Difference between Social Anxiety Disorder and Shyness - Research Paper Example

 Difference between Social Anxiety Disorder and Shyness Introduction It is a common believe among many people that shyness and social anxiety disorder as the same thing, but despite there being some similarities between the two they are two different conditions with varied manifestations on those affected. In order to establish the difference between the two, it is important to investigate and differentiate the symptoms present in the two. This paper will evaluate the two conditions separately in order to clearly establish the difference between them. Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) Social anxiety disorder is a condition that is accompanied by a lot of fear of social situations. This fear results in the inability of persons suffering from the condition to function normally in social situations. Social anxiety disorder is the most common mental condition around the world and it is estimated that at least twelve percent of the world’s population of children suffer from the condition which develops into their adult hood (Bandelow, Dan & Stein 2004). Social anxiety disorder is normally categorized into two; that is general and specific. Social anxiety disorder that is generalized is normally characterized by the intense fear of someone being humiliated or embarrassed by their actions and fear of being judged by those surrounding them. Specialized social anxiety disorder is where someone is chronically afraid of specific situations. Social anxiety disorder symptoms appear at an early stage in life. For instance, it is estimated that at least eighty percent of people suffering from the disease usually start experiencing symptoms by the time they attain the age of 20 years (Bandelow, Dan & Stein, 2004). Symptoms associated with social anxiety disorder are categories into three categories which are behavioral aspects, physiological aspects, and cognitive aspects. Cognitive symptoms of the disorder is where someone has the fear of how they will be presented to others. Symptoms include high self attention during any social activity and being self conscious. Most people who suffer from the disease also set performance standards that are too high for themselves. Behavioral aspects of the social anxiety disorder include, fearing to be judged by others the society, feeling humiliated or embarrassed after saying something, being uncomfortable in meeting and interacting with people and being distant when with a large group of people among others. Physiological symptoms include shaking, sweating, difficulty in breathing, palpitations and nausea especially when in crowds and meeting new people. Shyness Shyness is a feeling of awkwardness, lack of comfort and apprehension experienced by a person when in close contact to people especially new people. Shyness is considered a feeling or a personality trait and not a medical condition (Antony, 2010). There are various misconceptions that are associated with shyness. One such common attribution is that shy people normally have high intelligence. This is entirely wrong since research has proven that there is no relation to both negative and positive between shyness and intelligence. Shyness is mostly common in children and normally progresses into adult hood if it is not dealt with. In different cultures shyness is perceived differently depending on the values imposed in the cultures. For example in some cultures shy people are often assumed to be weak while in other cultures shyness is usually associated with intelligence and thoughtfulness. There are various reasons why people experience shyness. Genetics greatly influence shyness where the traits are found among family members or relatives. Shyness also results form a learned behavior where a person emulates the behavior of their role model which is common in adults (Antony, 2010). Family relationships also result in shyness especially where children are not emotionally attached to their parents. Frequent criticism of a child especially at home often results in the child developing shyness. Fear of failure can result in shyness since people often tend to be withdrawn especially in challenging situations Comparison of Social Anxiety Disorder and Shyness Social anxiety disorder is quite different from the shyness and the most basic difference is the fact that social anxiety disorder is medical condition while shyness is a personal trait or character. This follows that social anxiety disorder requires medical treatment while shyness is behavior that can be learnt and unlearnt. Social anxiety disorder mainly results from genetics and negative social experiences which are traumatic while shyness is mainly caused by a wide variety of networks not only genetics and but also other factors such as social influence and criticism among others. Social anxiety disorder is different form shyness and this is illustrated through symptoms of people suffering from the disease. People suffering from the disorder suffer from symptoms which may be chronic while people who exhibit shyness do not. For example, people suffering from social anxiety disorders may experience difficulty in breathing and nausea as a result of panic attacks which they get when they are faced by situations such as facing a huge crowd. These attacks are dangerous since they sometimes lead to instances where they lose consciousness (Antony, 2010). Another difference is that shyness is usually associated with children and is normally out grown when one enters adult hood in most cases while social anxiety disorder is normally a condition which someone lives with for the duration of their life. The disorder in not fully treated hence medication is taken to reduce symptoms associated with social anxiety disorder. Conclusion Social anxiety disorder though commonly confused with shyness is very different from the personality trait. It is important to distinguish the two since the share similar characteristics which might result in people confusing each with the other. Statistics have shown that many people fail to be diagnosed with social anxiety disorder early enough since it is normally confused with shyness. This has resulted in the disorder being a huge problem for most people suffering from it since early detection is crucial for medication to be effective since it should start as early as possible. Shyness can be talked by encouraging people who have this trait to attend counseling sessions which help someone to know the origin f their shyness hence being able to deal with it. References Antony, M. (2010). The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook: Proven, Step-by-step Techniques for Overcoming Your Fear. Sydney: ReadHowYouWant.com. Bandelow, B., Dan, J & Stein, M. (2004). Social Anxiety Disorder. New York: Marcel Dekker Read More