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Eagerminnow84 |
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Female
24 years old
Chicago, Illinois
United States |
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Welcome to Social Anxiety Friends!
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Social Anxiety
Social anxiety disorder, also known as social anxiety or social phobia, is a psychological problem whose impact has been seriously studied only since 1980. As psychotherapists come to better understand its causes, symptoms, and effective treatments, they must consider the possibilities of new forms of treatment. The Internet is becoming an ever-larger part of the lives of its users and restructuring society in interesting new ways. As telecommunication, telecommuting, and telemedicine become more widespread, patients and therapists alike must consider the possibilities of the Internet's role in the treatment of social anxiety while keeping in mind the many risks associated with changing the traditional face-to-face client-therapist relationship.
About Social Anxiety
In order to understand how the Internet may affect treatment for social anxiety, one must first understand exactly what social anxiety is. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders outlines specific criteria a patient must meet before he or she can receive a diagnosis of social anxiety. According to these criteria, a social phobic is someone who feels a distinct fear of social situations, worries that he or she may be embarrassed in such situations, feels an instant apprehension whenever participating or thinking about these situations, and avoids them whenever possible. Teenaged and adult social anxiety sufferers should recognize that their fears are unwarranted and disproportionate, but children may not have that ability. A person may only be diagnosed with social anxiety if he or she is extremely troubled by his or her fears, or if they interfere considerably with his or her daily life. In addition, the fears cannot be better explained as symptoms of a different disorder, or as anxieties about the social effects of another disorder or medical condition, such as physical disfigurement. About 13% of adults in the United States will experience social anxiety in their lifetime. Prospective studies show that only a third of social anxiety sufferers will gain remission within eight years. Social anxiety sufferers also have a high risk of comorbidity, meaning that they may have or develop any of a myriad of other mental illnesses, the most common being depression, drug abuse (usually alcohol), and avoidant personality disorder. Psychologists believe that women are more likely than men to have social anxiety, but that men are more likely to seek help for it, probably due to a culture that approves of timidity in women but not in men, and disapproves of or misunderstands mental illness in general. In addition, clinical studies usually either study an equal number of women and men or use more men than women, leaving many questions about prevalence and epidemiology unanswered.
Despite the opinion of many to the contrary, social anxiety and shyness are not the same condition; neither is social anxiety merely a more extreme form of shyness. True, shy people can be uncomfortable in social situations as well. The vital difference is in the degree of impairment caused by their inhibitions. Shy people can usually function normally in social situations, albeit with some anxiety. Social anxiety sufferers, on the other hand, are so frightened of what others will think about their inhibitions that they either completely avoid social situations or endure them under extreme psychological duress. They may be unable to give speeches in public, make friends, eat at a restaurant, sign checks at the supermarket, or shop in a mall. Although early detection and treatment may be the best prevention for social anxiety, teachers often see their quiet, inhibited students as "the good children" as compared with their normal or hyperactive classmates, instead of recognizing the real problem. However, these "good children", and indeed all social anxiety sufferers, face intense difficulties in many areas of their lives.
Difficulties
The first and most personal difficulties are psychological and physical. Social anxiety sufferers believe that they must make a certain impression on their peers, and that they will fail to make that impression. This leads to a series of thoughts and feelings which cause a never-ending flow of anxiety: "I'm worthless if they don't think I make my speech well," "I won't be accepted if I state my opinion," "They won't think I'm witty or interesting, and I'm not," and so on. Sufferers may experience a wide range of physical symptoms, including blushing, tremors, headaches, stomach upset, stuttering, dizziness, and a feeling of being disconnected from reality. They may believe that others will notice these symptoms and judge them negatively: "They know I'm nervous because I'm blushing," "If they see my hands shaking they'll know I don't know what I'm talking about," and so on. Fears that people will notice their distress lead social anxiety sufferers to believe that they will be rejected, and so they withdraw from society.
Social anxiety sufferers are most likely to be unmarried, whether because they fear the types of social situations where they might meet partners or because people see their anxiety as unattractive. They may even isolate themselves from family members out of fear of being negatively judged. Shy children who avoid social situations are often seen as unacceptably different by their peers, and are more vulnerable to bullying behavior. Many remember the bullies who terrorized them long after childhood has passed. They may develop the idea that society functions under a strict set of rules and act accordingly, becoming inflexible in their behavior in public. Do others really pick up on this tension as much as social anxiety sufferers think? Not quite, according to psychiatric studies; observers do rate social phobia sufferers conversational skills lower than those of non-phobia sufferers, but not nearly as low as social anxiety sufferers ratings of themselves. Sufferers become their own worst enemies, getting caught in a cycle of behaviors and cognitions that keep them from participating normally in social situations.
Online Support
An increasing number of social anxiety sufferers are turning to the Internet for help. The World Wide Web can be an excellent tool to help people learn about their condition, its treatment, and resources available in their communities. Its capacity to facilitate communication can help socially anxious people contact others with the same condition, leading to the formation of online support groups and penpal programs. It can serve as a virtual bulletin board, listing locations of clinics, research centers, and support group meetings. Some therapists have even opened online clinics, conducting therapy sessions entirely on the Web through e-mail, instant messaging and chat technology.
There are a multitude of websites, both professional and personal, on the Internet that provide detailed information about social anxiety. Socially anxious people can also use the Internet find many people with the same condition, all looking for help and support. Support groups can be extremely helpful and therapeutic. Social Anxiety Support offers forums and chatrooms with an enormous number of participants, most of whom have something nice to say about each new member.
Positive Aspects of Online Support
In many ways, consulting the WWW can be a vital first step for socially anxious people. Sometimes, just the knowledge that there are others with the same problem willing to share their experiences can relieve anxiety. Many people feel safer talking about personal feelings and issues on the Internet. The sense of connectedness, belonging, and sharing that can come from talking to friends every day has been shown to be therapeutic for many people. If socially anxious people used the Internet daily to connect with others, it could become a powerful tool for increasing self-esteem and overall wellbeing, alleviating loneliness, and finding sources of emotional support.
Negative Aspects of Online Support
Upon further investigation and thought, however, the careful help-seeker should realize that the dangers of online support may outweigh the benefits. Anyone who has had their identity stolen by Internet predators could testify as to how hazardous it can be to disclose such personal information in such an impersonal medium. Online support, whether it involves chat, e-mail, or instant messaging, leaves a written record of each session. Proponents of online support cite this as a positive aspect however.
Using the Internet as a medium through which to receive support may be harmful to mental health. One study reports that three hours weekly of Internet usage among first-time users led to more depression and less social contact. Also, since socially phobic people are more likely to form online relationships with strangers, they may be at risk of falling victim to Internet predators. More studies are needed on online support to determine whether this is true.
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