Social anxiety Disorder

Social Anxiety Disorder

1.  Marked and persistent fear or anxiety about 1 or mere social situations in which the person is exposed to possible scrutiny by others 

2. The individual fears that they will act in a way or show anxiety symptoms that will act in a way or show anxiety symptoms that will be negatively evaluated 

3. The social situation almost always provokes fear or anxiety

4. The social situations are avoided or endured with intense fear or anxiety 

5. The fear or anxiety is out of proportion to the actual threat posed by the social situation 

6. The fear, anxiety, or avoidance is persistent, typically lasting for 6 months or more 

Types of anxiety disorder

• performance (fight or flight)

• generalized (chronic worry, GAD)

Cognitive factors of SAD

• Belief that one lacks control over their environment

• Fear of evaluation

• Attention to threat

CBT for SAD

Cognitive restructuring

• Overly harsh judgments of their behavior and its consequences 

• Catastrophic thinking, negative filtering

• Overly focused on their behavior rather than others

Which exposure is best for treating SAD

In vivo