Social phobia, which manifests as avoiding meeting new people, not being able to eat in public places and not being able to speak in public, is among the most common psychiatric disorders and can be treated. Stating that social phobia, which has a lifetime incidence rate between 2 and 13%, starts between the ages of 13-20, experts note that the disease is more common in women, but men are more common in clinical applications.
Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital Specialist Clinical Psychologist Özgenur Taşkın said that social phobia negatively affects one's life.
Anxiety about what others will think of me
Stating that the person with social phobia is extremely anxious about being evaluated negatively by others, Specialist Clinical Psychologist Özgenur Taşkın said:
"People with social phobia experience intense anxiety when they are in crowded environments, thinking that they will be evaluated negatively by those around them, and that they will be judged by others as anxious, inadequate, boring, intimidating, slovenly or unpleasant. These people are intensely anxious about behaving or appearing in a symptomatic way or showing signs of anxiety such as blushing, sweating, stuttering, staring, that is, being evaluated negatively by others."
Sweating, flushing and palpitations occur
Stating that the most prominent symptom of social phobia is flushing, muscle tremors and palpitations, Özgenur Taşkın said, "There are also different symptoms such as sweating, discomfort in the stomach, dryness in the throat, feeling hot or cold, pressure in the head."
They avoid speaking in public
Stating that people with social phobia avoid speaking and eating in public, Özgenur Taşkın said, "These people are afraid to take part in small social groups where everyone can see each other. They avoid talking to strangers, meeting new people, eating in public places, making phone calls in public, taking part in a small group activity, talking to someone in authority or speaking in front of an audience. They can hardly do any of these things and make excuses for not doing them. This is also called avoidance behavior."
Biological and genetic factors can be effective
Özgenur Taşkın said that chemical differences have been determined in the brains of individuals with social phobia in the researches, and that there are findings that the ratio of the chemical substance called serotonin in the brain of individuals is lower than normal, and added that the way of growing up in childhood is an important factor in the formation of the disease. Stating that environmental factors are effective in the emergence of social phobia, Özgenur Taşkın emphasized that people with social phobia in their family and relatives have a slightly higher risk of developing this disease.
Social phobia is a common disease
Stating that the lifetime incidence of social phobia is between 2 and 13%, Psychologist Özgenur Taşkın said, "It is one of the most common psychiatric disorders. In a study conducted with university students in Turkey, 24% of the subjects were found to have this disorder. Social phobia starts between early and late adolescence. This corresponds to the age range of 13 to 20 years. It has been observed that it is more common in females, but males are more common in clinical applications."
Social phobia is a treatable disease
Stating that social phobia can be treated and that there are psychotherapy applications as well as drug treatment, Psychologist Özgenur Taşkın said, "Drug treatment and psychotherapy are applied in social phobia. Depending on the patient's condition, sometimes psychotherapy alone, sometimes medication is applied, but generally success is higher when both are applied together. One of the most common therapies used in social phobia is Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy. This type of psychotherapy allows the patient to explore the cause of their anxiety and confront their fears. Research shows that especially long-term cognitive behavioral therapy is more effective than medication."
It can also be seen in children
Özgenur Taşkın mentioned that children can also experience anxiety and said, "Anxiety in children can be manifested as crying, moodiness, freezing or avoiding environments with strangers. Adults are aware that their fears are meaningless, but children do not realize this. They may also experience intense inner distress due to the phobia. This may cause them to perform below their capacity at school."
Family support is important
Pointing out the importance of family support in the treatment of social phobia, Psychologist Özgenur Taşkın stated that in cases of suspicion, family or friends should encourage and support the individual to seek professional support and said, "Even in line with the permission of the individual, receiving this professional support together with the family will be beneficial for the positive outcome of treatment and therapy."
