Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has become much more recognized and appreciated following the traumatic events of September 11th. The estimated lifetime prevalence for PTSD is almost 8%. This anxiety disorder centers on a person re-experiencing an extremely traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, war, crime, rape, or abuse, whether the abuse is physical, mental or sexual in nature. Because of this experience, a person may have recurrent thoughts about the event or actually re-experience some of the same feelings and reactions that occurred during the initial exposure. A person with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) will try to avoid activities or thoughts associated with the initial traumatic event. In addition, the person will usually experience autonomic arousal or panic symptoms when encountering or thinking about the triggering situation.
Social Phobia (SP)
Social phobia affects between 3% and 13% of the adult population and can occur in patients as young as in early childhood. Social phobia is not about being shy, bashful, or not liking people; instead it is a disorder in which patients experience intense feelings of humiliation and/or scrutiny when in a social situation. This situation can be specific, such as giving a talk in a class, or generalized to almost every encounter with any person throughout the day, whether this involves one person or many people. Social phobia is a chronic, unremitting anxiety disorder that has a significant genetic component and a biological basis. Social Phobia (SP) has high comorbidity with other anxiety disorders, as well as depression and alcohol and substance use disorders. The impairment can have extreme ramifications, ranging from not ever applying for a job or a school to quickly quitting because of the intense discomfort experienced when the patient is forced to talk or interact with others. Common symptoms include flushing, blushing, tachycardia, sweating, stuttering, and tremor. In essence, the patient has panic-attack symptoms when he or she is only placed in social situations. The person can experience either limited symptoms or a full-blown attack that affects every body system. TABLE 4 lists some situations in which people with social phobia experience extreme anxiety and thus make every effort to avoid.
| Table 4. Common Situations Feared and Avoided by People with Social Anxiety |
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