Social Anxiety Disorder Checklist and Self Help Guide

Types of Anxiety Disorders

• Generalized anxiety disorder. You feel excessive, unrealistic worry and tension with little or no reason.
  
• Panic disorder
  
• Social anxiety disorder
  
• Specific phobias
  
• Agoraphobia
  
• Separation anxiety
  
• Selective mutism
  
• Medication-induced anxiety disorder.
  

Social anxiety disorder is sometimes known as social phobia. Lots of people may worry about social situations but if you have social anxiety you will have an intense fear or dread of social or performance situations. This can happen before, during or after the event. Social anxiety can be very distressing and have a big impact on our life; it affects everyday activities, confidence, relationships and work or school life. We may feel anxious just thinking about these situations and avoid them altogether.
Some common situations where you may experience anxiety are the following.

• Speaking in public or in groups.
  
• Meeting new people or strangers.
  
• Dating.
  
• Eating or drinking in public.
  

All socially anxious people have different reasons for dreading certain situations. But in general, it's an overwhelming fear of:

• Being judged or watched by others in social situations
  
• Being embarrassed or humiliated -- and showing it by blushing, sweating, or shaking
  
• Accidentally offending someone
  
• Being the center of attention
  

You also might have physical symptoms such as:

• Rapid heartbeat
  
• Muscle tension
  
• Dizziness and lightheadedness
  
• Blushing
  
• Crying
  
• Sweating
  
• Stomach trouble and diarrhea
  
• Inability to catch breath
  
• An "out-of-body" sensation
  

Talking therapies are the main treatment for social anxiety. Self-help courses and antidepressants can also help some people.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
CBT helps you understand the links between your thoughts, feelings and behaviour. It can help you to find ways to overcome your anxiety by challenging negative thoughts and beliefs.
Depending upon the type of anxiety disorder you have, you may be offered individual or group sessions. , If you have social anxiety disorder you should not be offered group CBT sessions.

DSM-5
Diagnostic Criteria for Social Anxiety

A. Marked fear or anxiety about one or more social situations in which the individual is exposed to possible scrutiny by others. Examples include social interactions (e.g., having a conversation, meeting unfamiliar people), being observed (e.g., eating or drinking), and performing in front of others (e.g., giving a speech).
Note: In children, the anxiety must occur in peer settings and not just during interactions with adults.
The individual fears that he or she will act in a way or show anxiety symptoms that will be negatively evaluated (i.e., will be humiliating or embarrassing; will lead to rejection or offend others).

B. The social situations almost always provoke fear or anxiety.
Note: In children, the fear or anxiety may be expressed by crying, tantrums, freezing, clinging, shrinking, or failing to speak in social situations.

C. The fear or anxiety is out of proportion to the actual threat posed by the social situation and to the sociocultural context.

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

E. The fear, anxiety, or avoidance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

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

G. The fear, anxiety, or avoidance is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or another medical condition.

H. The fear, anxiety, or avoidance is not better explained by the symptoms of another mental disorder, such as panic disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, or autism spectrum disorder.

I. If another medical condition (e.g., Parkinson's disease, obesity, disfigurement from burns or injury) is present, the fear, anxiety, or avoidance is clearly unrelated or is excessive
.
Specify if: Performance only: if the fear is restricted to speaking or performing in public.