Social Phobia
Social phobia is a disorder characterized by overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in social situations. People with social phobia have a persistent, intense, and chronic fear of being scrutinized by others and of being embarrassed or humiliated by their own actions. Most people have social anxiety from time to time in certain situations, but people with social phobia become so anxious that they begin to avoid social situations in a way that restricts their lives significantly. Even though they recognize that their fear is excessive or unreasonable, it feels uncontrollable. Many people with social phobia find themselves worrying for days or weeks about a feared situation, like going to a party or having to speak in a meeting.
Sometimes, people with social phobia feel intensely anxious about only one type of situation; for example, some people feel very nervous about speaking in public, eating, drinking, or writing in front of others, etc. Other people feel fear in almost any social setting. Social phobia can be very debilitating, affecting people's relationships and careers in very negative ways.
Physical symptoms often accompany the intense anxiety of social phobia. People with social phobia experience symptoms that include blushing, profuse sweating, trembling, and other symptoms of anxiety, including difficulty talking and nausea or other stomach discomfort. These visible symptoms heighten their fear of disapproval in social settings and the symptoms themselves can become an additional focus of fear. Fear of symptoms can create a vicious cycle: as people with social phobia worry about experiencing the symptoms, the greater their chances of developing the symptoms. Many people also experience panic attacks as a result of their social anxiety.
Social phobia often runs in families and may be accompanied by depression or alcoholism. It affects around 3.7% (or about 5.3 million Americans) in any given year; lifetime rates may be much higher, around 7-8%. It usually develops in childhood or early adolescence, rarely beginning after age 25.