Social Anxiety

...is the experience of fear and/or anxiety in social situations in which
people fear they may embarrass themselves in some way.

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Most people can experience some form of anxiety when in a social situation. We
all know the nervous anticipation we feel when we have to stand up in front of a
group to speak, or give a presentation, or when walking into a social gathering
where we don't know many people there. It is part of the human experience.

There can be varying degrees of Social Phobia (Anxiety). A diagnosis of social
phobia will only be given if the fear and anxiety is effecting our life to such a
degree that it is limiting or depreciating our life. For instance, if we feel the intense fear and anxiety only when we have to give a presentation in front of a group, and we are not required to give presentations on a regular basis - then we may not receive the diagnosis. However, if our job demands that we are to give
presentations on a daily basis, then this would be effecting our life to a great
degree. This would give a diagnosis of Social Phobia (Anxiety).

We need to look at the extent to which the Social Phobia (Anxiety) is effecting
our day-to-day life on all levels - work, social life, family life, our own personal
sense of self. etc. To receive an accurate diagnosis, we recommend people see a
health professional who has knowledge in the area of Anxiety and Anxiety
Disorders.

Whatever degree Social Phobia (Anxiety) affects our life, if YOU feel that it is
limiting or affecting your life in a negative way, you can learn the appropriate
management techniques to take back the power of your own life. Common
experiences people feel in relation to Social Phobia (Anxiety) are:

fear of embarrassing themselves in some way.  feelings of self-doubt. 
feeling uncertain and insecure.  fear of doing, saying, acting the wrong way. 
fear that others are scrutinizing them or judging them in a negative way. 
fear of what others think of them.  feelings of inadequacy. 

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Treatment


When Bronwyn began working in this area over ten years ago, not only was there a lack of effective treatment services, many thousands of people hadn't been diagnosed. People had been living with the Disorder undiagnosed and untreated for a number of years, a few for fifty years before being diagnosed.

To be fair to the health professions, Anxiety Disorders were only recognized as
discrete disorders in 1980, and as a consequence many health professionals had
received very little, if any, training in the diagnosis and treatment of these
Disorders.

The lack of understanding resulted in a 'generic' diagnosis of either anxiety or
stress. People were expected to be able to 'pull themselves together'. What was
not really understood was there is a marked difference between the 'normal'
experience of anxiety and that of an Anxiety Disorder. If it was purely the
experience of anxiety per se, people would recognize what was wrong with them
and would have been able to take steps to help themselves.

It is this difference which is highlighted by the fact that some Health Professionals are still unable to recognize, let alone diagnose or treat these disorders. It is this lack of specific diagnosis and appropriate treatment which is the major driving force in the development of the disabilities associated with these disorders.

Over the last few years, we have seen dramatic changes both in the diagnosis and
treatment of the Anxiety Disorders. Unfortunately, we are still seeing many
thousands of people who are still undiagnosed and untreated. As a result of a
publicity campaign early in 1997, we received over 6000 telephone calls. The
majority of people had not been diagnosed, nor were receiving appropriate
treatment. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can prevent so much
of the suffering and the ensuing disabilities associated with the panic and
anxiety disorders.

The following is based not only upon current research, but also upon our contact
with over 20,000 people who experience an Anxiety Disorder. The majority of
people have experienced enormous difficulties, not just with their disorder, but
also in accessing and receiving appropriate treatment. We rarely have contact
with people who have recovered from an Anxiety Disorder.

From what we have found over the years, not only personally, but also
professionally, recovery for many of us who have experienced Panic Disorder
means we the LOSE all FEAR of having an attack. As such, we have lost the fear
that: 

-the attack is a heart attack 
-we are going to die from the attack 
-we are going crazy 
-we have a brain tumor 
-we are going to lose control in some way. 

It can mean in times of severe stress and/or when we haven't had enough sleep
and/or skipping meals, we may have an attack, BUT, instead of 'What if,' we
have an attitude of 'So What'. The attacks can still be as violent as before, but
without the fear and anxiety, the attacks last for 30 -60 seconds and they are
over as quickly as they began and we can continue with whatever we are doing.
There is no 'what ifs,' no anticipation, no anxiety or fear of having another one.
Those of us who reach this point usually do so by using Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy and in using CBT we can live our lives without needing to take
medication for the Disorder again.

There are many conflicting opinions regarding treatment for the Anxiety
Disorders. As such, we advise people to become fully informed about their own
disorder and about the treatment options, and their implications. This way they
can make an informed choice as to which therapy/ies would be of most benefit to
them.

As a group, we are passive people and we can be extremely passive towards our
disorder and when working with our therapist. Many of us have been victims of
the lack of understanding and appropriate treatment services, but we need not be
'victims' of our disorder.

We need to become very pro-active in working towards our recovery and work
in partnership with our therapist, not simply wait for therapist to do something.
Based on thousands of anecdotal stories and reports of various treatments and
therapists, we advise people to: 

Ask your therapist if they are experienced in treating Anxiety Disorders
and if so, the particular therapy/ies they use and the number of people they
have treated successfully. Ask them how long your therapy will take and
the expected outcomes.  Become fully informed about their particular Disorder. Not just by speaking with your therapist, but by using resources such local Anxiety Disorder organizations, Internet, books, videos, tapes. 
Develop a working relationship with your therapist. Be prepared to be
open and honest about your experience. In many cases people hold back
vital information because they feel ashamed or embarrassed or think the
/therapist will not understand. If you feel you cannot develop an open
working relationship with your therapist then find a therapist you feel more
comfortable with.

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