Social Phobia

SOCIAL PHOBIA A fact sheet produced by the Mental Health Information Service

Franz Kafka once said “But if I am in an unfamiliar place with a number of strange people...then the whole room presses on my chest. My whole personality seems to get under their skins and everything gets hopeless.” SO, WHAT IS SOCIAL PHOBIA? Social Phobia, also know as Social Anxiety Disorder, is the third most common psychiatric condition after depression and alcoholism. Its central feature is a persistent fear of scrutiny from others. It includes a fear of social situations and interactions with other people that automatically bring on feelings of selfconsciousness, judgement and negative evaluation. A specific social phobia may be a fear of public speaking a generalised social phobia occurs when a person is anxious, nervous and uncomfortable in almost all social situations. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS? People with this disorder experience significant emotional distress in the following situations:        

Being introduced to other people Being teased or criticised Being the centre of attention Being watched while doing something Meeting people in authority Most social encounters Making small talk at parties Speaking in a group

The physical symptoms that occur include:  Intense fear  Racing heart  Blushing  Dry mouth and throat  Trembling  Muscle twitch

OVERCOMING SOCIAL PHOBIA People with social phobia know that their fear is irrational but often attribute it to some personal fault not recognising it for what it is. Social phobia, as with the other anxiety problems, can be treated successfully. Gaining an understanding and awareness of the problem is probably the first step in overcoming social phobia. WHAT TREATMENT IS AVAILABLE? There are a number of therapies that have proven effective in the treatment of social phobia. Systematic desensitisation where a person is taught relaxation techniques and through combining a relaxed body state with thought of the feared situation a person gradually overcomes their fears. Another form of therapy is Exposure therapy where a person is immersed in their feared situation with the idea that they have faced their worst fear and survived. Cognitive therapy assists a person to change thought patterns associated with the phobia. Medications are often prescribed but have not been found to be effective without some additional therapy. Medication can play a useful role to overcome some of the distressing symptoms in order for a person to get to work or simply get out of the house. However to prevent recurrence it is best used in conjunction with therapy. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND HELP      

Anxiety Disorders Alliance 02 9570 4126 or 1800 626 077 Your local GP Community Health Centre (see the White Pages) There are specialist Anxiety clinics in most major hospitals and Universities. Australian Psychological Society (APS) 1800 333 497 for referral to a psychologist in your area. Mental Health Information Service (02) 9816 5688 or toll free 1800 674 200 for referral to services in your area.

Disclaimer The information provided is to be used for educational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for seeking professional care in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. Information may be reproduced with an acknowledgement to the Mental Health Association NSW. This, and other fact sheets are available for download from www.mentalhealth.asn.au. This fact sheet was last updated in Spring, 2001.

Mental Health Information Service Mental Health Association NSW Inc 60-62 Victoria Road Gladesville NSW 2111

Phone: 02 9816 5688 or 1800 674 200 (outside Sydney metro) Email: [email protected] Web: www.mentalhealth.asn.au

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