| There are some very important criteria that | | | | |
| doctors and mental health experts use to | | | | Â- An unreasonable avoidance, distress or |
| diagnose the symptoms of social phobia. | | | | stressful anticipation of fearful performance |
| Usually, most medical practitioners do not | | | | or social situations that significantly |
| treat clients during the diagnosis stage as | | | | debilitates the patient's daily routine, |
| people with a mental illness, but people who | | | | ability to function normally at school or |
| need help to rectify their symptoms. | | | | other social relationships or activities, |
| | | | which can result in a phobia about having a |
| The first step taken towards ascertaining if | | | | social phobia attack. |
| a person has social phobia symptoms is by | | | | |
| treating the person as a unique and special | | | | Â- If the patient is below eighteen years |
| individual. The person is allowed to freely | | | | old and the occurrence of these symptoms has |
| express what it is they are feeling, | | | | lasted at least six months. |
| experiencing and how this is affecting their | | | | |
| lives. By these criteria and only these is a | | | | Â- The subsequent avoidance or fears are |
| doctor able to determine if the symptoms | | | | not as a result of any physiological effects, |
| being experienced are in fact social phobia, | | | | such as the abuse of drugs, medication or any |
| as it is also known. | | | | other underlying medical illness, and cannot |
| | | | be diagnosed as another form of mental |
| Social phobic symptoms are very specific, but | | | | illness such as separation anxiety disorder, |
| not all of them are experienced by every | | | | panic disorder without agoraphobia (or with), |
| patient. These will all show a persistent and | | | | schizoid personality disorder, body |
| continuing experience of the fear of | | | | dysmorphic disorder or separation anxiety |
| socialization or the inability to perform in | | | | disorder. |
| any situation where the fear of embarrassment | | | | |
| may happen. These symptoms include: | | | | Â- In the case where another underlying |
| | | | mental or medical illness is determined, the |
| Â- A continuing and marked fear of a | | | | patient's fear has no relation to Parkinson's |
| single or multiple socialization or | | | | disease tremors, Bulimia Nervosa, Anorexia |
| performance related situations where the | | | | Nervosa or stuttering. |
| patient has to expose themselves to people | | | | |
| they don't know and the potential for | | | | Social phobia is very hard to diagnose for |
| judgment by those people. The patient's fears | | | | most medical practitioners because its |
| display a concern about being embarrassed or | | | | symptoms can be attributed to many other |
| possibly humiliated. For example, some | | | | mental illnesses, medical conditions and/or |
| patients the best clue to this is in their | | | | possibly the abuse of drugs or medications. |
| ability to socialize with their peers and | | | | The symptoms of social phobia can affect the |
| form new relationships with people within | | | | patient's ability to live a normal life and |
| that age group. | | | | may interfere with their ability to enjoy |
| | | | normal social events and experiences that |
| Â- The act of exposure to a fearful | | | | most of us would take for granted. In fact, |
| socialization situation almost always leads | | | | as many studies have shown, the symptoms |
| to feelings of extreme anxiety, which can | | | | themselves are not enough on their own to |
| manifest itself in the form of a 'panic | | | | diagnose this disorder, but just a part of |
| attack'. Panic attacks can vary according to | | | | the whole process. It is important that as a |
| the age and person, but in children this can | | | | potential patient of this that you understand |
| manifest itself in the form of avoiding other | | | | that along with the symptoms and possibly |
| children they don't know, freezing in their | | | | causes may come the possibility of traumatic |
| actions, having temper tantrums and/or | | | | experiences, whether known or unknown to you |
| unexplained crying. | | | | at this time. So, it is vital that if you are |
| | | | experiencing these symptoms that you seek |
| Â-The appearance of a fear that may be | | | | medical advice first from your family doctor |
| unreasonable or excessive in nature. However, | | | | and then an experienced psychologist or |
| in the case of children this is not usually a | | | | psychiatrist. Do not be alarmed by the many |
| factor. | | | | questions they may ask you regarding your |
| | | | childhood or adulthood. These are meant to |
| Â- The avoidance or endurance of fearful | | | | better assist you and the doctor in |
| performance or social situations and/or the | | | | determining if the symptoms you are |
| endurance of such situations that provokes an | | | | experiencing are in fact truly those of |
| attack of extreme distress or anxiety (panic | | | | social phobia. |
| attack). | | | | |