Society today is riddled with phobias and fears of all kinds. From glossophobia (fear of public speaking) to arachibutyrophobia (fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth) everyone seems to be cursed with some kind of phobia. Ironically, one of the most common and most crippling of these handicapping fears often goes undiagnosed and untreated due to the very fear itself. This fear is social anxiety. In fact ninety percent of people with social anxiety are misdiagnosed with depression disorders or manic-depressive disorder. Social anxiety is the third largest psychological disorder in the world today. It affects fifteen million Americans in any given year.

What Is It?

Social anxiety is a fear of interaction with people or crowds of people that disrupts everyday life. The situation in which the anxiety is triggered varies with the individual.

Some people feel anxious when meeting new people. It seems many people suffering with social anxiety are especially fearful, or apprehensive around people of authority. For some going to dinner or drinks after work with co-workers is near impossible. Even using a public restroom or making small talk with the cashier in the checkout line can be a social anxiety sufferer’s worst fear. Some people with social anxiety may even feel anxious and panicky when making small talk with a friend or family member.

Many times a person suffering from this crippling disease describes it as a fear of rejection. This fear can sometimes result in a “get them before they get me” attitude, and therefore make a person appear unapproachable or aloof. They are afraid to speak to anyone, even a stranger over the phone. Because that person may be busy and find you intrusive, boring, or unimportant. Someone may even be afraid to make a friendly phone call to a good friend or close family member out of concern that they would be calling at a bad time or be a burden.

In other cases, people describe it as more of paranoia that people are always looking at them and judging them. They can never totally relax when outside of their home. They feel like no matter what they do or say, they will always be doing or saying it wrong. Therefore they create a cycle of awkward and painful conversation and the inevitable analyzing session. They may analyze the contents of one conversation for weeks in an irrational effort to root out the ever present goof-ups.

In any case, the anxiety becomes too much to suppress. The socially anxious person will stutter, and not be able to get thoughts formed into words effectively. Sometimes a person will have physical symptoms such as sweating, looking down when they talk, shaking, and blushing.

Even though the symptoms and reactions differ from person to person, one thing does remain the same. People who suffer from this disorder almost always know that these feelings of embarrassment, paranoia, and anxiety that torture them everyday are purely irrational. However, regardless of this knowledge, those irrational feelings still maintain control over their lives.

What separates social anxiety from countless other mental disorders is the fact that it does not come and go throughout the day or throughout life. If you have social anxiety, you will have it today, tomorrow and the next day until proper education, help and treatment are received.