Can We Miss the Diagnosis of Social Phobia?
One of the most important factors contributing to the under-recognition of social phobia is the perception of social phobia as an exaggerated appearance of normal shyness and social anxiety. Shyness can be considered normal behavior in different cultures, and even in the presence of a significant disability, this may not be considered a reason to consult a doctor. People suffering from social phobia often develop lifestyle strategies that help them cope with their condition. It has been reported that patients with social phobia are twice as likely to have alcohol problems than the general population, and people with alcohol problems are nine times more likely to have social phobia than the general population. While these strategies limit their social functions, they result in patients accepting the restrictions on their lives and not seeking treatment. Chronic depression may accompany most people with social phobia. Since people with social phobia begin to rely on alcohol and other substances that they think increase their self-confidence to cope with this problem, addiction becomes an additional problem that we frequently encounter in this group.
Whether other conditions cause social phobia or other An attempt is made to determine whether a physical or mental health problem accompanies the condition. To this end; A physical examination is performed to help evaluate whether any medical conditions or medications are triggering anxiety symptoms. How often and in what situations symptoms occur are discussed. The level of anxiety is evaluated with specially prepared tests to determine the degree and level of Social Phobia. The most frequently used of these tests is the social phobia symptoms scale developed by Liebowitz. It consists of 48 questions. There are questions about social situations in which people exhibit fear or avoidance behavior. The first 24 questions are answered according to the fear experienced in these social situations. The last 24 questions are answered according to the situation of avoiding the same social situations. It is a test developed to evaluate social relations and performance status. This test does not provide medically accurate results. z. Diagnosis is not made based on the test result, but it helps people who suspect that they are socially phobic to have an idea.
The social situations determined in the Liebowitz Social Phobia Scale are as follows.
Talking on the phone in public
/> Taking part in a small group activity
Eating in public
Drinking in public
Speaking to someone in authority
Speaking in front of an audience, role playing
Going to a party/entertainment going
Working while being watched by others
Writing while being watched by others
Talking on the phone with someone you don't know very well
Talking face to face with someone you don't know very well
Meeting strangers
Public restrooms
Entering a room where someone is sitting
Being the center of attention
Making an impromptu speech at a meeting
Being subjected to an aptitude, ability or knowledge test
Expressing disapproval or disagreement to someone you don't know well
Don't look into the eyes of someone you don't know very well
Present a previously prepared report verbally to a group
Try to pick up someone for romantic or sexual relationships
Return a purchased item to get the money back
Giving a party / invitation
Resisting a persistent salesman
How to Recognize Social Phobia?
The child with social phobia symptoms is shy and cannot express himself in class. , he does not ask or speak unless asked a question, when asked, he hesitates, shyly, gets bored and answers with short sentences, does not make eye contact, and cannot fully reveal his knowledge. For this reason, students who have a big difference between written and oral exam success should be evaluated in this sense. Tremors in the face and sweating in the hands are the most important symptoms. The teacher can notice this situation and inform the family. Children who have low academic success, who cannot show their capacity, who have difficulties in their relationships with friends, who experience shame in relationships with the opposite sex, who remain alone in the group and cannot establish and maintain a friendship, who can only establish relationships with others by being with their friends can be noticed immediately. It is also possible for a socially phobic child with symptoms of social phobia to be completely alone, which the teacher cannot understand.
Physical Symptoms of Social Phobia;
If your professional work requires intense social communication, everything you do to avoid social environments may negatively affect your success. Eating and drinking, talking on the phone, signing, and arguing in front of others can cause intense anxiety. Another symptom is the inability to look into the eyes of the person being spoken to. Sometimes, even the thought of "being the center of attention", which can be very attractive for many people, can be exhausting... One of the thoughts that increases the anxiety experienced is the fear that "this situation" will be noticed by other people and made funny. The decrease in their self-confidence and self-esteem makes people with social phobia hypersensitive and intolerant to rejection and negative evaluation.
