Is social phobia actually a thing? I ask as a relative of mine is the most anti-social man I know. He will DO ANYTHING to get out of a social situation. At school, he would always hide from the other kids. As an adult, he feigns severe injury to get out of working because he seems to be terrified of people. When he goes grocery shopping; its always ten minutes before the shop shuts as he knows less people will be there. I have several more examples. As a kid, he was always terrified of other kids [especially babies], was convinced people out of earshot were conspiring against him and he was the only kid I knew who HATED going to parks [as other kids were usually there] The most absurd thing I ever saw him do though was fake deafness. He mimed sign language to another kid so he wouldn't have to talk to him.
Social anxiety disorder or SAD, also called social phobia, is an anxiety disorder in which a person has an excessive and unreasonable fear of social situations. Anxiety (intense nervousness) and self-consciousness arise from a fear of being closely watched, judged, and criticized by others. A person with social anxiety disorder is afraid that he or she will make mistakes, look bad, and be embarrassed or humiliated in front of others. The fear may be made worse by a lack of social skills or experience in social situations. The anxiety can build into a panic attack. As a result of the fear, the person endures certain social situations in extreme distress or may avoid them altogether. In addition, people with social anxiety disorder often suffer "anticipatory" anxiety -- the fear of a situation before it even happens -- for days or weeks before the event. In many cases, the person is aware that the fear is unreasonable, yet is unable to overcome it. People with social anxiety disorder suffer from distorted thinking, including false beliefs about social situations and the negative opinions of others. Without treatment, social anxiety disorder can negatively interfere with the person's normal daily routine, including school, work, social activities, and relationships. Reference WebMD
yes, very real. it like constantly being on live tv, all eyes on you at all times, and any miss step or wrong word could cause catastrophic things to happen. not only that, its like the audience is watching and waiting for it to happen, they're expecting it... possibly even taking bets.
yes it's real. I have it and I hate it. I wish I could change and be more normal but I can't because my anxiety is debilitating and makes me feel guilty afterwards because I know people are trying to be nice to me to invite me out to things but I just can't do it.
The medication Citalopram is specifically used to treat obsessional anxiety.I take 10mg daily.I've found it very useful.
