Social Phoebia - Illness or Normal?

[Tal]

[W]hile some health care professionals argue the condition is under-recognised, others worry the problem is psychiatry itself - labelling people who are just plain shy as having a mental illness.

"Social phobia is yet another example of normal behaviour being re-branded as an illness," says English professor Christopher Lane, author of Shyness: How Normal Behaviour Became a Sickness.

Professionals are also often at odds over how many people have it. The Royal College of Psychiatrists puts it at up to 2% of men and 3% of women in the UK. Some studies say 7% to 15% of people will be affected at some stage of their lifetime, but this includes those at the mildest end of the spectrum.

Prof Kessler estimates that 4% to 8% of people in the UK will suffer chronic anxiety at some time, while Prof Lane puts it at 1% to 2%.

Another battle is over how social phobia is described and treated. Pharmaceutical companies with big advertising budgets are keen to raise awareness of the condition and supply anti-depressants as a solution. But some remain unconvinced that powerful drugs should be used to treat shyness.

"For as long as social phobia is seen as medical problem people will favour a pharmaceutical treatment," says Prof Lane.

The drug companies argue that playing down the disease and its impact does a huge disservice to patients and their families.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7274825.stm

It's a half-decent article on shyness and social phoebia from the BBC, but does pose the question of whether social phoebia or shyness is really a mental illness or simply a normal part of life.

I imagine the guy who argues against it being an illness doesn't really understand what it's like, but it is a difficult thing to categorise as illness or not...it seems to span both depending on how serious it is.

I know its an age-old question, but still, any opinions?

[Paulinus]

I don't like classing it as an illness or normal.

I certainly believe there needs to be more awareness of social anxiety but it needs to be put forward by people without the agendas of the drug companies. That just propagates the "oh its it just a invention to sell drugs to people who just need to pull themselves together" argument

I wouldn't call it an illness but still people suffer excessively from it so its hardly normal either and so there should be avenues of help available particularly non medication based as I don't believe drugs work on their own.

[skyhint]

I def. think more research needs to go into it. I wanna see the links between social phobia genetics, tragic life experiences, and OCD. I don't think I would call it a mental illness. That sounds derogatory. A disorder, a phobia that I think is a good way to classify it.

[annaa]

There's a difference between "shyness" and "social phobia", in my opinion.
"Shyness" I think can be "normal"... "Social phobia" on the other hand, can be part of "mental illness"..

Sorry for over-using the "quotation marks"...

[pnoopiepnats]

annaa said:

Sorry for over-using the "quotation marks"...

"Laser"

[Sigh]

pnoopiepnats said:

annaa said:

Sorry for over-using the "quotation marks"...

"Laser"

On shark's heads? ;D

[Sweet Pea]

sigh said:

pnoopiepnats said:

"Laser"

On shark's heads? ;D

count me totally lost...

[pnoopiepnats]

sweetpea said:

sigh said:

On shark's heads? ;D

count me totally lost...

heheh it's a reference to Austin Powers as Dr. Evil was always using air-quotes.

[Sweet Pea]

pnoopiepnats said:

sweetpea said:

count me totally lost...

heheh it's a reference to Austin Powers as Dr. Evil was always using air-quotes.

i guess i'm gonna have to watch that movie. ;D

[annaa]

sweetpea said:

sigh said:

On shark's heads? ;D

count me totally lost...

lol.. I was lost too. But now i'm found.

[Astroruss]

Eh, i don't believe it.

People create all their own problems, anyway, but it's even worse when they let others create their problems for them.

Hell, don't listen to the psychiatrists and psychologists and all the other fancy shmancy doctors with Greco-Roman pronounced professions and silent P's in their titles.

We are all normal, because we define ourselves, not each other.

[Astroruss]

sweetpea said:

pnoopiepnats said:

heheh it's a reference to Austin Powers as Dr. Evil was always using air-quotes.

i guess i'm gonna have to watch that movie. ;D

That's correct.

Dr. Evil tried to take over the world with his "laser" and his "death star" to burn a hole in the "ozone layer", while working on his "tractor beam" to direct the meteor known as "midas-22" towards the earth.

[MrNice]

We are all normal, because we define ourselves, not each other.

its not about definitions
shyness and anxiety cause real problems for people - like being lonely, not being able to connect with other people, especially romantically
whether you or anybody else thinks its normal does not make a difference - its still a problem that has to be dealt with if one is to live a fulfilling life

[madiocre]

the wording is interesting in that its seen as either normal or an illness .
Just because you are not normal doesn't necessarily mean you have an illness ., and what is not normal anyway arent we all unique and thus have and ie if you applied that logic then wouldnt we all be ill?
i guess im just overpicking the wording there lol

I think as far as defining shyness and phoebias etc its more a scale thing .it doesnt really matter what it is called the important question is , is the degree of the issue hurting you so much that you need help ?

[ghost1990]

Extreme shyness = not an illness
Social Phoebia = illness

However, the transitions are fluid.