Social Anxiety: Hidden Fears and Shame in Teens and Adults

by Thomas E. Brown PhD, Ryan Kennedy DNP FNP-C (With)

Overview

Affecting millions of people in the United States, social anxiety, according to DSM-5-TR, refers to the condition of persisting intense fear or anxiety about being severely embarrassed or humiliated in social situations where such fear is out of proportion to any actual threat.

This compelling new guide calls for an expanded definition, one that involves the persistent fears and shame of individuals related to what others might think of them if certain actions or thoughts in their past or present were ever to become known—even when there may be no actual interaction with those other people.

At the heart of the case made by Social Anxiety: Hidden Fears and Shame in Teens and Adults are 22 case examples featuring individuals from age 14 to age 52. These revealing vignettes underscore that

• Social anxiety does not correspond merely to transient fears such as meeting new people or public speaking but can be chronic and persistent• Social anxiety does not involve only fears of potentially challenging behaviors; for many it also manifests as fears or shame about past or present wishes or thoughts considered unacceptable• A significant percentage—as many as half—of individuals struggling with social anxiety avoid seeking help

Opening with a description of what the research has to say about the nature, causes, and effects of social anxiety, this book also examines the wide variety of treatment interventions, including psychotherapy, medications, and family interventions.

With a depth of information that will prove clinically useful to medical and mental health professionals, Social Anxiety is also written in an engaging style that will be easily accessible to laypeople—including those suffering from social anxiety themselves, as well as their family and community.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781615375486
Publisher:	American Psychiatric Association Publishing
Publication date:	06/26/2024
Pages:	142
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.24(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Thomas E. Brown, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist in Hamden, Connecticut.

Ryan J. Kennedy, D.N.P., FNP-C, is Associate Director of the Brown Clinic for Attention & Related Disorders in Manhattan Beach, California.

Table of Contents

Descriptions of Case Examples About the AuthorsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. What Research Reveals About the Nature, Causes, and Effects of Social Anxiety 2. Case Examples to Illustrate the Many Ways Social Anxiety May Appear3. Assessment and Treatment of Social Anxiety DisorderReferencesIndex

What People are Saying About This

Mina K. Dulcan

Impairing anxiety is common in both adolescents and adults but too rarely diagnosed and treated. Master clinician Thomas Brown, Ph.D., with Ryan Kennedy, brings the problem to life for both professionals and the lay public with diverse patient vignettes illustrating the many facets of often unrecognized social anxiety along with evidence-based remedies. This book highlights the shame and fear of judgment that keep those with social anxiety from having a fulfilling life. Perhaps surprising is the frequency of social anxiety co-occurring with ADHD.

James F. Leckman

These 22 detailed case vignettes highlight the wide array of presentations of individuals with social anxiety as well as a multiplicity of other conditions, including ADHD, depression, and autism. Given that social anxiety disorder is all too often not recognized by physicians, psychologists, and other mental health practitioners, this book is a must read not only for trainees but also for more senior practitioners. Individuals and families dealing with social anxiety will also find this volume of great value. Dr. Brown's clinical and scholarly expertise and his devotion to his patients and their families is a source of inspiration.

Murray B. Stein

Social anxiety can limit friendships, curtail educational advancement, and lead to loneliness and depression. In their book, Thomas Brown and Ryan Kennedy advance a model wherein persons with social anxiety fear that their thoughts, beliefs, and behavior will be disapproved of by others, resulting in avoidance and, in many instances, shame. The book summarizes much of the current thinking about social anxiety and is a good reference source. It is also full of clinical case examples that do a wonderful job of illuminating the nature of social anxiety and its frequent co-occurrence with other mental disorders such as ADHD.

Edward Hallowell

With this clear and authoritative book, Dr. Brown continues masterfully to educate readers on matters of the mind. The book is engaging, easy to read, and "juicy" (as opposed to dry). Here he takes on social anxiety, an elusive condition that often resists treatment because of the intensity with which the sufferer clings to the condition. Dr. Brown shows how readers can separate from their social anxiety.