2021 Volume 13 Issue 1 Pages 24-37
We investigated factors that impede or promote the connection of individual with social anxiety disorder (SAD) to professional support, and what experience patients receive when receiving professional support. We carried out a qualitative analysis of the content of interviews conducted with 5 individuals with SAD. As a result of it, we found the factors that impeded them were the thinking that “personality rather than illness”, non-understanding of surroundings, and psychological and physical hurdles. Exacerbation of symptoms played a role of a facilitating factor. To promote access to help before symptoms worsen, further improvement of SAD recognition is required. In the experience of receiving professional support, many patients changed the hospital or counseling provider, indicating the need to maintain their motivation to continue receiving support, such as appropriate SAD handling and a polite explanation attitude. In addition, proper psychological education by experts changed the way of dealing with the symptoms, such as not to regard one’s own symptoms as personality and being able to accept one’s anxiety.
