Posted by Andre Allard on August 5, 2000, at 18:29:49
In reply to Social anxiety vs. Avoidant personality disorder, posted by anita on August 4, 2000, at 13:23:52
I have, or had social anxiety disorder for a number of years which was very debilitating.
I do not believe that social phobia is related to personality. Social phobia is a disorder that is caused by low levels of seretonin, while personality traits are learned and developed over years from life experiences.
However, if social anxiety persists for many years on end, I can see how a person's cognitive distortions regarding their anxiety can lead to alterations in their personality.
All in all, I believe that the two are different from one another. Someone with an avoidant personality would most likely not suffer from intense anxiety and panic during social settings as a victim of social anxiety disorder might.
poster:Andre Allard
thread:42160
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000729/msgs/42245.html