Speaker A
Say it's your first day at a new job.
Ask about this video. Answers come from its transcript only — with the timestamp, so you can check them.
Generated from the transcript and can be wrong — check the timestamp.
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
Maybe you're nervous or jittery, you want to make a good impression.
Speaker A
Those feelings are pretty normal, and they may actually help you be more alert and careful.
Speaker A
But after a few weeks, once you're used to the job and you know your co-workers, that nervousness usually diminishes, right?
Speaker A
Well, for some people, that initial anxiety is really high, and it stays really high over time.
Speaker A
For those people, the fear of being judged negatively by new people might be so daunting that it affects their ability to do their job well.
Speaker A
In fact, even the idea of having to be somewhere where they may be scrutinized by others, might make them not want to do the job in the first place.
Speaker A
This describes social anxiety disorder.
Speaker A
It's unclear what causes social anxiety disorder, but it's thought to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Speaker A
Like having a close relative with social anxiety disorder, or being exposed to neglect and abuse.
Speaker A
The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, or DSM-5, defines social anxiety disorder as causing individuals to fear acting in a certain way that might make them get judged.
Speaker A
And it can cause anxiety that interferes with their normal routine as well as their relationships.
Speaker A
And what's more, is the fear of anxiety is persistent, lasting for six or more months.
Speaker A
Usually, social anxiety disorder causes distress for individuals in specific social situations or circumstances.
Speaker A
For example, one person might get really anxious when making small talk with acquaintances or meeting new people.
Speaker A
Whereas another person might get performance anxiety and not feel able to give a presentation.
Speaker A
Or give a toast at a friend's wedding.
Speaker A
Social anxiety disorder is an ego-dystonic condition.
Speaker A
Meaning that people who have the disorder usually understand that their anxiety is unwarranted.
Speaker A
But unfortunately, that awareness can cause more anxiety because they'll fear that others can tell how anxious they are.
Speaker A
Sometimes, individuals might worry that they may be having physical symptoms like trembling or blushing that others may notice and judge them for.
Speaker A
Sometimes the anxiety can get so severe that it causes something called derealization.
Speaker A
Meaning that a person might feel spaced out and may be less able to recognize their surroundings.
Speaker A
In order to reduce their social inhibitions, some people with social anxiety use drugs and alcohol.
Speaker A
And that can lead to dependency and addiction.
Speaker A
The DSM-5 states that in order to make a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder, the fear or avoidance shouldn't be due to the effects of a medication or due to another condition.
Speaker A
And that's important because there are key features of social anxiety disorder that overlap with other conditions.
Speaker A
For example, in generalized anxiety disorder, individuals have anxiety.
Speaker A
But it's not limited to being judged in a social context.
Speaker A
The anxiety is usually broader and it includes non-social concerns.
Speaker A
Like finances or physical safety.
Speaker A
Another example is agoraphobia, where people avoid public places.
Speaker A
For fear of being trapped and not being able to escape, just in case something embarrassing happens or if they begin to panic.
Speaker A
But in agoraphobia, the fear is less about being judged and more about being trapped in a crowd and not able to escape.
Speaker A
Treatment usually involves psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of the two.
Speaker A
If it's psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy is recommended, since it teaches a person new ways of thinking and behaviors to help them in being around others.
Speaker A
Antidepressants are the most common choice of medication.
Speaker A
Specifically, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors or SNRIs, as well as benzodiazepines and beta-blockers.
Speaker A
SSRIs help regulate serotonin levels in the brain.
Speaker A
While SNRIs help regulate serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine to manage anxiety.
Speaker A
Benzodiazepines are psychoactive drugs that have a relaxing effect.
Speaker A
And beta-blockers can help ease the physical symptoms of performance anxiety.
Speaker A
Though medication can be effective in the short term, cognitive behavioral therapy has more advantages in the long term due to the potential of unwanted side effects.
Speaker A
All right.
Speaker A
So as a quick recap.
Speaker A
People with social anxiety disorder have heightened anxiety about acting in a way or showing symptoms of anxiety that will be negatively scrutinized by others.
Speaker A
Anxiety that is restricted only to performance is a specific type of social anxiety.
Speaker A
The anxiety is almost always present in a particular social situation.
Speaker A
And it's severe enough that it interferes with the normal course of life.
Speaker B
Hi everyone.
Speaker B
Sarah here.
Speaker B
Thanks for watching that video on social anxiety disorder.
Speaker B
Um, a really important and often not very well understood topic, which is, you know, vital to be aware of.
Speaker B
Whether you're working in a psychiatric field or as a medical clinician, or even as a member of the public.
Speaker B
It's important to be aware.
Speaker B
Because it's obviously has a huge impact on people's lives.
Speaker B
And, um, I hope we helped to shed a bit more light on the subject for you.
Speaker B
The script was written by Simone.
Speaker B
It was edited by Rishi, Todd, and Kathy.
Speaker B
And I did the illustration and the voiceover.
Speaker B
And then the whole video was edited by Sam.
Speaker B
So big thanks to the team who made it happen.
Speaker B
If you like that video and you like other videos on the YouTube channel, then make sure that you head over to osmosis.org.
Speaker B
We've got a whole load more resources which are super useful for medical school.
Speaker B
So, definitely worth checking that out.
Speaker B
Um, also, please feel free to check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.
Speaker B
And leave us some reviews and some feedback.
Speaker B
And we'd love that.
Speaker B
Thanks a lot.
Speaker B
Till next time.
Speaker B
Bye.
