Stolen Innocence [Karim Ali]

Disorder

Social Anxiety Disorder

     He doesn't have it to the most extreme, but he does have a pretty bad case of social anxiety disorder. He was able to warm up to his uncle Eld and aunt Natasha (who belongs to SpamChan) very quickly, but around most people, he's still very shy.

     He can talk to adult women pretty easily, but he is skittish around certain ones, and he'd skittish around men. He's also very quiet around kids his own age, too. He usually avoids being in a large group if he can, and he gets freaked out just by joining everybody at the dinner table because there's so many people at the table. He sticks very close to Natasha at dinner. Well, whenever he can, really.

     Below are common signs and such of Social Anxiety Disorder. He doesn't display all signs and symptoms, but he does display some. The ones that Karim deals with will be in bold and italics. Example: Avoiding eye contact.

Emotional and behavioral symptoms

Signs and symptoms of social anxiety disorder can include persistent:

• Fear of situations in which you may be judged
• Worrying about embarrassing or humiliating yourself
• Intense fear of interacting or talking with strangers
• Fear that others will notice that you look anxious
• Fear of physical symptoms that may cause you embarrassment, such as blushing, sweating, trembling or having a shaky voice
• Avoiding doing things or speaking to people out of fear of embarrassment
• Avoiding situations where you might be the center of attention
• Having anxiety in anticipation of a feared activity or event
• Enduring a social situation with intense fear or anxiety
• Spending time after a social situation analyzing your performance and identifying flaws in your interactions
• Expecting the worst possible consequences from a negative experience during a social situation

Physical symptoms

Physical signs and symptoms can sometimes accompany social anxiety disorder and may include:

• Blushing
• Fast heartbeat
• Trembling
• Sweating
• Upset stomach or nausea
• Trouble catching your breath
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Feeling that your mind has gone blank
• Muscle tension

Causes

Like many other mental health conditions, social anxiety disorder likely arises from a complex interaction of biological and environmental factors. Possible causes include:

• Inherited traits. Anxiety disorders tend to run in families. However, it isn't entirely clear how much of this may be due to genetics and how much is due to learned behavior.
• Brain structure. A structure in the brain called the amygdala (uh-MIG-duh-luh) may play a role in controlling the fear response. People who have an overactive amygdala may have a heightened fear response, causing increased anxiety in social situations.
• Environment. Social anxiety disorder may be a learned behavior — some people may develop the condition after an unpleasant or embarrassing social situation. Also, there may be an association between social anxiety disorder and parents who either model anxious behavior in social situations or are more controlling or overprotective of their children.

Risk factors

Several factors can increase the risk of developing social anxiety disorder, including:

• Family history. You're more likely to develop social anxiety disorder if your biological parents or siblings have the condition.
• Negative experiences. Children who experience teasing, bullying, rejection, ridicule or humiliation may be more prone to social anxiety disorder. In addition, other negative events in life, such as family conflict, trauma or abuse, may be associated with social anxiety disorder.
• Temperament. Children who are shy, timid, withdrawn or restrained when facing new situations or people may be at greater risk.
• New social or work demands. Social anxiety disorder symptoms typically start in the teenage years, but meeting new people, giving a speech in public or making an important work presentation may trigger symptoms for the first time.
• Having an appearance or condition that draws attention. For example, facial disfigurement, stuttering or tremors due to Parkinson's disease can increase feelings of self-consciousness and may trigger social anxiety disorder in some people.

Complications

Left untreated, social anxiety disorder can run your life. Anxieties can interfere with work, school, relationships or enjoyment of life. Social anxiety disorder can cause:

• Low self-esteem
• Trouble being assertive
• Negative self-talk
• Hypersensitivity to criticism
• Poor social skills
• Isolation and difficult social relationships
• Low academic and employment achievement
• Substance abuse, such as drinking too much alcohol
• Suicide or suicide attempts

Notes: Karim is highly submissive, ducking his head and avoiding eye contact when someone he doesn't know or someone who's older than him is in the room with him. He doesn't speak unless spoken to for fear of being punished, such as being hit, slapped, punched, kicked, or beaten.