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According to research carried out in the United States, Social Anxiety Disorder (SA) is the third most common psychiatric disorder after depression and alcoholism.

However, perhaps because by it’s very nature sufferers of Social Anxiety are reluctant to talk about their problems or seek help, the condition is still not widely known amongst the general public, and was only recognized as a disorder in it’s own right as recently as 1980.

In it’s simplest terms social anxiety or ‘SA’ is a fear of people: of being around, having to interact with, being watched, criticized or judged negatively by, other human beings.

Common anxiety provoking social situations include:

• talking with people in authority
• dating and developing close relationships
• making a phone call or answering the phone
• interviewing
• attending and participating in class
• speaking with strangers
• meeting new people
• eating, drinking, or writing in public
• using public bathrooms
• driving
• shopping

Physical symptoms that may occur during, or in anticipation of, the situation include:

• rapid heartbeat
• sweating
• muscle tension
• upset stomach
• trembling
• shaky voice
• dry mouth
• blushing
• queasiness
• ticks
• hyper ventilation
• difficulty making eye contact

At a deeper level, sufferers often experience chronic insecurity about their relationships with others, hypersensitivity to criticism, and deep-rooted fears of being judged negatively, mocked, or rejected by others.

There are two forms of SA, performance social anxiety where these feelings only occur in a few specific situations such as public speaking, eating in public or dealing with authority figures, and generalized social anxiety which affects most, if not all areas of the sufferers life. The latter is the most common type, affecting around 70% of SA sufferers.

Social Anxiety
Fear of social situations

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