Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

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Social Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder, also referred to as social phobia, is a common anxiety disorder in which a person has an irrational fear of social situations. (Wood, Wood, & Boyd, 2014) According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Services, 2011 ,2013), Social Anxiety Disorder can make tasks such as public speaking and ordinary circumstances extremely difficult for a person. Fears such as being viewed in a negative way, or being looked down upon by others can lead an individual to become overly anxious and overwhelmed. The following will address Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), including diagnosis, treatment and solutions for this mental disorder.
Social Anxiety Disorder is “a persistent, irrational fear …show more content…

(ScienceDirect, 2008) This study suggests that people with social anxiety are affected not by environmental issues, but on a cellular level. This study suggests anxiety can be passed from one generation to the next. In some form, Smoller and his colleagues also believe that there isn’t a certain form of social anxiety that is being passed down, but the chromosome for social anxiety is what is being passed on to the next generation. In order to test this theory, additional studies need to be conducted. Scientist are currently looking at not only the environmental effects that can play a role in anxiety but also how genetics can effect SAD. “Within the past several years, advances in molecular and statistical genetic methods have made the genetic dissection of complex disorders a feasible project.” (ScienceDirect, …show more content…

The goal of these treatments are to help a person function better in everyday scenarios and to be able to handle anxious situations better when they emerge. Reducing caffeine intake and getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night can help. Two prominent treatments for SAD are medication and CBT. Medications including Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) have been found to help. SSRIs have been shown to be the first therapeutic option for those who suffer from SAD. SSRIs are a class of medication under a….. Also Benzodiazepines and Beta Blockers are effective in treating symptoms of SAD. CBT can help individuals overcome this disease by giving them tools to help them feel less anxious and more in control of their feelings and how they react to social situations. (Johan A.