What is Social Anxiety?

As i have mentioned in previous posts my research has lead me to try and come up with something to help those suffering with Social Anxiety, but what exactly is it, The NHS describes it as such:

"Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) is a persistent and overwhelming fear of social situations. It's one of the most common anxiety disorders.

Social anxiety disorder is much more than "shyness". It can be intense fear and anxiety over simple everyday activities, such as shopping or speaking on the phone.Many people sometimes worry about certain social situations, but someone with social anxiety disorder will worry excessively about them before, during and afterwards. They fear doing or saying something they think will be embarrassing or humiliating, such as blushing, sweating or appearing incompetent.Social anxiety disorder is a type of complex phobia. This type of phobia has a disruptive or disabling impact on a person's life. It can severely affect a person's confidence and self-esteem, interfere with relationships and impair performance at work or school.Social anxiety disorder often starts during childhood or adolescence and tends to be more common in women. It's a recognised disorder that can be effectively treated."

Social Anxiety has become a more common mental illness across the world and unfortunately affects 1 in 3 people. There are various ways to help those with the condition such as Anti-Depressants or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which exposes sufferers to what they fear in a controlled manner thus helping them cope with their condition.

References

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-anxiety/pages/social-anxiety.aspx , Anon, 2015