Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is nervousness in social situations.

Some disorders associated with the social anxiety spectrum include anxiety disorders, mood disorders, autistic spectrum disorders, eating disorders, and substance use disorders.

Individuals higher in social anxiety avert their gazes, show fewer facial expressions, and show difficulty with initiating and maintaining a conversation.

They may exhibit irrational anxiety and fear in social interactions which could influence one’s capability to interact with peers and family throughout a long period of time.

Nearly 90% of individuals, more of whom are women, report feeling symptoms of social anxiety (i.e. shyness) at some point in their lives.

It can be easy to identify social anxiety within adults because they tend to shy away from any social situation and keep to themselves.

Common adult forms of social anxiety include performance anxiety, public speaking anxiety, stage fright, and timidness.