What are Shyness and Social Anxiety?

Social Anxiety Disorder, or Social Phobia, is characterized by overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situations. People who have Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) experience a constant and severe fear of being embarrassed by their own actions, and they often feel that they are being watched or judged by others. For some the fear is limited to certain situations, such as a fear of speaking in front of groups or new acquaintances or a fear of performing tasks in front of others. For others the fear is so intense that the sufferer experiences overwhelming anxiety any time they are in a social situation. At its most severe, Social Anxiety Disorder can seriously interfere with professional and academic functioning as well as personal relationships.

The following are a few of the symptoms for Social Phobia:

• An overwhelming and persistent fear of social or performance situations that might require the person to interact with unfamiliar people or place themselves open to scrutiny by others.
• The sufferer is afraid that he or she will either act in an embarrassing way or be humiliated by showing signs of their anxiety.
• Engaging in social situations almost always causes feelings of anxiety or even panic attacks.
• The sufferer will try to avoid social or performance situations at all costs, and, if these situations cannot be avoided, they will endure them with an intense feeling of anxiety or fear.
• The person recognizes that these fears are excessive or unreasonable but feels powerless to control their anxiety in social situations.

Some of the situations that might cause overwhelming anxiety for people with Social Phobia include giving a presentation in a board meeting, performing mundane tasks like eating, drinking, or writing in public, ordering food in a restaurant, or attending a party where they don’t know everyone. These situations will cause a person with Social Anxiety Disorder to experience symptoms of anxiety such as sweating, shaking, heart palpitations, and dizziness. They might experience an intense desire to flee the feared social situation or feel an overwhelming sense of danger.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Social Anxiety Disorder affects approximately 5.3 million Americans. Many people with Social Anxiety Disorder develop substance abuse problems as they turn to drugs or alcohol to help alleviate their nervousness in social situations. They might also experience depression because of the affects that their disorder is having on their ability to function or have close personal relationships. There is help available, though. Psychotherapy, prescription medications, and holistic remedies are some of the options available to those who suffer with this disorder.

Author: Nan Little
Website: http://www.insightjournal.com/