depend on context or the strangeness of the
environment. (Social Anxiety and Social Phobia in Youth pg.7)
If the symptoms of the disorder are present the doctor will begin an evaluation by asking
questions about your medical history and performing a physical exam. There arent any lab tests
to specifically diagnose social anxiety disorder. The doctor may use multiple tests to make sure
that a physical illness isnt the cause of the symptoms. If there are no physical illness found, you
may be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist, they are mental health professionals that are
trained to diagnose and treat mental illnesses. They use specially designed interview and
assessment tools to evaluate a person for an anxiety disorder. The doctor will base their diagnosis
based on reports of the intensity and duration of the symptoms, including any problems with
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functioning caused by the symptoms. Then the doctor will determine if the symptoms and degree
of dysfunction are social anxiety disorder. (WebMD)
Social Anxiety could be treated. The most effective way is called cognitive behavioral
therapy. It teaches them a different way of thinking, or how to react differently to situations that
trigger their anxiety symptoms. It can also help them produce social skills. Therapy may include
systematic desensitization (a treatment for phobias in which the patient is exposed to
progressively more anxiety-provoking stimuli and taught relaxation techniques). The person
imagines the frightening situation and works through their fear in a safe and relaxed environment
such as their therapists office. Or they may get real life exposure to their feared situations. They
will experience the real life exposure with their therapist.(WebMD) Another treatment may be
medication. The doctor may prescribe them antidepressants like Paxil, tranquilizers, such as
Klonopin and Ativan and beta blocker which are often used for heart conditions and symptoms
of anxiety like shaking and rapid heartbeat. (WebMD)
Its hard for parents to get their child to go to therapy. Most children absolutely refuse.
For example Mrs. Smiths son Bobby wouldnt even enter the car so she cancelled the therapy
session. For most adults they will cancel their appointment because they are uncertain that they
will be able to complete the homework assigned to them during the last session. (Shy Children,
Phobic Adults pg. 151)
The biggest problem is that people are afraid of being labeled crazy. We need to find ways to
make them comfortable to get help. Let people know how it is affecting their daily life.
Educating everyone is important. Show awareness in school like interviewing/ questioning
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children on how they feel about certain situations that would make a child with social anxiety
uncomfortable. If society will accept this disorder, people will be willing to get help.