Social anxiety

Social anxiety is a type of anxiety disorder that causes extreme fear in social settings. People with this disorder have trouble talking to people, meeting new people, and attending social gatherings. They fear being humiliated, embarrassed, or judged by others.

Symptoms

Social anxiety disorder can cause both emotional and physical symptoms. These can vary from person to person, but they can include:

• Fear of situations in which you may be judged
• Worrying about embarrassing or humiliating yourself
• Fear that others will notice that you're nervous
• Fear of physical symptoms that may cause you embarrassment, such as blushing, sweating, trembling or having a shaky voice
• Avoiding doing things or speaking to people out of fear of embarrassment
• Avoiding situations where you might be the center of attention
• Having anxiety in anticipation of a feared activity or event
• Enduring a social situation with intense fear or anxiety
• Spending time after a social situation analyzing your performance and identifying flaws in your interactions
• Expecting the worst possible consequences from a negative experience during a social situation

Causes

Like many other mental health conditions, social anxiety disorder likely arises from a complex interaction of environment and genes. Early life experiences may also play a role, such as:

• Family history: You're more likely to develop social anxiety disorder if your biological parents or siblings have the condition.
• Negative experiences: Children who experience teasing, bullying, rejection, ridicule or humiliation may be more prone to social anxiety disorder. In addition, other negative events in life, such as family conflict, trauma or abuse, may be associated with social anxiety disorder.
• Temperament: Children who are shy, timid, withdrawn or restrained when facing new situations or people may be at greater risk.
• New social or work demands: Social anxiety disorder symptoms typically start in the late teens to early adulthood and are usually chronic.

Treatment

Treatment can help you overcome your symptoms. Psychotherapy and medications can help control your symptoms.

Psychotherapy improves symptoms in most people with social anxiety disorder. In therapy, you learn how to recognize and change negative thoughts about yourself and develop skills to help you gain confidence in social situations.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most effective type of psychotherapy for anxiety, and it can be equally effective when conducted individually or in groups.

In addition to these treatments, certain lifestyle changes can also help to reduce symptoms. These include avoiding caffeine, getting regular exercise, and practicing stress management and relaxation techniques.

See also

• Anxiety disorder
• Psychotherapy
• Cognitive behavioral therapy

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