The Impacts of Social Anxiety Disorder on Life in the United StatesSocial anxiety disorder, as the name suggests, is a disorder which causes people to worry about social interactions. The disorder is characterized by a fear of being judged negatively by others, which results in a desire to avoid interacting with others or drawing attention to oneself (Kashdan and Farmer, 2014, 629) . Social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia or SAD) affects people in several ways. There may be physical symptoms; for example, people with SAD may blush or shake in situations that cause them anxiety (Schneier, 2003, 516). The disorder also involves several cognitive and behavioral systems, which will be discussed later. Some people with SAD only become anxious in specific situations, such as public speaking, while others may become anxious in a wider range of social situations (Schneier, 2003, 516). SAD appears to have both genetic and environmental causes. Several genes have been associated with social anxiety, and it is likely that they may contribute to the disorder (Stein & Stein, 2008, 1118). However, “overprotective but critical” parenting styles may 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 experience feelings of social anxiety later in life (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 Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Social anxiety disorder is quite common; it is the third most common psychiatric disorder in the United States (Schneier, 2003, 515-516). In the United States, 10 to 15 percent of people suffer from SAD at some point in their lives (Farmer & Kashdan, 2015, 102). This usually sets in early in life; approximately 50% of people with SAD experience it by the age of 11 and approximately 80% by the age of 20 (Stein and Stein, 2008, 1115). The cognitive aspects of social anxiety disorder include feelings of low self-esteem and inferiority toward others. (Farmer and Kashdan, 2015, 104; Schneier, 2003, 516). People with SAD are prone to embarrassment and easily embarrassed (Schneier, 2003, 516), and they tend to be quick to assume that others do not like them (Farmer and 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 happened ( Farmer and 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 and Kashdan, 2015, 104). People with SAD tend to experience more stress than others (Farmer and Kashdan, 2015, 110). They expend a significant amount of mental energy trying to avoid anxiety and the possibility of being disliked, which can be “cognitively taxing” (Kashdan and Farmer, 110). Compared to others, the self-esteem of people with SAD seems to dependmore of their social experiences (Farmer and Kashdan, 2015, 111). As expected, people with SAD tend to have higher levels of introversion (Stein and Stein, 2008, 1118). Behavioral aspects of social anxiety disorder include avoidance of interactions with others and social events and activities (Schneier, 2003). , 515). They especially avoid situations where they are likely to be evaluated. This avoidance behavior is generally the safest way to prevent their feelings of anxiety, although it is unlikely to be the best course of action for their long-term mental health (Eggleston et al., 2003 , 45). Social anxiety disorder has several effects on the lives of those who suffer from it. As might be expected, their reluctance to interact with others often prevents them from having positive social experiences, so they are less likely to develop friendships and have a meaningful social life (Farmer and Kashdan , 2015, 104). In the workplace, it is more difficult for them to maintain fluid relationships with their colleagues (Farmer and Kashdan, 2015, 103). They sometimes adopt certain “safety behaviors” to try to alleviate their feelings of anxiety. These can include “insecurity, conflict avoidance, restriction of emotional expression, and interpersonal anxiety” (Farmer and Kashdan, 2015, 104). In an unfortunate vicious cycle, these behaviors can appear unattractive to others and make them feel uncomfortable, thereby fulfilling the person with SAD's fears of being less liked (Farmer and Kashdan, 2015, 104). Some of the potential effects of social anxiety disorder may be experienced. at the level of society as a whole. People with SAD often do not do as well as others in their education. They are also less likely to marry (Nardi, 2003, 1287). People with SAD are at greater risk of job loss than others and have lower economic status on average. Because of the difficulties that 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 remains undiagnosed (Schneier, 2003, 516). Most people with SAD do not seek treatment, and 80 percent of people with this 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, social anxiety disorder is stigmatized in American society. In one study, some participants indicated that they would like to have more “social distance” between themselves and a person exhibiting typical SAD behaviors (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 never received mental health treatment (Anderson et al., 2015, 131). Stigma can be particularly hurtful for people with SAD, due to their fear of what others think of themnegatively (Anderson et al., 2015, 131). Social anxiety disorder may be linked to other behavioral health problems. There is “considerable comorbidity” between SAD and major depressive disorder (Farmer and Kashan, 