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Oct 2, 2024
Anxiety disorders are surprisingly common. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that roughly 31% of Americans will experience an anxiety disorder during their lifetime. Two of these disorders that you might have heard of are social anxiety and agoraphobia. At first glance, these conditions may be hard to tell apart, but they have important differences. Here’s a look at them and how they differ.
It’s common for anyone to experience some anxiety in certain social situations. For example, meeting the parents of the person you’re dating would probably make most people nervous. But for people who have social anxiety, just about any social interaction feels dangerous.
This condition causes severe anxiety in social situations, even routine, common interactions. It can affect people’s relationships, work, school, and access to health care, and even make grocery shopping a struggle. Whether it curbs people’s ability to interact with others or impacts their whole life, therapy can help improve their symptoms.
At first glance, agoraphobia looks a lot like social anxiety. People with this disorder often choose to stay home rather than be in situations that cause their anxiety, which naturally reduces how much socialization they have. However, the root of agoraphobia isn’t social interactions but a fear of being trapped in upsetting situations.
Common agoraphobia symptoms include anxiety about situations such as leaving home alone, being stuck in an enclosed space, crowds, wide open spaces, or public transportation. They often worry that they will experience a panic attack or other anxiety symptoms that prevent them from getting out of the upsetting environment.
In general, agoraphobia causes intense anxiety about not being able to escape from a difficult situation or get the help you need. If these feelings last more than six months, experts recommend seeking mental health support. Like with social anxiety disorder, some people react by staying home or avoiding difficult situations, causing them to be cut off from other people.
There are similarities between the two disorders. They share symptoms such as panic attacks, anxiety, and avoiding situations that cause intense fear. The result is often someone who stays at home an excessive amount of time, cut off from friends and family. However, they also differ in important ways.
For people with social anxiety, the fear centers on social interaction or judgment. Agoraphobia, on the other hand, is focused on the danger of being in an upsetting situation where anxiety symptoms or a panic attack traps you.
Social anxiety restricts your ability to comfortably interact with others, leading to problems with relationships, going to school or work, and taking part in normal activities. Agoraphobia often makes it difficult for people to leave their homes, isolating them and making it difficult for them to function in a wide range of situations. This forces them to depend on others since they may be unable to meet their needs.
It’s a little tricky to establish exactly how common each disorder is because social anxiety disorder is often misdiagnosed. In general, however, experts agree that social anxiety is present in about 7% of the US population, while agoraphobia is found in roughly 1%.
If you are struggling with the symptoms of social anxiety disorder or agoraphobia, it’s important to know that there is help. Therapy has been shown to help people deal with their symptoms and improve their quality of life. The compassionate experts at Mental Health Systems can help you find peace with your fears and live a happy life.
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