Anxiety Disorders and Social Anxiety
What are anxiety disorders?
Anxiety disorders are conditions in which you have a sense of worry that does not go away and can worsen over time. The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, schoolwork, and relationships. In addition to interfering with your mood, sleep and appetite.
Anxiety disorders include Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder and Specific Phobias.
The causes of anxiety disorders are not well defined and known, but genetic factors, environmental factors and previous experiences can all precipitate to a higher risk of developing an anxiety disorder.
What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life and can be described as worry. Many people may worry about things such as health, money, or family problems. But people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder feel extremely worried or nervous more frequently about these and other things—even when there is little or no reason to worry about them.
Worry becomes unhelpful when it is frequent and is difficult to control or dismiss. It generates more anxiety and more worry, which actually gets in the way of realistic and positive thinking and action.
What are the signs and symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
People with GAD may:
Worry excessively about everyday things.
Have trouble controlling their worries or feelings of nervousness.
Know that they worry much more than they should.
Feel restless and have trouble relaxing.
Have a hard time concentrating.
Startle easily.
Have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.
Tire easily or feel tired all the time.
Have headaches, muscle aches, stomachaches, or unexplained pains.
Have a hard time swallowing.
Tremble or twitch.
Feel irritable or "on edge".
Sweat a lot, feel lightheaded, or feel out of breath.
Feel as if they have lost control of things around them and their own future.
What is Social Anxiety Disorder?
Social anxiety is a common type of anxiety disorders, it’s used to describe disproportionate feelings of anxiety and fear that occur in response to social situations. A person suffering from social anxiety disorder feels symptoms of anxiety or fear in situations where they may be scrutinized, evaluated, or judged by others, such as speaking in public, meeting new people, dating, being on a job interview, answering a question in class, or having to talk to a cashier in a store.
The fear that people suffering from social anxiety disorder have in social situations is so intense that they feel it is beyond their control. For some people, this fear may get in the way of going to work, attending school, or doing everyday things.
What are the signs and symptoms of Social Anxiety?
When having to perform in front of or be around others, people with social anxiety disorder may:
Blush, sweat, or tremble.
Have a rapid heart rate.
Feel their “mind going blank,” or feel sick to their stomach.
Have a rigid body posture, or speak with an overly soft voice.
Find it difficult to make eye contact, be around people they don’t know, or talk to people in social situations, even when they want to.
Feel self-consciousness or fear that people will judge them negatively.
Avoid places where there are other people.
How to differentiate between both disorders?
While general anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder are very similar, the main difference between them stems from the origin of the anxiety they feel. People struggling with social anxiety disorder get anxious from being in public, while people struggling with general anxiety disorder can be anxious in public but they are anxious on their own as well. Their thoughts consume their thinking and triggers their anxiety, and they are not exclusive to social situations.
What can we do in Mind Clinic to help people in dealing with General anxiety disorder and/or social anxiety disorder?
Every case of anxiety disorders has its own characteristics, and a comprehensive approach to treatment should be tailored to every person struggling from it. That’s why we start with a clinical assessment and identification of the main complaints. Then a treatment plan would be set in place. Treatment options might include:
Medical treatment:
With Anxiolytic medications or/and Antidepressants.
Psychotherapy:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Exposure Therapy.
Citations:
Centre for Clinical Intervention. (2018). The cycle of anxiety. Can be accessed at https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/CCI/Mental-Health-Professionals/Anxiety/Anxiety—Information-Sheets/Anxiety-Information-Sheet—16—Different-Types-of-Anxiety.pdf . (accessed: 29th June, 2024).
Generalized anxiety disorder: when worry gets out of control. (n.d.). National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad . (accessed: 29th June, 2024).
Social anxiety disorder: more than just shyness. (n.d.). National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/social-anxiety-disorder-more-than-just-shyness . (accessed: 29th June, 2024).