Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is the second highest occurring disorder in the U.S. today. The Anxiety Disorders Association of America estimates that over 15 million suffer with the affliction accounting for 6.8% of total reported cases overall. More than 36% of those who suffer from it report experiencing symptoms for 10 years or more before seeking help.
SAD affects men and women equally and can usually be traced to early childhood or adolescence. Social anxiety disorder in children presents itself as clinginess and excessive tantrums especially in social situations. It is reported that the most extreme cases of childhood SAD are prone to mutism.
In today’s highly interactive society a disease like social anxiety disorder may be seen as “rudeness” or social ineptness. SAD is more profound then a simple case of shyness. Understanding the cause and effect relationships that exist in people who are suffering with SAD paints a picture of isolation, desperation, and hopelessness.
Social anxiety disorder is marked by an inexplicable fear that is extremely intense. This unexplainable dread is triggered by social situations where the sufferer worries about scrutiny from outsiders. It is this fear of judgment that drives the disorder, and can cause an individual to avoid activities that involve others.
Everyday interactions that many would find commonplace or mundane take on a completely new sense of foreboding for those who are afflicted with SAD. Ordering food from a restaurant, walking through a crowded room, or even making a phone call can become an overwhelming obstacle that leaves the sufferer completely terrorized.
Those who are afflicted with social anxiety disorder are aware of their fear and its extremity but feel completely powerless against it. They simply can not fathom living life out in the open. Individuals struggling with SAD are paralyzed by the thought that they may make a spectacle of themselves in a public setting.
SAD touches every aspect of life for those who are afflicted. Individuals who have SAD will try to avoid any situation where they feel they may be observed, and this can keep them from enjoying many of life’s pivotal moments. Imagine not walking in a graduation ceremony because of the inexplicable fear about being noticed. Friendships can be a harrowing experience for SAD sufferers and may pose hardship.
Along with the psychological symptoms of SAD there are common physical symptoms as well. Sweating, headaches, and nausea or some of the more obvious signs during an anxiety attack. Panic attacks are quite common for those suffering with social anxiety disorder and can add to the insurmountable fear of being in the public eye.
