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What is Social Anxiety Disorder?

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Imagine being paralyzed with fear in social situations. Your throat closes up, your heart races. Whether you are at a party, eating lunch, or giving a presentation, you feel as if all eyes are on you.  People are scrutinizing every word and action, waiting to judge any mistake. At its worst, social anxiety can lead to panic attacks and overwhelming feelings of doom that lead people to quickly sequester themselves for fear of others seeing.

To the untrained eye, Social Anxiety Disorder appears like extreme shyness. In a social environment, people with Social Anxiety may appear tense, often with trembling hands which they try to hide from others’ view. They may stumble over their words, speak in soft tones, and avoid eye contact. People also sweat more (those with sweaty palms avoid shaking hands), blush, and avoid using public restrooms (this alone can be a major impediment to going out in public).

They attempt to avoid meeting new people and being in groups, even with people they already know. Children with social anxiety may freeze or hide in social situations and cling to their caregivers for support. Refusal to attend school is a hallmark for children with this disorder.

Connection problems

Social Anxiety Disorder often prevents people from starting relationships. They have trouble approaching others for whom they have romantic feelings. They also delay moving out of their parents’ home and tend to get married later.

These people also suffer significant anxiety leading up to social events that they can’t avoid. Those with performance-specific anxiety will agonize over every detail of their presentations. Performance anxiety can even apply to eating, drinking, test-taking, meeting authority figures, and job interviews, any situation in which the person feels under scrutiny. They avoid jobs that require much social interaction, and, if they have a financially supportive spouse, they may avoid employment altogether.

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References
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