Social Anxiety Disorder
What Is Social Anxiety?
Most people experience occasional nervousness in social situations, like butterflies when meeting someone new or anxiety about public speaking. While uncomfortable, these feelings are usually manageable.
For those with social anxiety disorder (also called social phobia), however, even routine social interactions trigger overwhelming fear and dread. This goes far beyond typical shyness or awkwardness. The mere thought of making small talk or being observed by others can induce intense anxiety.
Individuals with this disorder often go to great lengths to avoid social situations, fearing embarrassment, humiliation, or scrutiny. This avoidance can severely impact their daily life, relationships, work, and academic pursuits.
Social anxiety disorder affects over 5.3 million Americans, making it one of the most common mental health conditions. It typically emerges during adolescence, between ages 11-19, adding to the challenges of those formative years.
Without treatment, social anxiety can become increasingly oppressive, isolating individuals from social opportunities and preventing them from living a fulfilling life. While some social apprehension is normal, the degree of impairment caused by clinical social anxiety often requires professional intervention.
Who is affected by Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)?
Millions of people are affected by SAD. Currently, 15 million adults (about 7.1% of the U.S. population have this condition.
Social Anxiety Treatment
Exposure Therapy is a form of behavioral therapy that focuses on altering one's response to anxiety-provoking situations by gradually confronting them instead of avoiding them. For example, someone with a fear of public speaking might start by imagining themselves giving a speech, and then gradually progress to delivering speeches in real life. Initially, they might believe that they would be unable to handle the experience or that they would embarrass themselves. However, through the process of exposure therapy, they are likely to develop the belief that embarrassment is less likely or that they can manage it even if it occurs. Exposure Therapy is effective in treating various anxiety disorders.