Facial flushing
Anxiety, fear, irritability
Blurred vision
Urgent need to urinate
Sweating, hot flushes
Dry mouth
Palpitations, shortness of breath, shortness of breath, tachycardia
Gastrointestinal system discomfort, abdominal pain
Diarrhea< br /> Muscle tension
Tremor
stuttering, tremor
Rapid breathing, difficulty breathing
Dizziness, feeling faint
Damp hands
Tic, twitching
Severe headaches
Psychological Symptoms of Social Phobia;
Feeling of powerlessness and inadequacy,
Excessive anxiety about the social situation to be entered days, weeks, even months before.
Fear of being watched and judged, especially by people you don't know
Excessive worry and anxiety, even in groups you attend every day
Fear of behaving in a way that would embarrass or humiliate yourself
Fear of others noticing that you are anxious being afraid
Avoiding social environments that would negatively affect one's life
Perception of physical ugliness and disliking
Feeling that one does not deserve the love given
Avoiding making mistakes and wanting to be perfect
Constant state of anxiety but Trying not to show it
The state of being and behaving flawlessly
The desire to constantly gain the admiration of the society
The inability to enter the environment one is afraid of or afraid of
Found� Constant desire to escape and leave this environment
Inability to make and avoid eye contact with people
Symptoms can sometimes be so extreme that it may become very difficult for people to even continue their daily lives. Individuals with this disorder feel powerless, lonely, and become isolated from society over time. These people either cannot engage in social environments or romantic relationships, or they have limited relationships. Anxiety; It significantly affects daily routines, occupational performance or social life and, as a result, makes it difficult for these people to finish school, find jobs by interviewing, and establish friendships and romantic relationships. Social phobia: People with social phobia feel excited and distressed when they have to meet a new person in the environment they live in. If this person is a student, he/she will have difficulty speaking in class and avoids taking the floor due to his/her social phobia. If he/she has to talk, his/her face becomes red, his/her voice becomes hoarse, hands tremble, a blockage in thought, or even speech cessation may occur.
The secondary negative effect of social phobia also manifests itself in a tendency to withdraw from society. . In the early stages of social phobia, the child cannot tell anyone about his problem due to shame. In our society, shy children even receive praise, so the seriousness of social phobia can be overlooked. If it is not known that the disease is present and it is not treated in a timely manner, the child will have difficulties in the future. The problem worsens during university years. Because when left untreated, the problem gets deeper and deeper.
Symptoms of Social Phobia in Children
Depression due to loneliness
Low self-confidence
May notice lack of social skills
/> He perceives himself as inadequate
He knows that he has a deficiency because he cannot establish a relationship
He cannot maintain a relationship with someone he has just met
He cannot initiate a conversation
He remains in the listener position, which lowers his self-confidence.
Depression It develops secondaryly.
It can be seen as crying, not leaving the parent alone and clinging to him, or tantrums.
Does Social Phobia Begin in Childhood?
Symptoms of social phobia in childhood A comfort that started in the age of It is malnutrition and the first symptoms appear in preschool ages. For example, when you put 100 children in a new, unfamiliar area, 70 percent of them adapt easily, 15 percent take over the environment, and 15 percent remain timid, cry, do not want to leave their mother, and have difficulty adapting to the new environment. It can be said that this is an important symptom when considering children who have problems starting school. Symptoms of social phobia, such as the child being very shy and timid, wanting to return home immediately in new environments, and being clingy to the parents are a definite alarm situation. This shows that the child will have social phobia.
Because the parents are overly perfectionist, protective, protective, not being allowed to meet any of their needs, and a very sheltered, restrictive environment causes the child to become a socially phobic individual in the future. For this reason, children with social phobia symptoms should be exposed to different environments from an early age. It is necessary to ensure that he spends a lot of time in other places outside the home, even in open areas. Nowadays, urbanization, living in an apartment, having little access to the ground, parents working, and the child staying at home with a caregiver can be counted among the reasons that cause social phobia.
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