Social Anxiety Support

newboki · 11-04-2009, 11:47 PM

How would you personally define NORMAL ANXIETY in social situations, and SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER? Thanks.

This maybe interesting to hear definitions from different people because i my self have hard time sometimes distinguishing the difference between normal social anxiety and social anxiety disorder.

Prakas · 11-05-2009, 12:03 AM

in my personal opinion

normal anxiety - common anxiety that you get before taking a test, giving a presentation.

social anxiety - constant state of worrying about how your being judged by others.

silenced · 11-05-2009, 12:11 AM

Normal Anxiety is fleeting.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prakas

Social anxiety - constant state of worrying about how your being judged by others.

The bolded words explain the key difference between the two.

hmf22 · 11-05-2009, 01:00 AM

Normal anxiety- anxiety on certain occasions, such as a class project or anything where you know someone (or many people) are going to be watching you and scrutinizing your every move.
Social anxiety- having the feeling that your every move is always being watched and scrutinized when you are around people, and having that feeling consume your thoughts beyond the point of logical thinking and control.

VipFuj · 11-05-2009, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hmf22

Normal anxiety- anxiety on certain occasions, such as a class project or anything where you know someone (or many people) are going to be watching you and scrutinizing your every move.
Social anxiety- having the feeling that your every move is always being watched and scrutinized when you are around people, and having that feeling consume your thoughts beyond the point of logical thinking and control.

seems like a fine line to me, but i'd agree with it

i feel like im in the middle of the two...not enough anxiety to warrant help, too much anxiety to function correctly.

odd_one_out · 11-05-2009, 02:49 AM

Generally, the point at which something is considered a mental disorder depends on how it impacts functioning in daily life. This is the point at which I would also personally define a disorder because it can be interpreted as the extreme of normal traits. See criterion E of social phobia:

E. The avoidance, anxious anticipation, or distress in the feared social or performance situation(s) interferes significantly with the person's normal routine, occupational (academic) functioning, or social activities or relationships, or there is marked distress about having the phobia.

HopeFloats · 11-05-2009, 07:38 PM

I would say the difference is whether it interferes in your ability to live a normal life, and how much distress it causes you.

lyssado707 · 11-05-2009, 10:44 PM

normal anxiety in social situations: shyness.

social anxiety disorder: anxiety that interferes with the life you would like to have, and is more intense and persistent than most people's around you. Also more avoidance...

carambola · 11-05-2009, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prakas

in my personal opinion

normal anxiety - common anxiety that you get before taking a test, giving a presentation.

social anxiety - constant state of worrying about how your being judged by others.

I like this answer.

11-04-2009, 11:47 PM	#1 (permalink)
newboki Status: SAS Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 53	How would you define these two....terms? How would you personally define NORMAL ANXIETY in social situations, and SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER? Thanks. This maybe interesting to hear definitions from different people because i my self have hard time sometimes distinguishing the difference between normal social anxiety and social anxiety disorder.

11-05-2009, 07:38 PM	#7 (permalink)
HopeFloats Status: SAS Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Wisconsin Gender: Female Age: 31 Posts: 127	I would say the difference is whether it interferes in your ability to live a normal life, and how much distress it causes you. __________________ What if the question is not why am I so infrequently the person I really want to be, but why do I so infrequently want to be the person I really am? -Oriah Mountain Dreamer Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.

11-05-2009, 10:44 PM	#8 (permalink)
lyssado707 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Humboldt County, CA Age: 22 Posts: 3,228	normal anxiety in social situations: shyness. social anxiety disorder: anxiety that interferes with the life you would like to have, and is more intense and persistent than most people's around you. Also more avoidance... __________________ In Loving Memory, http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...6/P1000595.jpg http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...P1000480-1.jpg Marmalade January 1991-February 19, 2007

11-05-2009, 12:03 AM	#2 (permalink)
Prakas Status: Failure - Life Sucks Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Delaware Gender: Male Age: 21 Posts: 427	in my personal opinion normal anxiety - common anxiety that you get before taking a test, giving a presentation. social anxiety - constant state of worrying about how your being judged by others.

11-05-2009, 01:00 AM	#4 (permalink)
hmf22 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Utah Gender: Female Posts: 116	Normal anxiety- anxiety on certain occasions, such as a class project or anything where you know someone (or many people) are going to be watching you and scrutinizing your every move. Social anxiety- having the feeling that your every move is always being watched and scrutinized when you are around people, and having that feeling consume your thoughts beyond the point of logical thinking and control.

11-05-2009, 02:49 AM	#6 (permalink)
odd_one_out Status: Active-but-odd Join Date: Aug 2006 Age: 32 Posts: 1,212	Generally, the point at which something is considered a mental disorder depends on how it impacts functioning in daily life. This is the point at which I would also personally define a disorder because it can be interpreted as the extreme of normal traits. See criterion E of social phobia: E. The avoidance, anxious anticipation, or distress in the feared social or performance situation(s) interferes significantly with the person's normal routine, occupational (academic) functioning, or social activities or relationships, or there is marked distress about having the phobia.