2015, 108). SAD also appears to have a complex and poorly understood relationship with alcohol consumption. SAD and alcohol abuse go hand in hand in many cases; 20-28% of people who seek treatment for SAD also meet criteria for an alcohol use disorder (Eggleston et al., 2003, 34). In others, however, the presentation of SAD symptoms was correlated with reduced drinking (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 perceive it. Some people with SAD may view alcohol use as a coping method that will help ease their anxiety and facilitate social relationships (Eggleston et al., 2003, 45). these people would be more likely to abuse alcohol. Other people with SAD may fear acting 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 previously, social anxiety disorder goes very often undiagnosed in the United States, despite the fact that it is quite common and treatable. Social anxiety disorder is primarily treated in two ways: cognitive behavioral therapy and medication. Studies have shown that both treatment methods are generally effective for SAD, although improvements 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 approach the thought processes involved in SAD and act in a way that is not as inhibited by the disorder. The therapist helps the patient notice unhelpful thoughts – such as expecting others to judge them – and think differently. Patients also learn to set constructive goals – such as initiating more social interactions – instead of settling for expectations that they struggle to meet. The therapist can also teach the patient anxiety management and relaxation strategies (Schneier, 2006, 1030-1031). CBT also includes therapeutic exposure. The therapist can help the patient create a “hierarchy” of situations they fear. Then, the patient is gradually exposed to it, either through role plays with the therapist, or 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 practiced CBT had seen improvement, meaning that their social anxiety, avoidance of social situations, and life difficulties had decreased to some extent (Schneier, 2006, 1031). Because people with SAD are likely to be anxious at the start of CBT, it is important for therapists to establish positive relationships with their patients early in therapy. This can reduce the possibility that patients will decide not to attend their treatment appointments when they might otherwise be inclined to do so. A helpful action the therapist can take at this stage is to ask if there is anything they can do to reduce the patient's anxiety during their meetings (McNeil & Quentin, 2014, 273-274). Group forms of CBT do not work as well in treating SAD asindividual therapy (Stein & Stein, 2008, 1121). Cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in children and adolescents who show signs of social anxiety disorder (Stein & Stein, 2008, 1121-1122). This can potentially “restore normal social development” to these children and adolescents, thereby preventing them from suffering from SAD in the future (Schneier, 2006, 1034). Therefore, CBT in children and adolescents who meet criteria for SAD could provide a preventive approach to reduce its incidence. The most commonly used medications for SAD are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (or SSRIs) and combined 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). Several other medications can also be used for SAD; these include benzodiazepines, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (or MAOIs), and certain other anticonvulsants and antidepressants (Schneier, 2006, 1032-1033). There is not as much evidence for the effectiveness of these medications as for SSRIs and SNRIs (Schneier, 2006, 1032-1033), but switching to one of them may be helpful for patients who do not see improvement with an SSRI or SNRI. (Schneier, 2006, 1034). Patients who are taking SAD medications are advised to take them for 6 to 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 restart taking the medication if this occurs (Schneier, 2006, 1003). Medications provide faster results than cognitive behavioral therapy. This is a more feasible treatment option in certain situations; this includes if the patient is "too anxious or depressed" to start cognitive behavioral therapy, or is not doing their homework (Stein & Stein, 2008, 1120). Another form of SAD treatment that has emerged recently is Internet-based treatment (Andersson et al., 2014, 569). To do 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 generally 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 in-person CBT. However, further research would be helpful to understand how this might best work (Andersson et al., 2014, 581). If more people with SAD were diagnosed, more of them could benefit from treatment, which could reduce or alleviate their difficulties with the disorder. . As mentioned earlier, one of the main reasons why so many people with social anxiety disorder go undiagnosed is that many 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 suffer from an illness shared by others and treatable (Nardi, 2003, 1287). Therefore, raising awareness would be a way to help those affected get treatment. There have been media education campaigns about anxiety disorders that have increased the number of people with these conditions who are treated (Nardi, 2003, 1287). Therefore, media campaigns that raise awareness about SAD would be an effective way.