Is Social phobia a mental Illness?
- Thread starter rko74
- Start date
Reholla
Well-known member
nope I dont think so. I know there are arguments to back that it could be considered one.
Bi polar disorder and schizophrenia are examples of mental disorders because you lose touch with your surroundings and your view of reality is distorted. (even though at times we may feel this way).
I've read many places that anxiety/social phobia/performance disorders are EMOTIONAL disorders, and I agree as well.
Maybe thats just me not wanting to accept that i have a "mental problem" but I really think its just an emotional imbalance. Obviously its a sevre one. And people with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia can TRY treatments without the use of drugs, but they are sadly pretty much dependent on them their whole lives. At least with SA (and even OCD) you can live a normal life eventually without living on medication.
Bi polar disorder and schizophrenia are examples of mental disorders because you lose touch with your surroundings and your view of reality is distorted. (even though at times we may feel this way).
I've read many places that anxiety/social phobia/performance disorders are EMOTIONAL disorders, and I agree as well.
Maybe thats just me not wanting to accept that i have a "mental problem" but I really think its just an emotional imbalance. Obviously its a sevre one. And people with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia can TRY treatments without the use of drugs, but they are sadly pretty much dependent on them their whole lives. At least with SA (and even OCD) you can live a normal life eventually without living on medication.
triceratops
Well-known member
Yes we are infact mentally ill people as its actually all in our head but it doesnt mean its a bad thing. Everyone suffers from something.
bipsi
Member
I feel offended when someone says 'mental disorder or illness'. And it makes me feel that I'm weak. I don't know why but that's how I feel. To me it's nothing but a 'chemical imballance' in the brain. Sometimes I feel it's more physical than mental. We're psychologically affected from the chemical imballance in our brain. When you say 'chemical', it sounds more like 'physical' than 'mental'. That's how I prefer the term. So no more 'mental'. OK? :evil:
Horatio
Well-known member
I disagree.. I don't think Social Phobia is a mental illness
my therapist told me he doesn't think I have a mental illness at all. my "social phobia" is purely a natural reaction to a horrific enviroment when I was younger and that any other person wouldve ended up the same or killed themselves
he says that that reaction is now no longer needed and essentially that is what my difficulty is, but that it is not and has never been an illness. I wasnt born with it, I didnt catch it, there is nothing wrong with chemical levels etc
personally... I believe him. because until now every other doctor Ive visited told me I was mentally ill and gave me pills and none of those pills actually worked, not even a bit.
thats my opinion anyways
my therapist told me he doesn't think I have a mental illness at all. my "social phobia" is purely a natural reaction to a horrific enviroment when I was younger and that any other person wouldve ended up the same or killed themselves
he says that that reaction is now no longer needed and essentially that is what my difficulty is, but that it is not and has never been an illness. I wasnt born with it, I didnt catch it, there is nothing wrong with chemical levels etc
personally... I believe him. because until now every other doctor Ive visited told me I was mentally ill and gave me pills and none of those pills actually worked, not even a bit.
thats my opinion anyways
Septor
Well-known member
I do think the social phobia is mental illness.The thing here is that there is this negative connotation cennected to the word mental illness.Like only insane people have mental illness and that not true but I understand when people say they are offended when it's call a mental illness because of the negative connotation cennected to the word .I think social phobia falls under mental illness but it does not make you crazy or any less of a person or a bad person.It's just like any other illness that has to be work on but that's just my opinion.
dzerklis
Well-known member
for me it doesnt matter how it is called, its a serious problem that restricts me, prevents from having a normal life, makes me feel like shit, and i strongly doubt my negative thoughts and beliefs are caused by chemical imbalance in brain to say the least, its all about automatic negative thoughts, how i see myself and others etc.
nedkelly
Well-known member
I'll have to ask my psychiatrist 
, if it is indeed labeled a mental illness. I think all chemical imbalances are generally labeled as a mental illness. But i do agree, it aint a great term , and i don't feel like i am crazy..even if i do have generalised anxiety disorder/sp
, if it is indeed labeled a mental illness. I think all chemical imbalances are generally labeled as a mental illness. But i do agree, it aint a great term , and i don't feel like i am crazy..even if i do have generalised anxiety disorder/sp
cLavain
Well-known member
Isn't this just playing with words, though?
It's like the whole debate about calling dark skinned people black, or n*****, or Afro-American, or whatever. If people are already prejudiced, then changing the word isn't going to change that, sadly.
Chemical imbalance? Certain people will just nod politely and still think "crazy" in their minds. You can try and cover it up in a fancy dress, but too many people think SA is weird, that's the problem.
We need to remove the stigma somehow. :?
It's like the whole debate about calling dark skinned people black, or n*****, or Afro-American, or whatever. If people are already prejudiced, then changing the word isn't going to change that, sadly.
Chemical imbalance? Certain people will just nod politely and still think "crazy" in their minds. You can try and cover it up in a fancy dress, but too many people think SA is weird, that's the problem.
We need to remove the stigma somehow. :?
An illness is a disfunction, a mechanism not working as it should because of a defect or a broken part. I think people with SP do not have disfunctioning brains, it is simply that their minds have naturally learned (because of parents, past experiences, surroundings etc) a "program" of behaviour that is not appropriate for the everyday life of most people (but could have been appropriate in other situations).
Think of a person being forced to move around on one leg only for years. He will naturally develop a very strong leg and a very weak one, which is functional to that condition, but will cause problems when he wants to go back walking normally. Yet he certainly doesn't have an illness.
Think of a person being forced to move around on one leg only for years. He will naturally develop a very strong leg and a very weak one, which is functional to that condition, but will cause problems when he wants to go back walking normally. Yet he certainly doesn't have an illness.