This social phobia test reveals whether you might suffer from some kind of social disorder and questions you on the most common signs and symptoms. Below the form you can find more information on social anxiety and its causes.
How does this social phobia test work?
This is a quick lifestyle test designed to give you an insight on whether you might undergo any kind of.
If there are symptoms of this personality disorder the social phobia test will return you the level at which you confront with social phobia disorder so that you can concentrate on the problems that bother you. It basically calculates a percentage of social phobia disorder symptoms presence, meaning how many social phobia symptoms were chosen by the user and then a symptoms status by adding the symptoms significance. Moreover the test returns you a very short social phobia disorder level description. Please remember that this should NOT be considered as a substitute for any professional medical/mental health service.
What is Social Phobia Personality Disorder?
This is a personality disorder known as well as social anxiety disorder, which is characterized by an intense fear or stress in front of different social situations or being around people. The main effect is that people suffering from it isolate from society or keep away from any social interactions. Few of the most known phobia disorder symptoms are:
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Extreme fear and stress before meeting new or unknown people;
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More than shyness when making presentations;
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Avoidance in speaking in public or making presentations;
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Low self-esteem image;
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Permanently avoidance in interacting with new people;
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Avoidance of eye contact;
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Isolation and avoidance of any social activities;
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Permanently fear of embarrassment or humiliation in public;
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Dislike for being in the spotlight;
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Physical symptoms when being or speaking in public such as: shaking, difficulty breathing or palpitations.
What causes social anxiety?
This should be considered a serious matter, more than just shyness as it is basically an intense fear over daily interactions with other people. Of course many of us worry about certain activities that ask us to interact with other people, but from what is normal to pathologic there is quite a fine line at times. Social anxiety engulfs feelings of embarrassment, humiliation with signs of sweating, blushing and can be quite a disabling disorder. It is recognized and treatable and is considered to be caused by genetic and environmental factors but the operating pathways and the degree of influence are still to be discovered. It is also said to evolve in individuals as a mean to cope with anxiety during the forming years.
When social phobia turns into panic attacks
In some cases the fear of social interactions is so big that it completely disables the individual reactions and as well can build up to a panic attack that usually lasts a few minutes. During the episode there are signs of sweating, trembling and heart palpitations. Social phobia can also be accompanied by other disorders such as depressions, anxiety, PTSD or can lead to alcohol and substance abuse.
Means of treatment
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Cognitive behavioral therapy – one of the most effective ways. There are personal hourly sessions tailored for individual needs that aim at changing behavioral patterns.
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Supported self help – similar to CBT with the difference that the individual follows a program on his own, supported by computer generated information.
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Psychotherapy – designed particularly for social disorder, interpersonal psychotherapy tries to link the disorder symptoms with problem areas and address them together, eliminating the past trigger.
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Antidepressant medication – SSRIs- selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor that aim to change chemical imbalances in the brain. The dosage needs to be carefully monitored as there is a wide range of side effects.