Recent research out of Rhode Island Hospital raises an interesting question. If you suffer with severe social anxiety due to a medical condition such as stuttering, Parkinson’s disease, or obesity, should you be diagnosed with social anxiety disorder (SAD)?
Currently, the DSM-IV states that a diagnosis of SAD will not be given if social anxiety is the result of a medical condition.
Researcher Kristy Dalrymple argues that excluding people whose social anxiety stems from a medical condition may prevent them from receiving treatment that could potentially help.
In the study, published in the Journal of Depression and Anxiety, patients seeking bariatric surgery were evaluated and placed into one of three groups: those diagnosed with DSM-IV SAD, those with severe social anxiety due to obesity, and those without a history of psychological problems.
Results showed that the group with severe social anxiety due to obesity experienced more disruption in their social lives and more distress over the past month than those with DSM-IV SAD.
As a result, it is suggested that in the upcoming DSM-5, a diagnosis of SAD should be possible even if the social anxiety is only related to a medical condition.
So, the question is: If someone suffers severe social anxiety due to obesity, is the answer to receive treatment for social anxiety or lose weight? Or both? Personally, I think neither alone is the solution, and that a combination of efforts is likely the best course of action.
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Filed under Anxiety by on Apr 18th, 2011. 
I recently received a reader question asking how a child who is normally outgoing and friendly could develop social anxiety disorder (SAD). One potential factor that has been identified is bullying. A recent study published in the Journal of Physiology and Behavior demonstrates how bullying can lead to social anxiety.
Researchers at Rockefeller University in New York subjected mice to psychological stress (mice are believed to have similar responses to stress as humans). A young mouse was placed in a cage with a different older and larger mouse each day for 10 days. In each case the mouse “bully” would start a fight with the newcomer.
What did they find when they looked at the brains of the bullied mice after these incidents? Researchers looked at the amygdala and lateral septum, and found that genes had been activated that caused an increase in receptors that make the brain more sensitive to social stimuli. In this particular case, the hormone vasopressin was to blame.
Indeed, after the incident, the bullied mice were more likely to stay away from other mice; even those who were friendly. The study shows how people who are bullied may feel afraid even when in safe situations and may have trouble starting friendships.
On a positive note, the study investigators recognize that the brain is dynamic and can be changed in a positive way through medication, therapy, and positive supportive friendships. At the end of the study they gave the bullied mice medication to reduce the impact of vasopressin.
What do you think? Has your child been bullied? Were you bullied as a youngster? Do you think that this has contributed to you or your child developing social anxiety?
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Filed under Anxiety by on Mar 21st, 2011.
People procrastinate for many reasons, but the immediate goal is to bring a temporary sense of relief. The problem with procrastination is just that; the relief is temporary, and it is eventually replaced with anxiety about being behind in what you need to get done.
If you suffer with social anxiety disorder (SAD), you probably procrastinate out of fear of disapproval or failure. Perhaps you put off making phone calls, delay discussing difficult issues at work, or get behind scheduling health appointments, haircuts, or any other task that involves interacting with people.
Unfortunately, the typical solutions for procrastination don’t work in these scenarios.
Breaking big tasks down into smaller chunks doesn’t really apply when all you need to do is make a phone call. If you waste time at work trying to solve a problem on your own because you don’t want to ask a coworker a question, no amount of planning or organization is going to help.
How then can you deal with procrastination caused by social anxiety?
First, realize that waiting for a better time to face others is not the solution. Waiting can make things worse. Personal relationships may suffer if problems are not dealt with early on. Work issues may become magnified if you don’t ask for help. If there is no valid reason to put off talking to someone, then it is always better to do it right away.
What are some reasons you might think it is better to wait?
- Thought: “If I call right now she might be busy. It’s better to wait an hour as that is probably a quieter time of day for her”
- Fact: Unless you know for sure that someone is busy, there is no reason to wait. You can’t predict someone else’s day.
- Thought: “My coworker looks really busy. I don’t want to bother him now, I will wait until after lunch”
- Fact: Even if your coworker is busy now, he might be even busier after lunch. By telling him now that you need help, he can either respond right away, or plan a time to talk with you.
Recognize your thought patterns, and then come up with competing arguments about why you should go ahead anyway. Most of the time, taking action now is the right thing to do.
Nancy Schimelpfening, About.com’s guide to depression also offers the following tips to help deal with procrastion:
- Make a list of tasks and prioritize what needs to be done.
