In early June, two Major League baseball players were put on the disabled list for social anxiety disorder. The players were from two different teams (and in another twist, the teams played each other on the day the players were put on the disabled list).

Both the Cardinals and the Reds had players suffering from social anxiety disorder, and both teams handled the problem well. The Cardinals placed shortstop Khalil Greene on the disabled list and specifically labeled the reason as “social anxiety disorder.” The Reds’ first baseman Joey Votto left his club to deal with “stress-related issues.”

This is certainly a first for major league baseball, and is the first time social anxiety disorder was officially recognized as a reason for players to be placed on the disabled list.

You can read more in an article at the SportingNews: Baseball deserves credit for addressing mental, emotional issues.

We recently discussed panic attacks, and noted that panic attacks are a recognized social phobia that can be diagnosed and treated using moder medical techniques. Today we discuss “agoraphobia” — an anxiety disorder that is closely related to panic disorders.

Agoraphobia is generally considered to be anxiety about being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult (or embarrassing) or in which help may not be available (in the even to having a panic attac) or panic symptoms (such as a fear of having a suddent attack of dizziness or a sudden attack of diarrhea).

People who suffer from agoraphobia tend to avoid situations which involve social interaction. Agoraphobics avoid beingalone in public,being in large crowds, or travel situations (such as being in airplanes or buses). People who suffer from this disorder tend to avoid social situations, and this can advesely impact their ability to lead normal lives. For example, they may have a difficult time traveling, grocery shopping, commuting, etc.

Specialists who diagnose agoraphobia are instructed to classify the disorder as a specific disorder in which the agoraphobia occurs (for example, you may be diagnosed as suffering from “panic disorder with agoraphobia”, rather than being diagnosed as suffering from “agoraphobia”).

In future articles we will discuss some of the treatment approaches for agoraphobia.

We recently discussed panic attacks, and noted that panic attacks are a recognized social phobia that can be diagnosed and treated using moder medical techniques. Today we discuss “agoraphobia” — an anxiety disorder that is closely related to panic disorders.

Do you experience sudden onsets of fearfulness or intense apprehension? When it happens, are you short of breath? Do you have heart palpitations or chest pain? You may be experiencing “panic attacks”. Let’s learn more about how professionals diagnose this disorder.

Here’s what the official “manual” of mental disorders says about panic attacks.

The essential feature of a Panic Attack is a discrete period of intesnse fear or discomfort in the absence of real danger that is accompanied by at least 4 of 13 somatic or cognitive symptoms. Symptoms can be somatic or cognitive in nature and include palpitations, sweating, trembling or shaking, sensations of shortness of breath or smonthering, feeling of choking, chest pain or discomfort, nausea or abdominal distress, dizziness or lightheadedness, derealization or depersonalization, fear of losing control or “going crazy”, fear of dying, paesthesias, and chills or hot flushes.

According to the manual, a panic attack has a sudden onsent and then builds to a peak quickly (it usually takes less than 10 minutes to build) and can often be accompanied by a sense of immediate danger or doom and an urge to escape.

Does this sound familiar to you?

Check back at this site, and we’ll discuss how professionals may treat people suffering from panic attacks.

We hear terms like “social anxiety disorder” or “panic attacks” all the time. Do you ever wonder what the “officially” recognized anxiety disorders are? Well, to find out, you need a little history…

Psychiatrists in the U.S. (and around the world) use a standard manual of recognized mental disorders when diagnosing and treating mental disorders The manual is referred to as “The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (or “DSM”), and it is published by the American Psychiatric Association and provides diagnostic criteria for mental disorders.

The DSM has been revised five times since it was first published in 1952 (so the current manual is referred to as “DSM-V”). For a mental disorder to be “officially” recognized, it must be in the DSM.

A number of social anxiety disorders are recognized by the DSM-V, including: a variety of different panic disorders, specific phobia, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (or OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PSTD), acute stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (or GAD), substance-induced anxiety disorder, and anxiety disorder not otherwise specified.

Social anxiety disorder is generally categorized under the “social phobia” category. Check back at this site, and we’ll review some of the diagnostic information provided in the DSM regarding social anxiety disorder (as well as some of the other recognized social phobias).

Social Anxiety Disorder may be met with negative reactions from people who are not aware or have not experienced an anxiety related condition themselves.

Social Anxiety Disorder has been named one of the Top 10 “Yuppie” conditions. The disorder is categorized with similar conditions including: Chronic Fatigue, Tennis Elbow, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Gluten Allergy, Epstein-Barr virus (or EBV), Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Restless Leg Syndrome, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and Fibromyalgia.

A Yuppie is short for Young Urban Professional, people who are middle class and financially secure and have reached financial gain with little effort. Like Chronic Fatigue, which was coined “The Yuppie Flu” when it first emerged, Social Anxiety Disorder is often perceived to be a made up condition for people who do not wish to face every day situations. Like many anxiety related disorders, Social Anxiety Disorder may not always be taken seriously because it cannot be physically diagnosed with a blood test or an X-ray. According to ABC.com News, doctors who diagnose these disorders can at times come under criticism as people believe they are making money off of the drugs they prescribe to their patients.

