Social Phobia
Many people fear performing to a large crowd or having to give a speech to the class but it is not necessarily considered a social phobia. Everybody feels this way and it should only be considered a problem if it effects and disrupts everyday life. Social Phobia or Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), gives the person intense anxiety when a large amount of people have their attention towards them. Criticism, embarrassment and humiliation are usually feared and is felt by the person, even in ordinary situations. SAD can be generalised in two categories:
Some symptoms of social phobia include:
Research shows that up to 10% of the Australian population will experience social phobia in a lifetime and 4.5% will experience it for a 12-month period. Diagnosis for children under the age of 18 is made when the patient has been showing the symptoms for SAD for 6 months.
- Performance situations - the person fears being the centre of attention in front of a large audience
- Social Situations - the person fears having to converse with groups of people
Some symptoms of social phobia include:
- excessive perspiration
- nausea
- diarrhoea
- trembling
- blushing and stammering when trying to speak
Research shows that up to 10% of the Australian population will experience social phobia in a lifetime and 4.5% will experience it for a 12-month period. Diagnosis for children under the age of 18 is made when the patient has been showing the symptoms for SAD for 6 months.