What Is Social Anxiety?

Do you love canceling plans? Staying home with a blanket and watching Netflix all day sounds nicer than going out and interacting with people. Some days you feel like you have social anxiety and other days you don’t. You get the best of both worlds, huh?

But how about those who are diagnosed with social anxiety?

Social Anxiety is a mental disorder where fear takes a toll on social situations. People with social anxiety want to make friends and be engaged in social interactions– but the fear of being negatively judge take a toll.

Social anxiety is the third largest mental condition in the U.S.

According to the data, social anxiety affects about 7% of the population. These people are deemed to be shy, quiet and disinterested – even though that’s not the reason for their behavior. People with anxiety know that their condition is irrational. But their thoughts and feelings never change. Their anxiety persists even though they acknowledge the fact of their condition.

This condition usually starts when a person is young, but it can also happen in early adulthood. The causes may include genetics, trauma, and chemical imbalances. A person who has experienced a traumatic event can also gain a social anxiety from a performance as well.

People who have social anxiety may get embarrassed easily, hate being center of attention and not look into other people’s eyes when speaking. With these emotions, their body goes through negative emotional cycles. This can lead to their hearts to rest, sweating and muscle twitches.

It’s not easy for them to face their fears. It’s more complex than that. How people get help is through antidepressants and cognitive-behavioral therapy. According to “SocialPhobia” about 15% are helped by antidepressants. Though, cognitive-behavioral therapy is the one that may help for a long-term effect.

In result, social anxiety is a fear of constantly being judged by people when placed in a social situation. Though these people are mostly shy and quiet – they want to befriend and engage in conversation.