Without treatment, social anxiety disorder can last for many years or a lifetime and prevent a person from reaching his or her full potential. Social anxiety disorder is not uncommon research suggests that about 7 percent of Americans are affected. Social anxiety disorder usually starts during youth in people who are extremely shy. They feel physical symptoms of anxiety in situations such as giving a speech, playing a sports game, or dancing or playing a musical instrument on stage. Some people with the disorder do not have anxiety in social situations but have performance anxiety instead. Sometimes, they end up staying away from places or events where they think they might have to do something that will embarrass them.
People with social anxiety disorder may worry about these and other things for weeks before they happen. As a result, it gets in the way of going to work, attending school, or doing everyday things. The fear that people with social anxiety disorder have in social situations is so strong that they feel it is beyond their ability to control. The person is afraid that he or she will be humiliated, judged, and rejected. Doing everyday things in front of people-such as eating or drinking in front of others or using a public restroom-also causes anxiety or fear. A person with social anxiety disorder feels symptoms of anxiety or fear in certain or all social situations, such as meeting new people, dating, being on a job interview, answering a question in class, or having to talk to a cashier in a store. Social anxiety disorder is a common type of anxiety disorder. I refuse to use alcohol to escape my fears and I’m on my way to feeling better.” What is social anxiety disorder? I now take medicine and meet with a counselor to talk about ways to cope with my fears. “I finally talked to my doctor because I was tired of feeling this way and I was worried that I would lose my job.
I tried to calm myself by drinking several glasses of wine before an event and then I started drinking every day to try to face what I had to do.” I couldn’t attend my best friend’s wedding reception because I was afraid of having to meet new people. When I got a job, I hated to meet with my boss or talk in a meeting. My heart would pound and I would feel dizzy and sick. I didn’t want people to think I was stupid or boring. “In school, I was always afraid of being called on, even when I knew the answers. What is it like having social anxiety disorder? Treatment can help you overcome your symptoms. But social anxiety disorder doesn’t have to stop you from reaching your potential. It can even make it hard to make and keep friends. This fear can affect work, school, and your other day-to-day activities. It is an intense, persistent fear of being watched and judged by others. Social anxiety disorder (also called social phobia) is a mental health condition. If you have been feeling this way for at least six months and these feelings make it hard for you to do everyday tasks-such as talking to people at work or school-you may have a social anxiety disorder.