Running head: SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER

Social Anxiety Disorder Research Paper June 20, 2011

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Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is an illness in which those affected are excessively self-conscious and overwhelmingly anxious in everyday social situations. While Medication cannot cure SAD, it is sometimes used to relieve the symptoms but will return if the medication is stopped, (NIMH, 2011, p. 1). I would advocate that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the best treatment method for SAD because it is difficult to get a success rate on medication as a result of the number of different types, the different reactions, side effects, and dependency on the medication, an opportunity exists to treat SAD without taking them. According to American Psychiatric Association (2000, p. 456), the diagnostic criteria for social anxiety disorder is defined as a "marked and persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or possible scrutiny by others."

English: Approximate Prevalence Distribution of th...

Published by the American Psychiatric Association,...

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This topic has been widely researched and published on the Internet. Currently, SAD is the third largest mental health care problem and the largest of all anxiety disorders, (Richards, 2011). It takes a significant amount of work using various treatment methods, but it is possible to overcome this disorder. Through research, I am hoping to discover what the most effective treatment method is for SAD. SAD can disrupt or even significantly impacting a person's day-to-day life if not treated. According to Jordan W. Smoller, M.D., Sc. D., associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School concerning SAD stated "though experts still aren't entirely sure of the cause, it's thought to have something to do with a hyper vigilant fear system in the brain," (Provost, 2009, p. 1). Anxiety disorders are inherited through...