Social Phobia Social Anxiety
Most of us become nervous or embarrass before certain social events such as giving a toast at a wedding or a formal dinner, performing on stage, giving an oral report in front of the class or as simple as going out on a date. ... For some of people, however, the nervousness that associated with various types of social events is more than just getting butterflies in the stomach and fast heart beats. ... This is a disorder known as social phobia or social anxiety. People with social phobia or social anxiety have an overwhelming anxiety or excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situation. ... Social anxiety can also lead to panic-like attacks such as heart palpitations, faintness, shortness of breath, and profuse sweating. ... A person with social phobia believes that all eyes are on him or her. Many people with social phobia recognize their fear of being around people may be unreasonable but they are unable to overcome it. Social phobia can be selective. Some may have an intense fear of a single circumstance such as public speaking, but they are comfortable in all other social events. ... Unlike other psychological problems, social anxiety is not well understood by the general public, and the mental and medical professions. Almost 90% of the time, people with social phobia are misdiagnosed. ... 7% of the population ages 18 to 54 have social phobia in any given year.