Kittcat6166, Social anxiety disorder was included in the second version of the DSM-II in 1968. Back then, it was known as social phobia. As time has passed and the DSM has been revised, it has evolved to social anxiety disorder or SAD. The focus of therapy will be different for general anxiety as oppose to social anxiety as the triggers are different. Danielle, Bilingual Health Educator

Hello, I have a question about social anxiety. I was doing a bit of reading about it online and read an article that said that since social anxiety was so newly added to the DSM-IV (or whatever it's called!), that few psychologists/psyciatrists know much about it or how to treat it. The article went on to say that there was specific treatment for social anxiety and that treatment for general anxiety wouldn't work on social anxiety. Is this true? Thanks.

Hi Vickers4, It sounds like you may be experiencing depersonalization/derealization. It is quite common among panic sufferers and CBT, particularly exposure work seems to be quite helpful as it gets you to practice managing your states. Here's a little more about it: Depersonalization : A frightening and/or disturbing experience of not being within one's own body or of being in immediate danger of vanishing/separating from reality €“ often described as the sensation of living inside a dream. Although cognitive functioning remains intact, the sufferers feel disconnected from their sense of self and often interpret it €œas if I am losing my mind.€ €œ My hands feel like they're made of paper, or like they belong to someone else.€ €œMy own face in a mirror seems foreign, like I have never really seen it before this moment€¦€ €œI cannot feel my body, not truly numb, but it is as if I have disappeared into myself, beyond my own flesh and blood€¦€ €œSometimes I literally wonder if I am already dead and existing as a ghost€¦it feels like my soul is trying to leave its shell and I am fighting with all my strength to hold it inside this body. I don't know if I'm dreaming or awake; I must be going insane€¦to feel my self wafting away€¦I know it is only a matter of time€¦€ Derealization : A state of consciousness that creates a sense of detachment from all environments, fogginess, as if a plate of glass is in between the mind and the physical world. Any concentration requires tremendous effort, and the harder the sufferer tries to focus, the more disconnected they become. Often including feelings of déjà vu or jamais vu. Familiar places look alien, bizarre, and surreal €“ as if they are part of a Salvador Dali painting. In fact, the more familiar the surrounding, the more foreign it seems to be. €œIn a split second, the world seems to tilt. I am suddenly a stranger in my own neighborhood.€ €œReality seems to vanish, or is closing in, as if the literally edge of the world is right beyond the horizon.€ €œEverything looks €˜off,' like it turned into a stage set or fake replica of how it should really look€¦€ €œThe world looks like I'm dreaming, or like I have unwittingly taken LSD€¦€ Depersonalization and Derealization involve similar consciousness states, although psychiatric literature discusses them as two different symptoms. The major distinction is that the first is a distorted awareness of self, while the second is a distorted perception of the physical environment. Often patients experience both, simultaneously or alternately. These states of mind are accompanied by an obsessive need to self-monitor, to observe the self moment by moment. The sufferers describe an inability to experience their own lives while stuck in chronic self-observation (also feeling that identity is disappearing, or has already vanished). Usually, but not exclusively, these altered states include debilitating anxiety and overwhelming preoccupation that a total loss of reality is only moments away. There may be pervasive beliefs of literally €œwilling oneself€ to remain sane, along with a morbid fear of (and resisted wish for) total surrender to what seems to be an impending psychosis. Over time, the patients believe they are losing more of the self, and while actual reality-testing remains intact, the feeling of reality diminishes. There are increasing doubts about the actual existence of an external reality and the sufferers often harbor secret thoughts that they have only conjured up the world and their own being. Bizarre ideas may include a notion of being the only person in the world, or of existing merely as a thought without a body. Thoughts can develop about being the singular author/director/producer of one's perceived existence (as is true in a night dream). Such ideas often lead to overwhelming ruminations on the nature of being human. The result is increased withdrawal into one's own mind, which encourages social isolation and enhances the feeling of alienation. Hope this helps. Danielle, Bilingual Health Educator

