Is Social Anxiety Disorder a Disability?

Social anxiety is the fear of being judged and scruitinize by other people. This is one of the most common psychological disorder in the United States and affect more than 20 million people.

is social anxiety a disability? that is a question that many people have and although i have not seen a medical report that says if its considered or not a disabiliy, there are a few facts that show that in some people is a disability due to the negative effects that produce in their performance.

About 85 percent of patients with social anxiety experience occupational and academic difficulties that is caused by their inability of social requirements to maintain and secure relationships and employment.

In one study one half of people with social anxiety could not complete high school, 22% were on welfare and 70% were in the lowest 2 quartiles of socioeconomic status.

Also half of the people with social phobia have problems with drug or alcohol which increases the risk of depression. 16% of people with social anxiety have problems of alcohol abuse.

As you can see social anxiety can be a disability for some people and have negative effects in their performance, goals and daily activities. People that dont seek help can become become worse and be more difficult to recover.

However there are proven treatments to recover from social phobia such as behavioral therapy that can help any person get over their fears. Medications are another option but they can become addictive and have secondary effects.

Find a psychotherapist and look for help if you have some of the symptoms of social anxiety, depression and alcohol abuse are a negative consequence that should be avoided.