Many people with Social Anxiety Disorder have, in the past, been perceived as ‘shy’. However, being a shy person and being afraid to enter into social situations are two different issues. Shy people are afraid of social situations but avoiding a social situation altogether, to the point of rarely leaving the house, is more extreme.

Dealing with social anxiety and not being taken seriously can heighten anxiety, causing people struggling with the condition to further enter into their personal shells. Being ridiculed and criticized will not cure a social disorder and should be taken seriously. The concept of a “Yuppie” condition exists because people who have not suffered from the condition find it hard to comprehend suffering from anxiety themselves.

Social anxiety disorder is a major problem that affects millions of Americans. And while this phobia is common in adults, more and more children are being diagnosed as well. As you can imagine, this leads to problems when it comes to education. Not only do children with social anxiety disorder need to learn how to overcome this problem, but teachers and counselors must also learn more.

Research has shown that some students have become so bad with social anxiety disorder that they are afraid to speak and interact within an educational setting. In basic terms, when social anxiety disorder effects a child it creates fear of being criticized by others. In some cases it can be so bad that it leads to physical sickness as well.

The problem with social anxiety disorder in children is that it can be difficult to determine the difference between this phobia and basic shyness. It is much easier to diagnose social anxiety disorder in adults because they will usually shy away from all situations and stay to themselves. But in children this is not always the case. Instead, they often times act out in fear which makes a diagnosis much more difficult.

As a parent it is important to closely monitor your child. Although you cannot do so while your child is in school there are ways to check up on them. For instance, are your child’s grades as good as they usually are? If not, this may be a sign that they are experiencing some sort of trouble. Additionally, stay in touch with your child’s teachers so you can quickly get word if this problem begins to rear its ugly head.

Social anxiety disorder can lead to children not wanting to go to school and/or receiving bad grades. While social anxiety disorder can be difficult to diagnose it is the job of the parents and school officials to watch for this phobia in their child and students.

Maybe its silly, but sometimes I need to remind myself that social phobia (such as social anxiety disorders) are an “official” disorder.  That is, they are recognized as actual (and treatable) disorders by the medical profession.
Social phobia were officially recognized as a mental illness in the late 20th century (however, there have been medical discussions of the phobia for centuries).

In the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) social phobia (also listed as social anxiety disorder) is defined as a “marked and persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or possible scrutiny by others”. The central feature of social phobia is an excessive fear of being observed or scrutinized by unfamiliar persons. In particular, an individual who suffers from social phobia finds agonizing the potential risk of performing inadequately or showing overt signs of nervousness with resultant embarrassment or humiliation. Sound familiar?

It should — there are millions of people who suffer from social phobia each day.

The social fears may be limited to specific settings such as formal public appearances, or extend to a wider range of situations like social gatherings and casual conversations. When exposed to phobic situations, or in anticipation thereof, the individual typically reacts with anxiety symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, blushing, and catastrophic thinking. Symptoms arise even though the person realizes that the reactions are exaggerated and unreasonable. Consequently, the distressing situations are avoided or endured under intense anxiety. In social phobia, symptoms interfere considerably with the person’s daily routines, social activities, relationships, occupational/academic functioning, or alternatively there is apparent distress about having the phobia.

The DSM says that if the person suffering from social phobia is under 18 years old, that the symptoms must persist for more than 6 months to qualify as social phobia.

The DSM-IV also specifies a generalized subtype of social phobia, which is the appropriate diagnosis when the fears extend to “most social situations”.

What type do you think you have? Generalized (where you are anxious in “most social situations”) or specific?

There are lots of different terms used to describe anxiety disorders. Anxiety is a very common condition experienced by a majority of people. Some types of anxiety, however, may require special care. Learn a little bit about the different “kinds” of anxiety (and which kinds may require treatment).

Here is a quick run-down of the different types of anxiety disorders that you may find referenced by your doctor or on the Internet. These are not comprehensive discussions or diagnoses — just an introduction to terms.

Social anxiety disorder (or “SAD”)

Social anxiety disorder is also known as a social phobia, and is sometimes referred to as “SAD” (obviously an acronym for social anxiety disorder). SAD involves overpowering worry and self-consciousness about everyday social situations. This anxiety is often caused by the fear of being judged by others, or the possibility of being embarrassed.

Panic disorder

A person having a panic attack usually has feelings of terror that strike suddenly and frequently with little or no warning. Additional symptoms may include sweating, chest pain, palpitations, and a feeling of choking.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder

A person with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is inundated with continuous thoughts or fears that force them to perform certain rituals or routines. An obsession is the disturbing thoughts that a person may have and the compulsions are the rituals.

Post-traumatic stress disorder

When a traumatic or terrifying event occurs in a person’s life, a condition called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may develop. PTSD can cause long-lasting and frightening thoughts of the event, which may lead to a person becoming emotionally numb.