How to Raise Awareness for Social Anxiety Disorder

Even though social anxiety disorder is the third most commonly diagnosed mental condition, it is often misunderstood. Some people don't even know there is such a condition as social anxiety disorder, and those who do often believe it to be no more serious that simple shyness. The approval of several drugs to treat social anxiety has served to raise awareness of the condition in recent years. However, there is still much to do to raise even greater awareness among the public about social anxiety disorder.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Teach People About Social Anxiety Disorder

1. Talk to people who have social anxiety disorder. If you know someone who sufferers from the condition, there is no better resource from which you can pull. Sufferers of social anxiety disorder are very self-aware and can usually describe in great detail what it feels like to live with the condition.

2. Encourage social anxiety disorder sufferers to share their experiences with others.

3. Educate your friends and family. Once you feel comfortable talking about the disorder, take it upon yourself to share what you have learned with the people closest to you.

4. Invite people you have spoken with to share what you have taught them with others. If the people you talk to educate others, you can create a web of understanding about social anxiety disorder.

5. Become an ambassador for social anxiety disorder. This is particularly effective if you are suffering from the condition. Educating people about the disorder and sharing experiences helps raise awareness and understanding.

6. Donate to a non-profit organization that seeks to raise awareness about social anxiety disorder, such as The Social Phobia/Social Anxiety Association (see Resources below). Your dollars can assist efforts to educate the public at large.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have social anxiety disorder, it's best to start talking to small groups when you try to raise awareness. Work your way up to larger assemblies.
• Don't push people with social anxiety disorder to talk to strangers about their conditions if they aren't ready. This could set back their treatment.

Resources

• Social anxiety disorder symptoms, causes and treatments at Mayclinic.com.
• Information about social anxiety disorder at WebMD.com
• Donate at socialphobia.org.

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