I have a question. I've had panic / anxiety most of my life, I'm 35. Since finding this website, I am pretty much in control of it instead of it controlling me. I still have bad days but they are easier to deal with now. Most of the time when I have a symptom, I know that it's anxiety and not something horrible. But, there is one thing I deal with now and again and I'm not sure if this has to do with anxiety or not. Since you have this thread open, I'll ask. I notice this will usually come on if I haven't gotten much sleep for a few days or if I'm extra stressed for a few days. Mainly, this comes on during menstration. I will have a day with a constant feeling of deja vu. They deja vu will last about 10 or 15 seconds but will be incredibly intense - almost like being in a dream state. I'm coherent and can carry on a conversation and function, but it's extremely draining to me mentally and physically. It will give me a pressure headache and dizzy spells. Sometimes it will be every few minutes all day. Sometimes, it's a few times throughout the day with a lot of little ones inbetween the larger episodes, usually lasting just a quick second or two. This will usually echo into the next day. Usually, nowhere near as bad as the main day, but still disturbing. I was wondering, is this just from being over stressed, over tired, or hormonal? Is this something to do with anxiety? I've read that these kinds of things could be symptoms of frontal lobe seizures. Are these dangerous? I've had them for years and have never had it checked out by a doctor because it always goes away in a day or two and has never led to anything harmful. Also, my father has the same problem when he hasn't gotten much sleep and said it is nothing to worry about. Any opinions? Thanks!

Hi, I found I would always have a butterflies kind of tummy when I was going through a particularly bad patch, usually worse on waking and then when I've finished work or whatever at the end of the day, both times when I had time to think about my anxiety. I then read a book by Claire Weeks that explained it was just adrenaline, she explained why it happened at these times, what exactly is producing these feelings and just as importnatly, what to do about it. In essence she suggested 'occupation', and sure enough if I got involved in something, anything, even a game on the computer, I was too busy concentrating on that to notice these funny tummy feelings. Slowly, over time, I noticed that I was having less and less of them. Its the thinking about it that feeds it. Sometimes, for me anyhow, trying to use relaxation to help didn't work because I knew I was trying to relax from those feelings, so they never completely went. I played endless games of solitaire on the computer, and still do in times of stress, or something like sudoko, to make your brain think about something else completely. It worked for me, try it !! I hope this helps. And see if you can get hold of a copy of her book, any of them, they really are very good and explains about a lot of the physical symptoms we get, and why.

Does anyone else have any questions? Danielle, Bilingual Health Educator

I get intestinal symptoms too. They are a pain but I cope. And yeah tackling the anxiety really helps with this. -Diva

Christine, Intestinal symptoms such as the ones you are describing are not uncommon among panic sufferers. The best way to deal with this problem is to tackle the underlying cause; anxiety. A relaxation technique before known triggers and learning/practicing the skills from the program may be of great to help to you in preventing the occurence of these symptoms. Danielle, Bilingual Health Educator

Sorry if this is awkward, but when I get on the verge or into a panic attack, my intestines go nuts. Ever since I was young whenever I got a panic attack I would run to the bathroom..and it's very bizarre and scary because, what if there isn't one around? I remember before the SAT's I had to pee like 10 times, and my stomach would growl, which would make me more anxious. I tried taking tums and such, but that barely changed anything. :(

Maria, Your body runs on a clock and if you're getting this anxiety consistently in the evening, it may be the build-up of anxiety from the day. Try instituting a relaxation technique in the evenings, it may help decrease the occurrence of this anxiety. Mary, Yes, hormones definitely play a role in anxiety. If your anxiety is occurring primarily around your menstrual cycle, you may want to consult your doctor and asked to be screened for PMDD - Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. Your doctor will be able to determine which course of treatment is best for you at this time. Danielle, Bilingual Health Educator