International Women’s Day: Defeating Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) in Women
Women are our pride, they are the beautiful creation designed by God not just to birth children but also to birth nations. As a result of this it is important that the world invests in women. According to Geraldine Mukeshimana, Vice- President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), “Investing in women means investing in sustainable development. The return on investment isn’t just being able to beat poverty and inequality but building stronger institutions, economies and entire communities,”
The smoking gun question is this;” how can this be achieved?”, when according to the American Psychiatric Association, 2013 which noted that. “In general, the prevalence of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is higher for females and this is more pronounced in adolescence. Although women are more likely to have SAD, men with this disorder are more likely to seek treatment.”
If a higher percentage of women in our world are prone to have Social Anxiety Disorders (SAD), it will be difficult for them to function and make meaningful impact in our society. It is therefore necessary we understand this social anxiety disorder and find ways to deal with it.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), in their journal on “Social Anxiety Disorder: More Than Just Shyness” attributes Social Anxiety Disorder as an intense, persistent fear of being watched and judged by others. This fear can affect work, school, and other daily activities. It can even make it hard to make and keep friends. It further states thus, “ A person with social anxiety disorder feels symptoms of anxiety or fear in situations where they may be scrutinized, evaluated, or judged by others, such as speaking in public, meeting new people, dating, being on a job interview, answering a question in class, or having to talk to a cashier in a store”.
Social Anxiety Disorder, also known as social phobia, is a mental health condition characterized by an intense and persistent fear of social situations and scrutiny by others. It can significantly impact an individual’s ability to engage in social interactions, leading to avoidance of various social situations.
This kind of anxiety occur in women when faced with societal expectations and pressures regarding appearance, social behavior and communication skills. These expectations can contribute to heightened social anxiety in women.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, persons with symptoms of Social Anxiety disorders;
- Blush, sweat, or tremble.
- Have a rapid heart rate.
- Feel their “mind going blank,” or feel sick to their stomach.
- Have a rigid body posture, or speak with an overly soft voice.
- Find it difficult to make eye contact, be around people they don’t know, or talk to people in social situations, even when they want to.
- Feel self-consciousness or fear that people will judge them negatively.
- Avoid places where there are other people.
The good news is social anxiety disorder is treatable. Social anxiety disorder is generally treated with psychotherapy (sometimes called “talk therapy”), medication, or the combination of both. Call Arogi Trauma Care Foundation today and speak with a therapist at no cost while we ascertain the best treatment for you.
As we celebrate women today, let us have in mind that we have women out there battling with this mental condition. There are women out there who aspire high level and influential positions but further decline due to social anxiety disorders.
We can help them defeat this condition by encouraging them to seek therapy and speak with seasoned and professional therapists.
To all the women out there facing this challenge, Arogi Trauma Care Foundation celebrate you and encourages you to seek our support, we are here for you.
Frederick Abiola-Cudjoe
Frederick Abiola Cudjoe is a blogger, content creator who is in service to Arogi Trauma Care Foundation. He is solution driven and result oriented. He has a strong passion to always make clients have the best customer service experience.
