Social Phobia is an anxiety disorder, also called Social Anxiety Disorder.
Social phobia is the fear that a person will do something that will cause embarrassment, embarrassment or humiliation in front of others. Encountering the feared social situation almost always provokes anxiety, which can take the form of a situationally predisposed Panic Attack.
The person knows that his fear is excessive or meaningless, but he cannot control it. The person avoids entering such social environments in order not to experience this fear. Due to avoidance, the person’s social, professional and/or family life is adversely affected.
Unless treated, the social phobic’s life turns into suffering as a result of repetitive avoidance behaviors. If the student is at school, when the teacher asks him a question, getting up and answering, and if the teacher is giving a lesson, it is a great torture for the social phobic. Many social phobics cannot go to government offices, banks and get their jobs done. Some can’t even talk on the phone. Severe cases cannot afford to go out on the street, go to the grocery store, or even buy a bus ticket from the ticket office. Social phobics end up confining themselves at home, failing at school, and ending their working life.
Social phobia can be seen in one in ten people at any time in their life.
It usually first appears at an early age, in children and young people of educational age. Social phobia is a disorder that usually begins in adolescence and becomes chronic if left untreated. Cases of social phobia starting after the age of 25 are rare. But social phobics often go to the doctor many years after the disturbance begins. Because they do not know that social phobia is a treatable disease and they see the disorder as part of their personality.
It can be seen in both women and men. It is 1 ½ -2 times more common in women.
The rate of being unmarried in those with social phobia is higher than in the general population.
When faced with the situations they fear in social phobics often; Symptoms such as palpitations, tremors, sweating, tension in the muscles, torsion in their stomach, dry mouth, hot flashes or a feeling of cold, a sense of pressure in the head or headache may develop. Social phobics are generally shy and introverted, unsocial, avoid eye contact, and speak little.
Social phobia is a disorder in which genetic transmission contributes moderately. People with social phobia among their relatives have a slightly higher risk of contracting this disease.
Social phobia is generally thought to occur in people who are shy, shy, have low self-confidence, are sensitive to rejection, but have a desire to make a positive impression on others. These people believe that if they are not liked by others, it will lead to a loss of value and social position.
In order to be diagnosed with social phobia; The fear or avoidance behavior must be at a level that will disrupt the person’s normal daily activities, work or school life, social activities, or the person must have significant distress about having a phobia. Cognitive and behavioral therapy, social skills training, relaxation exercises and systematic desensitization techniques, individual and/or group therapy, and drug therapy are applied to people with this condition.
Dr.phil. R. Meltem KAVCAR SIRALI
