Social Phobia
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Social Phobia
Social phobia, or social anxiety disorder (SAD), is a serious psychological disorder that affects the lives of millions of people worldwide. The social phobic has an intense fear of what others think of them and are severely frightened of calling attention to themselves (LoBuono, 1999). There are various factors that play key roles in the development of social phobia, ranging anywhere from high stress to unresolved anger issues. There are also various different methods of treatment available including therapy and a number of prescription drugs, but there is no particular cure for this disorder. Social phobia is a base stage, or gateway if you will, for many other comorbid psychological disorders such as panic disorder, separation anxiety, atypical depression and avoidance personality disorder. When recognized and acknowledged early, the social phobic is fully capable of living a normal and fulfilling life.
What is social phobia? According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or simply the DSM-IV, social phobia is a marked and persistent fear of social and performance situations. The disorder becomes a burden in situations such as public speaking, meeting new people, eating in public and a number of other everyday situations that most people handle without a struggle. For the most part the social phobic will do anything within their power to avoid a social situation altogether and become very nervous when placed in a position they consider uncomfortable...