 | Social anxiety disorder is the third most common psychiatric disorder in the United States, after depression and alcohol dependence.1 One out of every eight Americans suffer from social anxiety disorder.2 |
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| Social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia) is characterized by an excessive fear of scrutiny by other people, or by a persistent fear of humiliation or embarassment in social or performance situations. This results in either avoiding the feared situation or enduring it with intense distress.3 |
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| The vast majority of people with social anxiety disorder fear more than one type of social situation.3 The most common phobias are speaking in public; speaking to strangers or meeting new people; eating, drinking, or writing in public; or using a public restroom. |
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| In social situations, people with social anxiety disorder may experience a rapid heartbeat, trembling, sweating, upset stomach, diarrhea, muscle tension, blushing and confusion. In some cases these symptoms may be severe enough to take the form of a panic attack.3 |
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| The consequence of social anxiety disorder can be socially and economically devastating. It can result in a person dropping out of school, chronic unemployment and financial dependence, alcohol abuse, suicidal thoughts, 4 and not getting married or having children.3 |
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| Social anxiety disorder usually appears in the mid-teens, sometimes emerging out of a childhood history of shyness, and often becomes a lifelong condition. Studies suggest that social anxiety disorder is more common in women than in men.3 It also appears to run in families.3 |
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| Social anxiety disorder may be associated with other psychiatric disorders, such as panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and depression, and usually precedes these disorders.3
Return to Social Anxiety Disorder Index
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| REFERENCES |
| 1) | Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Zhao S, et al. Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in the United States. Archives of General Psychiatry 1994. 51: 8-19 (page 12 cited). |
| 2) | Kessler RC, Stein MB, Berglund P. Social Phobia Subtypes in the National Survey. American Journal of Psychiatry 1998. 155:5; 613-19 (page 613 cited). |
| 3) | American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 1994 317-39. |
| 4) | Schneier MD, Johnson J, Hornig MR, et al. Social phobia; comorbidity in an epidemiologic sample. Archive of Gen Psychiatry. 1992;49:262-288. |
