What is Social Anxiety Disorder?
Social Anxiety is a fear of social interaction, its linked to the feeling that a person will face
embarrassment or ridicule if they were to place them within social settings. The fear is
disproportionate to the actual experience of social interaction but because of this fear people
avoid meeting and connecting with other people and therefore isolate themselves and lose touch
with human interaction. The fear can manifest in a feeling of uneasiness and uncertainly and lack
of confidence within social interactions, an individual the fears social rejection and has a belief
system that if a person did connect socially, they would embarrass themselves and may appear
awkward to others. The fear is of social ridicule and rejection and will often lead to isolation as
avoidance.
Although there are other personality disorders that can resemble Social Anxiety Disorder to be
diagnose a person must be evaluated by a qualified professional and must meet a diagnostic
criterion. Social Anxiety disorder can be treated with in a clinical setting with CBT therapy that
targets the negative thought patterns that lead to maladaptive cognitions. CBT can also be treated
with exposure therapy and systematic desensitization techniques to reduce alarm feelings and
cognitions.
According to the website Mental health foundation: Here are some addition information and
resources available on SAD.