- Reward yourself for completing difficult tasks.
- Use relaxation strategies to deal with anxiety about completing tasks.
Does your social anxiety cause you to procrastinate? What are you putting off doing right now?
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Filed under Anxiety by on Mar 13th, 2011.
Q&A: Help! “Social anxiety disorder was not recognized or diagnosed accurately until recent years.”?
Question by her: Help! “Social anxiety disorder was not recognized or diagnosed accurately until recent years.”?
I need to somehow incorporate how is it is also known as social phobia.
Like… Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia was not recognized….
or
Social anxiety disorder (aka social phobia) was not recognized…
I just don’t know what is the best way to say it. Help please!
Best answer:
Answer by 
I would say: “Social anxiety (also known as social phobia) was not recognized or diagnosed accurately until recent years.”
Give your answer to this question below!
Filed under Anxiety by on Mar 3rd, 2011.
“On the Outside Looking In – My Life with Social Anxiety Disorder” by Daniela Grazia is a first-hand account of what it is like to go through life with SAD. In her book, Daniela describes in detail what it is like to live daily with a fear of people.
Many of the situations that she recounts will be familiar to those with SAD:
- Having “comfort” people that she could be herself around, and tensing up when those people left the room
- Working alongside coworkers in uncomfortable silence for entire shifts
- Spending a family vacation uncomfortable and unsure where she fit in
- Being comfortable around children until a certain age
- Feeling like successes were just “luck” and failures her fault
Can you relate to these situations? If you are unsure whether you have SAD, or you know someone with the disorder, reading Daniela’s book may help to answer some questions. Congratulations to the author for shedding some light on a problem that so few are willing to talk openly about.
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Filed under Anxiety by on Feb 27th, 2011.
Question by her: Help! “Social anxiety disorder was not recognized or diagnosed accurately until recent years.”?
I need to somehow incorporate how is it is also known as social phobia.
Like… Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia was not recognized….
or
Social anxiety disorder (aka social phobia) was not recognized…
I just don’t know what is the best way to say it. Help please!
Best answer:
Answer by
I would say: “Social anxiety (also known as social phobia) was not recognized or diagnosed accurately until recent years.”
Add your own answer in the comments!
Filed under Social Anxiety by on Jan 31st, 2011.
Social Anxiety Disorder Treatment ? A Natural Cure
Social anxiety is the fear of social situations and the interaction with other people that can automatically bring on feelings of self-consciousness, judgment, evaluation, and criticism. Put another way, social anxiety is the fear and anxiety of being judged and evaluated negatively by other people, leading to feelings of inadequacy, embarrassment, humiliation, and depression. If a person usually becomes anxious in social situations, but seems fine when they are alone, then “social anxiety” may be the problem.
Rated as the third largest psychological disorder in the United States, social anxiety disorder or social phobia, is more common an issue for many people than previously known. No one should feel inadequate or alone if suffering from this condition, as millions of people across the world face this traumatic problem everyday of their lives. Someone may face one, some or all of the common conditions associated with social phobia or from a more generalized social phobia. With the right social anxiety disorder treatment these phobias can be overcome.
If searching for a natural cure, Panic Away and the Panic Away One Move Technique would be your solution. Before spending money on expensive medications, various books or even psychiatrist appointments, panic away is a must look option.
In further explanation and understanding of social anxiety the following should be understood. A specific social phobia would be the fear of speaking in front of groups, whereas generalized social anxiety indicates that the person is anxious, nervous, and uncomfortable in almost all (or the majority of) social situations.
Social Anxiety Disorder Symptoms:
Meeting new people
Fear of criticism or being teased
Drawing attention; being center of attention
Feeling like you are being watched while doing something or fearing you may be watched
Intimated by people of authority
Staying away from social situations with strangers
Being reserved at parties and fearing starting small talk with others
Performing on stage
Public speaking
Being called on in class
Going on a date
These are some of the more common symptoms associated with social anxiety disorder, but not a complete list.
What you may feel physically when facing social anxiety?
Racing heart
Intense feelings of fear
Dry throat and mouth
Red or flush face
Difficulty swallowing
Muscle stiffness or twitching
Trembling
Overwhelming, constant feeling of anxiety
People with social anxiety disorder know that their anxiety is irrational and does not make “head” sense. Nevertheless, “knowing” something is never the same as “believing” and “feeling” something. Thus, in people with social anxiety, thoughts and feelings of anxiety persist and show no signs of going away.
