What is Social Anxiety Disorder?

Social Anxiety Disorder (S.A.D.), also known as social phobia, is a relatively new and overlooked disorder that is very prevalent in the United States. If you haven’t heard of this disorder before, you are not alone. It has not received much media attention and therefore many people do not know it even exists. S.A.D. was not established as an authentic psychiatric entity until the diagnostic nomenclature of the American Psychiatric Association DSM III rendered it an official diagnosis in 1980. People with social anxiety disorder are typically shy, timid, and quiet when around groups of people. They are not comfortable when they are the center of attention. S.A.D. sufferers want the approval and company of others but fear being rejected. They cringe at people seeing them as unlikable or boring. Therefore, they avoid speaking in public, expressing opinions, or even going out with peers; as a result, they are often mistakenly labeled as “snobs.” Many social phobics lack self-esteem, find it difficult to deal with people in authority, and are unable to speak or perform in front of even small groups of people. Exposure to, or anticipation of, the feared social situation leads the individual to either avoid the situation altogether or go through with the event experiencing immense anxiety and discomfort (Jacobson, 2001). The individual affected with this disorder usually recognizes that the fear is excessive (Jacobson, 2001). Avoidance attempts disrupt the individual’s social or occupational functioning (Jacobson, 2001). These individuals usually seek out occupations that deal with the least amount of personal contact as possible. Those with S.A.D. usually have very few social acquaintances (Jacobson, 2001). They understand that their anxiety and fears are not normal but can’t seem to overcome these thoughts (Jacobson, 2001).

A word about myself

This is just a quick word about where I come from and my background. My name is Nicholas Hammond and I’m originally from Decatur, IN. I am currently practicing medicine as a certified physician assistant in Fort Wayne, IN. I received my bachelor’s degree with majors in biology, psychology, and a minor in animal behavior at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. I did my graduate studies at the University of Saint Francis (Fort Wayne, IN) and received my master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies. While in school I received a lot of clinical experience in psychiatry and have always had an innate interest in psychology and psychiatric disorders.

Are You Shy? Do you have a disorder? This is the Start of my blog

If you have always been a shy person or have a hard time doing things in front of others because you feel like you may embarrass yourself, you may actually have a disorder known as social anxiety disorder. How do you know if you are just shy or have this disorder? Being shy or quiet around others is common and very much normal. Shyness is a personality characteristic, whereas, social anxiety is a psychiatric disorder. People with social anxiety disorder, unlike those who are shy, spend great amounts of time having negative thoughts in anticipation of participating in social activities. After encountering a social event, they replay it in their mind and concentrate on failures or negative moments during the event. It doesn’t matter if during the social event everything went well, one with social anxiety disorder imagines they did so many things wrong and tend to over exaggerate. They believe that others will see them as “stupid or inadequate”. Individuals with this disorder have immense anxiety in social situations which is abnormal. Does this discribe you??? If you have already been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, you are not alone. Actually, I have been diagnosed with this in the past. I live with it everyday and I function as a normal person. This is why I want to make the public more aware of this disorder and want to help others in need. Social anxiety disorder (S.A.D.), also known as social phobia, is the third most common psychological disorder in the United States behind alcoholism and depression. I struggled a great amount of my life with this disorder mainly because I didn’t know this disorder existed. I thought that my shyness was just a personality trait that I would eventually grow out of. However, I never did grow out of it and I eventually sought out answers to why I acted the way I did in front of others. When I was around familiar people like my close friends and family, I felt like I was myself. However, once in the presence of people that I had never met, I was once again that quit, shy guy. I wish I would have been educated about this disorder a long time ago so I could have received adequate treatment that could have made my life a lot easier. I feel like it is my calling from God to make the public more aware of this common disorder and help those that suffer with it. I have read many books on social anxiety disorder and have not found one that gave me the answers I was looking for. I didn’t feel like I identified with what the authors were saying. Being a psychotherapist or Ph.D. and reading about a disorder is one thing, but actually living with the disorder and writing to tell about it is another. I will try not only to give pertinent facts but also give you some personal stories of my own past which I am sure you will identify with if you are suffering with this disorder. This blog is also very helpful for parents of children that may exhibit these symptoms. This can help parents better understand their child and give them treatment options to consider.