Avoidant Personality Disorder
If you have avoidant personality disorder (APD), you will experience many of the same symptoms as someone with SAD. However, your symptoms will be broader and more severe. There is overlap between the two disorders, which means that it is possible to be diagnosed with both APD and social anxiety disorder. One of the key defining features of avoidant personality disorder that tends not to be present to the same degree in SAD is a lack of trust in the motives of others.
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder differs from SAD in terms of the triggers of panic, the kind of symptoms that are experienced, and beliefs about the underlying causes. It is possible to be diagnosed with both panic disorder and social anxiety disorder, and the treatments may or may not be the same for both disorders. While individuals with panic disorder and social anxiety disorder may share similar patterns of avoidance and experience some of the same types of symptoms, a key defining difference is that persons with panic disorder often feel better in the presence of a trusted companion, while this may cause those with SAD to feel more anxiety.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
If you suffer from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), your worry tends to be broad and general, rather than focused on social or performance situations. You might worry about finances, your job, global warming, family issues, or any number of things. Your worry probably keeps you awake at night and may morph into physical symptoms such as tension headaches or migraines.
Depression
There is an established relationship between depression and social anxiety disorder—if you’ve been diagnosed with SAD, you are more likely to develop depression later in life. What’s more, people who suffer from both depression and social anxiety disorder often only seek help for depression, even though they may have had severe social anxiety for many more years.
Alcoholism
If you suffer from social anxiety disorder, you are more likely to also suffer from alcoholism. Often people with SAD begin drinking to cope—but eventually drinking becomes a problem in its own right. If you have both social anxiety disorder and alcoholism, treatment must be tailored to your unique situation to address both issues.
Eating Disorders
Social anxiety disorder and eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder may sometimes be diagnosed together. Fear of eating in public is a common symptom, but the types of behavior and motivation underlying it are quite different.
Schizophrenia
While comorbid SAD and schizophrenia has received less attention, there is some evidence of increased risk for social anxiety disorder among those with schizophrenia. For those with schizophrenia as well as SAD, quality of life can be lowered.
A Word From Verywell
If you’ve been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder along with another comorbid disorder, your doctor will determine the best course of treatment to manage the complex interaction between your symptoms. To receive the best possible treatment, be sure to share all of your symptoms during diagnosis, so that a complete picture of your circumstances emerges.
