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