Could You Have a Social Phobia? It's More Common Than You Think!

We've all experienced anxiety when in a social situation. After all, who doesn't worry at least a little about what others think of them? Sometimes social anxiety can become debilitating causing the sufferer to avoid social situations. If this avoidance becomes extreme, the person may be experiencing social anxiety disorder or social phobia.

Social anxiety is the third most common psychiatric disorder, ranking third only to depression and alcohol dependence. It's estimated that up to 10% of people suffer from some form of this disorder. The symptoms can become quite problematic, causing the affected individual to avoid social situations of all types due to extreme anxiety and discomfort.

There are actually two types of social anxiety. These are:

1. Generalized social anxiety

This is the most common type and tends to be the most debilitating. Anxiety is experienced in most social situations encountered by the individual.

2. Nongeneralized anxiety

In this type of social anxiety, the fear and anxiety are directed towards a specific type of social situation. For example, you might feel anxious only when you attend a large party. The fear and anxiety tend to be limited to that specific situation and not generalized to all social situations. This type of anxiety is easier to treat as therapy can be directed towards a single situation.

How would you know if you have social anxiety disorder? While only a doctor should make the final determination, here are some questions you might ask yourself:

1. Do I have an intense fear of social situations?

2. Do I avoid doing things or interacting with people for fear of being embarrassed?

3. Do I avoid activities where I might be the center of attention or be stared at?

4. Do I fear humiliating myself in unfamiliar situations?

5. Do I experience physical symptoms such as rapid heart rate, sweating, nause, or shortness of breath when I'm in a social situation?

6. I intensely fear looking stupid in front of people