Phobia, social

Phobia, social
Excessive fear of embarrassment in social situations that is extremely intrusive and can have debilitating effects on personal and professional relationships. Phobias are persistent, irrational fears of certain objects or situations. They recognize that their fear may be excessive or unreasonable, but are unable to overcome it. The symptoms and signs of social phobia include blushing, sweating, trembling, rapid heartbeat, muscle tension, nausea or other stomach discomfort, lightheadedness, and other symptoms of anxiety. Social phobia can be extremely disabling to a person's work, social and family relationships. People with this disorder tend to lead difficult and diminished lives. The emotional toll of the disease is great. Many people with social phobia have trouble reaching their educational and professional goals or even maintaining employment. They may depend on others financially and try to relieve anxiety with alcohol and drugs. In extreme cases, a person may begin to avoid all social situations and become housebound. Effective treatments for social phobias include medications, a specific form of psychotherapy called cognitive-behavioral therapy, or a combination of medication and psychotherapy. Medications for social phobias include antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), as well as drugs known as high-potency benzodiazepines. People with a specific form of social phobia, called performance phobia, can be helped with drugs called beta-blockers. Cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches patients to react differently to the situations and bodily sensations that trigger anxiety symptoms. For example, a type of cognitive-behavioral treatment known as "exposure therapy" involves helping patients become more comfortable with situations that frighten them by gradually increasing exposure to the situation.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Social anxiety — is a term used to describe an experience of anxiety (emotional discomfort, fear, apprehension or worry) regarding social situations and being evaluated by other people. It occurs early in childhood as a normal part of social functioning. People… …   Wikipedia

  • Social phobia — DiseaseDisorder infobox Name = Social phobias ICD10 = ICD10|F|40|1|f|40, ICD10|F|93|2|f|90 ICD9 = ICD9|300.23 Social phobia (DSM IV 300.23), also known as social anxiety disorder [ [http://www.webmd.com/anxiety panic/guide/mental health social… …   Wikipedia

  • Phobia — A phobia (from the Greek: φόβος, Phóbos, meaning fear or morbid fear ) is a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically… …   Wikipedia

  • social anxiety disorder — social phobia …   Medical dictionary

  • Social phobia — Excessive fear of embarrassment in social situations that is extremely intrusive and can have debilitating effects on personal and professional relationships. Phobias are persistent, irrational fears of certain objects or situations. They… …   Medical dictionary

  • -phobia — The English suffixes phobia, phobic, phobe ( of Greek origin: φόβος/φοβία ) occur in technical usage in psychiatry to construct words that describe irrational, disabling fear as a mental disorder (e.g., agoraphobia), in chemistry to describe… …   Wikipedia

  • Phobia — An unreasonable sort of fear that can cause avoidance and panic. Phobias are a relatively common type of anxiety disorder. For example, extreme fear of spiders is called arachnophobia, and fear of being outside is known as agoraphobia. Phobias… …   Medical dictionary

  • phobia — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ needle, social, water, etc. ▪ I have a severe needle phobia. VERB + PHOBIA ▪ have, suffer from …   Collocations dictionary

  • social phobia — noun any phobia (other than agoraphobia) associated with situations in which you are subject to criticism by others (as fear of eating in public or public speaking etc) • Hypernyms: ↑phobia, ↑phobic disorder, ↑phobic neurosis • Hyponyms:… …   Useful english dictionary

  • social phobia — /soʊʃəl ˈfoʊbiə/ (say sohshuhl fohbeeuh) noun 1. an extreme and irrational fear of embarrassing oneself in social situations, leading to social isolation. 2. a specific anxiety related to social situations, such as a fear of public speaking. Also …  

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”