Social anxiety is a persistent and overwhelming fear of social situations. It is one of the most common anxiety disorders.
Social anxiety disorder is much more than "shyness". It can be intense fear and anxiety over simple everyday activities, such as shopping or speaking on the phone.
Many people sometimes worry about certain social situations, but someone with social anxiety disorder will worry excessively about them before, during and afterwards. They fear doing or saying something they think will be embarrassing or humiliating, such as blushing, sweating or appearing incompetent.
Social anxiety can have a significant impact on a person's life. It can severely affect a person's confidence and self-esteem, interfere with relationships and impair performance at work or school.
Social anxiety disorder often starts during childhood or adolescence and tends to be more common in women. It's a recognised disorder that can be effectively treated.
Signs of social anxiety disorder
dread everyday activities, such as:
- meeting strangers
- talking in groups or starting conversations
- speaking on the telephone
- talking to authority figures
- working
- eating or drinking with company
- shopping
- have low self-esteem and feel insecure about their relationships
- fear being criticised
- avoid eye-to-eye contact
- misuse drugs or alcohol to try to reduce their anxiety
