Social Anxiety Disorder

Everyone gets nervous from time to time when meeting new people or having to speak in front of a group. But for people with social anxiety disorder (SAD, or social phobia), a fear of everyday social situations makes it very difficult for them to function on a daily basis.

SAD is the third most common psychiatric disorder in the United States, affecting over 10 million people in any given year. The disorder occurs in women twice as often as in men and usually begins in childhood or early adolescence.

What Are the Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder?

People with SAD have an extreme, constant fear of one or more social or public situations. This fear severely disrupts day-to-day functioning. Other symptoms of SAD may include:

* Avoiding social situations
* Intense self-consciousness in social settings
* Physical symptoms such as blushing, sweating, trembling, fast heart beat, and nausea
* Unreasonable fear of embarrassment

People with SAD often have more self-consciousness and anxiety than usual before and during social events. In stressful situations, people with SAD often have increased physical symptoms, which in turn can raise their level of anxiety and self-consciousness even more.

SAD affects various people in different ways. Sometimes, a person with SAD may only be afraid of specific types of situations, such as speaking in public or eating and drinking in front of others. Or a person with SAD may experience symptoms any time he or she is around other people. In fact, a person may have such severe symptoms that he or she may avoid going to work or school or have difficulty making or keeping friends.

Regardless of whether or not you're currently being treated for SAD, if you find that you are experiencing symptoms, your condition may not be resolved. If this is true, talk to your doctor about your treatment options. The right treatment could help you reduce or virtually eliminate your symptoms.

What Are the Causes of Social Anxiety Disorder?

The causes of SAD are unknown, but it may be due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. Serotonin and norepinephrine are two chemicals used by some nerve cells to communicate. These chemicals, along with other neurotransmitters, are thought to affect symptoms of SAD. Therefore, medicines that affect these neurotransmitters may play a role in treating SAD.

People with SAD often experience other types of emotional health problems as well. Studies have shown that people with SAD

* often suffer from depression.
* may abuse alcohol or drugs to reduce fear in social settings.
* may have other anxiety disorders as well.