What Is Social Phobia

Social phobias are characterized by an obsessive fear of attention from the experience of others in a relatively small group of people (as opposed to the crowd), which leads to avoidance of social situations. Unlike most other phobias, social phobias are equally common in both men and women. Social phobias may be isolated, in terms of the specific nature of fear – in public speeches, food, meetings with the opposite sex. If the phobic experience applies to all situations outside the family circle, it talks about the diffuse nature of social phobia. Important may be a fear of vomiting in the community. In some cultures, particularly chilling may be a direct collision with an eye for an eye. Often is expressed much avoidance of situations that, in extreme cases can lead to almost complete social isolation.

What Causes Social phobia

In premorbide rigorous appraisal education in childhood, lack of encouragement from the parents, forming a low self-esteem. The desire to win by any means interest and acceptance of others.

Pathogenesis (what’s going on?) in social phobia

Beginning in adolescence, often with a fear response in a blackboard or in any other assessment of the situation, reflexively enshrining

Symptoms of Social phobia

Fear of being in the center of attention of others – fear of public speaking combined with low self-esteem and fear of criticism.

Patients complain of facial flushing, feeling a lump in the throat, palpitations, dry mouth, weakness in legs, inability to concentrate on the action.

Diagnosis of Social phobia

Diagnosis: the presence of anxiety, limited social situations that are avoided, and which is primary.

To place a definite diagnosis must be satisfied all the following criteria:

mental, behavioral or autonomic symptoms must be primarily manifestations of anxiety, and not be secondary to other symptoms such as delusions or obsessional thoughts;
anxiety should be limited to only or primarily to certain social situations;
phobic avoidance of situations should be pronounced symptom.
Differential diagnosis. It should be differentiated from depressive episode at anthropophobe, in this case take into account other criteria for depression. Secondary phobanthropy may also be under the delusion.

Often is expressed also agoraphobia and depressive disorders, and they can help ensure that the patient is housebound. If the differentiation of social phobia and agoraphobia is difficult, agoraphobia should be coded in the first place as a major upset, you should not make a diagnosis of depression, unless it reveals a full depressive syndrome.

Treatment of social phobia

Psychoanalysis, psychodrama, Gestalt therapy, group psychotherapy.