If I said that somebody disliked crowded rooms and got sweaty palms before giving a presentation, would you say that they have Social Anxiety Disorder? Because that's what you're doing. They have
elements of
anxiety as in the state of being anxious, but you're taking it to mean an
Anxious Disorder with capital letters and a proper diagnosis and a complete set of the criteria.
Further, the quote can't be an accurate description of SA because isn't talking about SA. Shyness and SA share a limited number of traits and may share similar causes in some respects, but they are not the same. That doesn't mean the statement is irrelevant.
Yes, but the thing is I was what the world calls "normal" until I was 8 years old.
I did not have any "hightened sensitivity" or worry whatsoever about what anyone thought of me before the age of 8. It only started when the first bullying started at the age of 8. You are born with "elements of narcissism". It would be a part of the personality you were born with.
I was worry free (SA free) until the age of 8.
Everybody develops SA, it's not something you're born with. Let me take you through the model to explain how it relates to the concept we're discussing, it's a bit hard to do in text but here goes.
Trigger situation: Bullying. I'll say name-calling for the sake of demonstration.
|
V
Activates beliefs and assumptions: You begin to believe their criticism is accurate, or you become ashamed of the criticism in front of others whose opinion you value.
|
V
The situation is perceived as socially dangerous: The name-calling makes you feel bad about yourself or look bad in the eyes of others who see your flaws highlighted.
|
V
1. Signs and symptoms of anxiety: Blushing, sweating, nervousness, tension, etc.
2. Safety behaviors: Avoidance.
3. Activates beliefs and assumptions: Anxiety becomes subconsciously justified as it dominate your behaviors and thoughts.
1. + 2. + 3.
|
V
Self consciousness: Attention focused on self: All three subsets of learning negative beliefs about yourself reinforce each other, i.e. avoidance leads to physical symptoms when encountering a familiarly upsetting situation. All three shift focus inwards, whereas normally you would now be hanging out in places you enjoyed being and talking to people you'd enjoy interacting with, now your thoughts are primarily geared around yourself and how you will fit in at those places and how you will come across to the people you interact with.