Generalized Anxiety Disorder vs Social Anxiety

While there are many types of anxiety disorders, two of the most common are generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD or social phobia). The main difference is what triggers a client’s symptoms. A psychiatrist can help the patient determine the type and nature of their anxiety disorder and help them with management and treatment.

Generalized anxiety disorder

Worrying about money, health, and losing one’s job is normal. It can even be healthy and motivate a person to try harder in those aspects of life, as long as they can handle their anxiety. However, with generalized anxiety disorder, this worry turns excessive and negatively impacts one’s well-being. If a person starts to become consumed with worry, they should consult a psychiatrist for help.

GAD can lead to both physical and emotional symptoms. Physical symptoms may include difficulty sleeping, trembling, muscle tension, sweating, nausea, frequent diarrhea, and being easily irritated. Emotional symptoms include overthinking, feeling threatened by everyday situations, and having trouble relaxing, concentrating, and making decisions.

Social anxiety disorder

Also known as social phobia, social anxiety disorder causes excessive nervousness and anxiety about social situations. This can range from meeting new people and dating to spending time with friends. The core fear is that they will be judged negatively, embarrassed, or rejected by others.

The symptoms of social phobia are similar to those of GAD. The difference is that they arise in response to social situations. For example, a person may have trouble relaxing around others, feel nauseous when having to talk to others and experience an increased heart rate before or while talking to others.

Avoiding social situations that can be triggering is another common symptom of moderate to extreme social anxiety disorder. With moderate social anxiety, a person is likely to participate in social situations that are less nerve-wracking for them. Still, they will avoid the most triggering (e.g., they may be fine spending time with friends but avoid attending parties where there are a lot of strangers). Extreme social anxiety typically involves avoiding all sorts of social situations, as symptoms are more severe and may even result in a panic attack. Panic attacks are intense episodes of fear that cause extremely uncomfortable physical symptoms; many people describe panic attacks as feeling as though they are having a heart attack.

Treatment options

There are many similarities between GAD and social phobia, including how to treat them. Psychotherapy, or “talk therapy,” is typically recommended for both of these anxiety disorders. For instance, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common treatment module used to help clients with GAD or social phobia rewire their brains to better respond to triggers. This involves replacing negative thought patterns with more realistic, positive, and helpful ones.

A psychiatrist may prescribe medication to assist with psychotherapy. Medication can reduce the intensity of one’s anxiety, making it easier to overcome it with the tools learned in therapy. While some clients with severe anxiety disorders find it helpful to take medication for the long term, others find it best to wean off their medication as they get a handle on their symptoms.