Social anxiety disorder is a disorder that is characterized by a fear of being judged by others negatively in social situations. Everyday interactions are cause for a high level of stress and worry, and the patient suffering from a social anxiety disorder is usually self-conscious. A patient with this disorder experiences significant emotional discomfort and may even exhibit some physical symptoms like nausea and sweating, or an accelerated heartbeat. An in-depth look into a case study is needed to be able to understand the disorder clearly. It is essential to identify the background of the patient, factors leading to the development of the disorder, and symptoms the patient may be having. Doing this enables one to suggest the best treatment for the patient.
Background Information and Personal History of Patient
Lace is a 24-year-old girl that has tendencies that may indicate she has a social anxiety disorder. Since a tender age, Lace struggled with social interactions (Health, 2018). At the age of 6, her interactions became even more stunned when her mother married a man that would physically abuse Lace when her mother was not around. What made the matter worse was that Lace’s mother refused to acknowledge what Lace was going through. At the age of 12, her stepfather raped her and threatened to kill her if she confessed. Living under constant verbal, physical, and sexual abuse led to the onset of her social anxiety. It did not help that she was always teased in school about her appearance and a slight stutter that she developed.
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Factors leading to the disorder
Because of the beatings that she received as a child, Lace grew unable to assert herself and develop confidence in the importance of her wellbeing. The constant verbal abuse and her stepfather telling her that she would amount to nothing were not helpful either. The abuse led to her inability to process her worth. Instead, she focused on staying away from the limelight or any criticism.
Symptoms of the Patient Experiences
Lace was able to tell me about her daily interactions that led me to believe she was a victim of the disorder. Apart from feeling very self- conscious, Lace tends to avoid any social interaction. A recent incidence that raised red flags was when she refused to attend her art exhibition. She is a great artist who does paintings but could not bring herself to watch people look at her art and criticize them. She said that the thought of her passing by and hearing someone say something negative about her work may cause her to quit painting altogether.
Every time someone approaches her in public, even if it is for something as simple as asking for directions, she refuses completely to interact. Some have perceived the behavior as rude, and finding this out only adds to the amount of anxiety that she has to endure (Hannon Sauer-Zavala, 2006). One time, she was unable to answer a question in the classroom, and the new teacher thought she was rude. When the other students started laughing, she could not answer, and the teacher thought she was the class clown and sent her to detention.
Lace claims that sometimes her heart beats so fast when someone starts walking in her direction. Sometimes she is so paralyzed by the fear of someone walking up to her that she restricts her clothing to dark colors that do not allow her to stand out. She rarely makes eye contact even with me (Hannon Sauer-Zavala, 2006). Lace clearly stated, “Being here makes me extremely uncomfortable, and I would do anything to get away from this chair. Being vulnerable makes me feel stupid, and I don’t know what you think I should have done differently.”
Treatments
The best treatment for Lace would be to put her under medication. I would recommend she tries beta-blockers or several antidepressants before we settled on one that is best suited for her. This selection process is based on the fact that not all antidepressants behave the same way for every patient. Lace was advised on the importance of sticking to medicine. It was also vital for her to realize that she would not need to be on medication all of her life. Beta-blockers would help reduce heart rate and blood pressure, thus lessening the symptoms of social anxiety (Clinic, 2018).
Conclusion
Social anxiety disorder can stem from different experiences or histories in one’s life, including abuse or genetic reasons. The good news is that it is manageable, and could easily be handled. This disorder affects a significant number of people. It is a simple disorder to diagnose, and treatment is available to help curb the effects of the disease. It is essential for anybody who suffers from social anxiety to know whether they are victims of the disorder. Once one is aware of symptoms, it becomes easy to diagnose, and the necessary help could be offered.
References
Clinic, M. (2018). Social anxiety disorder (social phobia). Mayo Clinic .
hannon Sauer-Zavala, P. L. (2006). Beyond Worry: How Psychologists Help With Anxiety Disorders. American Psychological Association .
Health, N. I. (2018). Social Anxiety Disorder: More Than Just Shyness. Social Anxiety Disorder: More Than Just Shyness .
