Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)

  1. Social Anxiety disorder (also called Social Phobia) refers to a condition wherein a person has fear of social situations involving scrutiny or contact with strangers.
  2. People are fearful of embarrassing themselves in social situations (eg. Social gatherings, oral presentations, meeting new people). There are apprehensions about negative evaluation & humiliation by others.
  3. They have specific fear of being observed/scrutinized while eating or speaking in front of others.
  4. In children the fear of anxiety may be expressed by crying, tantrums, freezing, clinging, shrinking or failing to speak in social situations.
  5. The fear of anxiety is out of proportion to the given situations.
  6. The fear, anxiety or avoidance is persistent, typically lasting for 6 months or more.
  7. The life time prevalence is 3-13% and usually people from age 5 – 35 years get affected by it.
  8. There may be co-morbid other Anxiety disorders / Mood disorders/ Substance abuse/ Eating disorders.
  9. There may be childhood experience of neglect/ rejection / overprotection.
  10. It is also common in people whose parents had panic disorders.
  11. Social Anxiety usually starts in late childhood or early adolescence.
  12. It may cause disruption in School/Academic achievement and interference with job performance and social judgement.

Treatment

  1. Pharmacotherapy: (i) SSRI & SNRI (ii) Benzodiazepines (iii) B blockers (iv) others
  2. Psychotherapy: Cognitive retraining, Desensitization etc

Sharda Psychiatric Clinic is giving services in the field of Psychiatry & Psychology. We provide treatment for all Mental Illnesses & Psychological problems including De-Addiction. We offer services to all age groups. Our Guiding principle is " Mental Health for all"