Att leva med social fobi

Abstract

Background: When suffering from social phobia people experience an irrational fear of being observed and judged by others. The fear can be so powerful that being in the same room with other people is unbearable. Aim: The aim of the study was to illustrate what it is like to live with social phobia. Methods: The study is a general literature study based on fifteen quantitative articles and one autobiography. Articles were published after the year of 1995. Unites responding to the aim were identified and assembled into a result. Results: Person with social phobia has a reduced quality of life. They fear social interaction and are perceived by others to emit less warmth than other people. During conversation persons with social phobia experiences anxiety, they underestimate their own performance when being excessively focused on their own behaviour. This leads to a negative self image. Cognitive behavioural therapy has shown to be an effective treatment of social phobia. Conclusion: The quality of life is reduced in social phobia and the self-esteem is often low. Social interactions result in anxiety. Cognitive behavioural therapy yields effective results for social phobia. Positive treatment from health care staff is of high relevance to promote the relationship.