There are treatments available for social anxiety, as well as the other anxiety problems. To read or hear that someone with social phobia is just going to “learn to live with it”, is completely ridiculous. No one has to live with this condition, there is help available.
A natural program such as panic away, teaches you how to break the fear of the anxiety cycle, which then may lead to frequent panic attacks. The technique does this by teaching you to reverse your mental state, from the irrational to the rational part of the brain. The irrational part takes over upon the uprising of an anxiety causing situation. You can switch your brain back to the rational side, preventing the attack from happening and controlling your anxiety.
Social Anxiety Disorder Treatment
Getting over social anxiety disorder is not an easy task; yet many thousands have already done it. While you’re in the middle of the problem, it feels as though you’ll never ever get better. Life is just one stomach turning anxiety problem after another. This can be stopped, controlled, and reduced in a relatively short period of time. You must find an established, reputable and continually supportive program that can help your social phobia. Panic Away is just that program.
The most important elements in conquering social phobia are:
An understanding and awareness of the problem.
A commitment to carry through the issues even when it seems difficult.
Practice, practice, practice to get that information deep down into your brain so that it becomes automatic.
Participation in supportive, understanding groups in which they help you work on problems that cause you anxiety in the real world.
Being with others that have similar phobias, but have used specific strategies to conquer there anxiety causing situations.
You may have a need to take social anxiety disorder medication, but before you do consider a more natural remedy such as Panic Away.
Social Anxiety Disorder Medication
Medication is sometimes used to relieve the symptoms of social anxiety, but it’s not a cure for social anxiety disorder or social phobia. If you stop taking medication, your symptoms will probably return full force. Medication is considered most helpful when used in addition to therapy and other self-help techniques that address the root cause of social anxiety disorder.
Types of medication used to treat social anxiety disorder (social phobia):
Beta blockers – Beta blockers are used for relieving performance anxiety. They work by blocking the flow of adrenaline that occurs when you’re anxious. While beta blockers don’t affect the emotional symptoms of anxiety, they can control physical symptoms such as shaking hands or voice, sweating, and rapid heartbeat.
Antidepressants – Antidepressants can be helpful when social anxiety disorder is severe and debilitating. Three specific antidepressants—Paxil treatment, Effexor, and Zoloft—have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of social phobia.
Benzodiazepines – Benzodiazepines are fast-acting anti-anxiety medications. However, they are sedating and addictive, so they are typically prescribed only when other medications for social phobia have not worked.
Detailed description of these medications: Helpguide.org
The bottom line is this. If you’ve tried every social anxiety disorder treatment around or are just starting to look for solutions, you need a proven method. I understand that not every option works for every person, but panic away has helped over 60,000 people and can help you too.
Panic Away is an effective, proven, depression treatment. Stop feeling depressed over your social anxiety which makes you even more reserved and trapped in your own mind. This course is also an alternative panic disorder treatment, using all natural techniques, aiding in the dissolving of your anxieties which lead to recurring panic attacks.
The One Move Technique taught, will also serve as an agoraphobia treatment and generalized anxiety disorder treatment. Stop the endless days of self judgment, negative projective thoughts you perceive others are thinking, and start experiencing the world around you.
Don’t waste another day!
Visit Panic Away Secret
Panic Away Secret is an all in one comprehensive resource for those suffering from panic attacks, anxiety, and the fears associated with and that cause such issues. With the extensive collection of articles, reviews, information and studies around this topic, in which Panic Away Secret will cover, there is sure to be answers to your many questions.
Article from articlesbase.com
Filed under Anxiety by on Jan 29th, 2011.
NICE Updates Guidance On Generalised Anxiety Disorder
NICE has published an update to its recommendations on the management of anxiety, originally published in December 2004. The 2004 NICE guidance included the care of adults who have panic disorder (with or without agoraphobia) or generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). This update only covers the recommendations on the management of adults with a diagnosis of GAD. Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD …
Read more on Medical News Today
Help & support
n Alcoholics anonymous: holds meetings daily throughout the Seacoast. For meeting or general information on New Hampshire Alcoholics Anonymous, call (800) 593-3330 or visit www.nhaa.net.
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Filed under Panic Attacks by on Jan 28th, 2011.