Social Anxiety is the excessive fear of embarrassment in social situations that is extremely intrusive and can have debilitating effects on personal and professional relationships. Also called social phobia.

How common is social anxiety ? About 3.7 percent of the nation from ages 18-54 have social anxiety, that's about 5.3 million Americans in any given year.These people can get anxiety from worrying about what you said, fear that you said something wrong, worry about others' disapproval, afraid of rejection, of not fitting in, or anxious to enter a conversation, afraid you'll have nothing to talk about.Social anxiety disorder is the third largest psychological problem in the United States today.  Millions of people quietly endure this pain every day, believing there is no hope for them getting better.Social phobia affects about 15 million American adults. Women and men are equally likely to develop the disorder, which usually begins in childhood or early adolescence. There is some evidence that genetic factors are involved. Social phobia is often accompanied by other anxiety disorders or depression. Substance abuse may develop if people try to self-medicate their anxiety.

A 44 year old woman named Cynthia Kipp has been dealing with Social Anxiety for about 34 years now.

“I was a very intelligent child, but when teachers noticed a difference in me, I started trying to be invisible. Social situations, including school, were torture. I bulldozed my way through life, including dabbling in alcohol and substance abuse for relief of my anxiety and depression. I find it very interesting that the disorder is marked by a morbid fear of authority figures. And here I thought I was just being a rebel!”

“No one should have to go through life suffering from social anxiety disorder. I think many children, especially so-called delinquents, experience this. Parents would do well to get information and learn as much as they can about the disorder, so they know what to look for. And thanks to my own experience, I think people with social anxiety disorder should go easier on themselves, even be more nurturing, realizing that they have a condition that can be successfully treated.” Says Cynthia about Social Anxiety.

Doctors also may prescribe medication to help treat social phobia. The most commonly prescribed medications for social phobia are anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants. Anti-anxiety medications are powerful and there are different types.

Social phobia sometimes runs in families, but no one knows for sure why some people have it while others don't. Researchers have found that several parts of the brain are involved in fear and anxiety. By learning more about fear and anxiety in the brain, scientists may be able to create better treatments. Researchers are also looking for ways in which stress and environmental factors may play a role.

People with social phobia tend to be very anxious about being with other people and have a hard time talking to them, even though they wish they could; Be very self-conscious in front of other people and feel embarrassed; Be very afraid that other people will judge them; Worry for days or weeks before an event where other people will be; Stay away from places where there are other people; Have a hard time making friends and keeping friends; Blush, sweat, or tremble around other people; Feel nauseous or sick to their stomach when with other people. People vary in how often they experience social anxiety, and in which kinds of situations they experience it.