What is Social Anxiety?

Social anxiety is the fear of various social situations. At the root of all social anxiety is the fear that one will be rejected, judged, or made to feel inferior by his or her peers. They fear being embarrassed and singled out, or viewed as a failure.


What Causes Social Anxiety?

What causes an individual to develop such beliefs? Science hasn’t nailed down an exact cause, but it can be attributed to an abusive childhood, a traumatic experience, heredity, or simply can be the bi-product of poor self-image and low self-esteem brought on by countless social factors.


What are Common Social Anxiety-producing Situations?

Any situation in which a person feels they may be judged or scrutinized can be anxiety-producing. Some of the most common include:

• Public speaking
• Being physically stuck in an inescapable situation
• Becoming involved in an argument or confrontation
• Speaking on a telephone
• Engaging in small talk
• Meeting strangers
• Driving
• Talking to authority figures
• Eating in a restaurant
• Flying

The common factor in all such situations is an audience. The audience may be one, a dozen, or maybe even thousands of people. In most cases, the larger the audience, the more fear and anxiety it produces for the individual.


What are Common Symptoms of Social Anxiety?

• Accelerated heartbeat or heart flutters
• Shallow breathing
• Dry mouth
• Restlessness
• Upset stomach or diarrhea
• Insomnia
• Sweating
• Shaking or trembling
• Loss of control of bladder
• Tremendous tension throughout the body
• Lightheadedness, feeling that one may faint

How Many People Suffer from Social Anxiety?

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH):

Anxiety disorders include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and phobias (social phobia, agoraphobia, and specific phobia)

• Approximately 40 million American adults ages 18 and older.¹
• Anxiety disorders frequently co-occur with depressive disorders or substance abuse.¹
• Most people with one anxiety disorder also have another anxiety disorder. Nearly three-quarters of those with an anxiety disorder will have their first episode by age 21.5⁵

Anxiety disorders rank third behind only depression and alcoholism as the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in the U.S. However, the argument could be made that the three are interwoven.



References

1. Kessler RC, Chiu WT, Demler O, Walters EE. Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of twelve-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). Archives of General Psychiatry, 2005 Jun;62(6):617-27.

5. Kessler RC, Berglund PA, Demler O, Jin R, Walters EE. Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). Archives of General Psychiatry. 2005 Jun;62(6):593-602.

12. Robins LN, Regier DA, eds. Psychiatric disorders in America: the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study. New York: The Free Press, 1991.