| Social anxiety disorder is typically | | | | |
| characterized by a persistent, intense, and | | | | When such anxiety becomes very severe the |
| chronic fear of being watched and judged by | | | | patient may even attempt suicide. The |
| others and of being embarrassed or humiliated | | | | feelings that the patient experiences are of |
| by one's actions. The fear may be so severe | | | | such intensity that it becomes very |
| that it interferes with work, school, and | | | | uncontrollable, though these vary from person |
| other ordinary activities. The fear may be | | | | to person and different people have different |
| limited to one type of situation such as | | | | anxieties about their social situations. |
| public speaking or test anxiety, or it may be | | | | |
| so broad that a person experiences symptoms | | | | Social Situations and management of Social |
| almost anytime he or she is around other | | | | Anxiety Disorders |
| people. Symptoms accompanying this condition | | | | |
| may include blushing, profuse sweating, | | | | By and large, a person suffering from social |
| trembling, difficulty talking, and nausea or | | | | anxiety disorder will feel excessive fear |
| other stomach discomfort. The fear may be | | | | that everybody seems to be concentrating |
| intense enough to cause a panic attack. | | | | their attention on him or her. They may also |
| | | | fear that they will be error-prone and |
| Early Onset - Social Anxiety Disorder Starts | | | | everybody will notice the mistakes that he or |
| in Childhood | | | | she makes. The patient may also suffer from a |
| | | | feeling of inadequacy in that he or she feels |
| Social anxiety disorders, also known as | | | | that others are much more capable than him or |
| social phobias may be chronic by nature and | | | | may feel that others are passing judgments |
| result in the disability that leaves the | | | | about them. There is also a sense that he |
| patient to suffer in silence as those people | | | | would end up embarrassing himself in front of |
| surrounding them are unable to understand | | | | others. |
| what is causing the patient to act in a | | | | |
| strange manner. A person that suffers from | | | | When a situation arises that causes the |
| social anxiety disorder cannot handle | | | | patient to feel intense anxiety it may lead |
| everyday situations because of the | | | | to the patient feeling nauseous, trembling, |
| overwhelming anxiety and self consciousness | | | | heart keeps pounding, blushing, sweating as |
| he or she feels. | | | | well as stammering. There are cases when the |
| | | | anxiety manifests itself into a panic attack |
| The National Institute of Mental Health (NMH) | | | | and such symptoms only end up causing the |
| reveals the following statistics regarding | | | | patient further embarrassment. |
| social anxiety disorders in the United | | | | |
| States. It is believed that 5.3 million adult | | | | A person afflicted with a social anxiety |
| Americans or supposedly 3.7 per cent of the | | | | disorder may only feel comfortable with close |
| total population suffer from social anxiety | | | | friends and other family members, while some |
| disorders and that this is twice as prevalent | | | | only fear certain social situations. There |
| amongst women as compared with their male | | | | are also instances when the patient cannot |
| counterparts. Social anxiety disorder may | | | | deal normally with persons in authoritative |
| often begin during childhood or when the | | | | positions and public speaking is another |
| patient is in the adolescent years and mostly | | | | social fear as too are using public |
| does not occur after a person has reached the | | | | restrooms, eating out, using the telephone as |
| age of 25. | | | | well as writing in front of others. |