Facebook and Mental Health

According to the terms of the DSM-IV TR, often referred to as the bible of mental health, social anxiety is a disorder whose characteristics can include but are not limited to panic attacks, avoidance of society and social situations and a knowledge of the illogical formation of these feelings. In short, a person with social anxiety disorder is someone who fears social situations and knows that in all reality, the fear may not be appropriate. When this information is applied to sites like Facebook, one has to wonder if social networking online perpetuates the problem or helps it.

I have social anxiety disorder. I've had it for as long as I can remember and I've dealt with it in what some may consider unusual ways. My methods have led me to release some of my fears and realize that sometimes I don't avoid society because I'm afraid, I'm just not impressed. What a revelation!

Facebook can actually help or hinder people with this disorder. Social anxiety disorder isn't a fear that the inner person won't be accepted. And, let's face it, it's a lot easier to present an inner person in a format that has an easy escape hatch like a "delete" or "block" button. So, in that respect, Facebook only helps those with social mental health issues by allowing them to have easy access to a social format. It can be a help when it comes to approaching people though. This is something that's difficult for people with social anxiety disorder no matter what the format is.

Social anxiety causes a fear of groups and initial meetings. It doesn't apply to people who are well known to the one with social anxiety disorder because once they become part of that person's social network, they are no longer a part of the larger group of society that presents unknown dimensions. In other words, once I know you, you don't make me nervous.

Humans are social creatures. We need socialization for proper initial and continued development. Facebook can hinder those with social anxiety disorder by offering them a social option that does not require a full body social experience. The fact is, someone with social anxiety disorder often feels as if everyone in the room is staring at him or her when he or she walks in a room. This can be a crippling issue and is only overcome by exposure to social situations.

The problem with Facebook is that it allows the illusion of adequate social experiences. Even if everyone on Facebook is 100% acting like themselves, there are still small intricacies that can impact social experiences and aren't available on Facebook. These are the details the bind or destroy and teach us tolerance of others.

Since Facebook can be a help and a hindrance, it should be used in moderation and a decent ratio with offline social activities. In fact, I would go as far as to say that used in the right manner, Facebook could actually be a therapeutic tool for those with social anxiety disorder.

References: http://www.socialanxietyinstitute.org/dsm.html, http://socialanxiety.factsforhealth.org/what/