Anxiety

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD): a person has an excessive and unreasonable fear of social situations. Anxiety (intense nervousness) and self-consciousness arise from a fear of being closely watched, judged, and criticized by others.

People With SAD have a intense fear of being seen negatively by others, being humiliated/ embarrassed in public, being judged, being closely watched and criticized. Social anxiety disorder can be thought of as extreme shyness and People with it may avoid social situations all together. Which only strengthens the anxiety in public. Performance anxiety (better known as stage fright) is the most common type of social phobia. The phobia may be considered generalized if fears include most social situations. Some social situations may be so frightening to someone that they get anxious just thinking about them or go to great lengths to avoid them.

Some other signs/ symptoms of social anxiety (phobia) are:

•A fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others and feels he or she will act in an embarrassing manner
•Intense anxiety in social situations can take the form of a panic attack.
•The person recognizes that the fear is excessive or unreasonable.
•The feared social or performance situations are avoided or are endured with distress.
•The avoidance of social situations, anxious anticipation, or distress in the feared situation interferes with the persons daily life.
•Physical symptoms of anxiety, including confusion, pounding heart, sweating, shaking, blushing, muscle tension, upset stomach, and diarrhea.