about social anxiety disorder

Social anxiety disorder (or social phobia) is characterized by fears that the person will embarrass or humiliate themselves in a social or performance situation. In the general public, one of the most common fears is that of public-speaking, but in people with social anxiety disorder the most common fear is of one or other social interaction. A range of fears can frequently be seen in social anxiety disorder, including:

• fear of eating, drinking in front of others
• fear of writing, signing, or working in front of others
• fear of being the centre of attention
• fear of going to parties, or dating
• fear of using a public toilet

When the person is faced with a feared social situation, they may experience intense anxiety, including a full-blown panic attack. There may also be marked anticipatory anxiety prior to the social situation. Symptoms also frequently involve blushing and stuttering.

Social anxiety disorder and shyness
It is important to emphasize that social anxiety disorder is not simply shyness. People with fears of, say, writing in front of others may go to significant lengths to avoid having to do this, and may suffer intense distress when they have to perform in public. However, in other respects, such a person may be an outgoing person who does not consider themselves shy in the least. Conversely, there are people who are very shy, but who do not suffer from social anxiety disorder. In order to be diagnosed with this disorder, the symptoms must cause significant distress or must interfere with important areas of functioning (such as work or family).

Who gets social anxiety disorder?
Social anxiety disorder has been estimated to be present in 3-13% of the population. The condition is more common in women than in men, although in treatment settings the gender ratio is more equal. The disorder is found throughout the world, although there may be subtle differences in presentation (in Japan, people with social anxiety disorder may worry mainly about offending others). Social anxiety disorder typically begins during adolescence or early adulthood.

What causes Social Anxiety Disorder?
The brain basis for social anxiety disorder remains to be fully worked out, although the dopamine system is known to be involved. There is also a genetic element, with social anxiety disorder being more common in relatives than in the general population. Environmental factors may contribute to social anxiety disorder. Learning to cope with and even enjoy social situations is partly a matter of practice, and some people may not receive this kind of practice when growing up. So, as with other anxiety disorders, nature and nurture may intertwine to bring about symptoms of social anxiety disorder.