Informative Speech Outline On Social Anxiety

Huzair Kalia
Speech 1100
Informative Speech
Social Anxiety
General Purpose: To inform my audience of the symptoms of Social Anxiety, its causes and treatment.
Specific Purpose: To help my audience understand symptoms of Social Anxiety so they can recognize if they suffer from it and to inform them of the treatments out there
Introduction:
Attention Getter: If you have or had Social Anxiety you’re not alone. Social anxiety disorder is the second most common type of anxiety disorder. According to ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America) “About 15 million
American adults have social anxiety disorder” Credibility:
When I was a kid, I was fat and other kids usually picked on me and I formed a social anxiety where I found it really hard to talk to people
I have researched on the internet and also used the
College of DuPage library to gather my resources

Preview: Having Social Anxiety can mess with your daily life, you don’t feel like talking to anyone, going to school, working on group projects and public speaking and speeches is a big no-no. There are three points of Social Anxiety that I would like to discuss today.
Symptoms
Causes
Treatment

Body
Symptoms: When in social gatherings people who suffer from Social Anxiety face multiple symptoms, these can be broken down to two categories physical symptoms, mental state of mind and reaction.
Physical: In the physical aspect the individual experiences shaking, sweating, the body temperature rises, fast heartbeat and heavy breathing
Mind: On the other hand the mind will switch to anxious thinking and the person will start to wonder what others might be thinking or that he or she’s being judged.
Reaction: So as a result you avoid eye contact and you try to avoid people so you don’t have to talk or express your opinion.
The Social Anxiety Disorder is developed over time before these symptoms start to show.

Causes: While there isn’t one definite cause for Social Anxiety there has been several studies that show that it can be caused by three reasons:
A Small Structure in the brain called Amygdala which is believed to be the central site in the brain that controls fear responses. An overactive Amygdala can cause Social Anxiety.
Recent Animal Study suggests that it can be a part of human genes and can be
inherited And possibly one of the most commonly believed cause can be environmental influence. Children who experience bullying and teasing are more likely to have Social Anxiety.

Treatment: Research show that there are two main forms of treatment available for Social Anxiety.
Medication: Antidepressants such as Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and various other drugs are used. High blood pressure pills, beta-blockers are also used to control some forms of Social Anxiety.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: is also a very useful method to treat Social Anxiety; this way is more time consuming as it focuses on therapy.

Conclusion: Today we have talked about the various physical and mental symptoms a socially anxious person might go through. What are the causes of Social Anxiety and who its being treated. Writer Ray Bradbury once said “Self-consciousness is the enemy of all art, be it acting, writing, painting, or living itself, which is the greatest art of all.”
Works Cited
1. Sanders, Diana, Richard S. Hallam, and Frank Wills. Counselling for Anxiety Problems. London: Sage Pub., 2003. Print. (Found on COD elibrary)
2. Crozier, W. Ray, and Lynn E. Alden. The Essential Handbook of Social Anxiety for Clinicians. West Sussex, England: John Wiley, 2005. Print. (Found on COD elibrary)
3. Facts about Social Phobia - National Institute of Mental Health 1999(Found on COD elibrary)
4. http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/social-anxiety-disorder