Social anxiety disorder: how to cope during the holiday season

"Social anxiety disorder is characterized by the presence of fear or anxiety about social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to possible scrutiny by others," Dr. Kalina Michalska, a research fellow in the Section on Developmental and Affective Neuroscience at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), told Medical News Today. "The individual overestimates their likelihood of being rejected and frequently fears that he or she will act in a way that will be embarrassing and humiliating," she added. Of course, all of us have experienced shyness or nervousness in certain situations - when having to make a presentation to colleagues at work, for example, or when meeting people for the first time. However, people with social anxiety disorder - also referred to as social phobia - worry so much about communal situations that the condition can become disabling, severely affecting their work, social life and relationships. The symptoms and causes of social anxiety Social anxiety disorder affects more than 15 million adults in the US, and onset is most common during early adolescence. Symptoms of the condition include anxiousness around other people, the inability to talk to others, self-consciousness, fear that others will judge them, and severe anxiousness days or weeks prior to a social

"Physical symptoms can include increased heart rate, muscle tension, dizziness, difficulty breathing, sweating, shaking and feeling sick," Sam Challis, of UK mental health charity Mind, told MNT. "If you experience social anxiety, you might also avoid situations that could trigger your anxiety, such as meeting up with friends, going out shopping or even answering the phone," he added. The severity of social anxiety disorder varies; some people with the condition may fear specific social situations, such as speaking or eating in public, while others may have a phobia of all social situations, even experiencing intense anxiety around close family members. If an individual experiences symptoms of social anxiety for 6 months or more, this usually leads to a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder. But according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), around 36% of individuals with social anxiety disorder report having symptoms for 10 years or more before seeking help. "Many people wait too long before seeing their general practitioner, discounting social anxiety as just day-to-day stress," Challis noted. "But it's not the same as being 'a bit shy,' and it's important to seek help as soon as possible if you feel like your anxiety is interfering with your ability to do the things you normally would." The exact causes of the disorder are unclear, although past research has suggested that people with a family history of social anxiety may be at higher risk. It is unknown whether this is down to genetics, however, or a result of learned behavior. Other studies have indicated the disorder may be triggered by overactivity in a brain structure called the amygdala, which plays a role in regulating fear response. Social anxiety often 'overlooked' as a mental illness But despite around 7% of the US population living with social anxiety disorder, many health care professionals believe the condition is often surpassed as a mental health problem. "Socially anxious people are often discounted as merely being shy or introverted. Other times, their behavior can be misinterpreted as aloof or uninterested," Dr. Michalska told MNT, adding: