An overview of Social anxiety disorder.

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a common but under-diagnosed mental health condition experienced across different age groups and cultures. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with SAD or you think you may be experiencing symptoms of the disorder, learning more about what to expect can help.

WHAT IS SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER?
People with SAD have an irrational fear of being watched, judged, or of embarrassing or humiliating themselves.
What Is Social Anxiety Disorder?
People with SAD have an irrational fear of being watched, judged, or of embarrassing or humiliating themselves.

The anxiety and discomfort become so extreme that it interferes with daily functioning.

SAD is one of the most common mental disorders, with up to 13 percent of the general population experiencing symptoms at some point in their life. While it can be a debilitating disorder, with appropriate treatment recovery is possible.

Causes
Social anxiety disorder usually begins in the teenage years although it may start in childhood.
While the exact cause of SAD is unknown, it is believed to result from a combination of both genetic and environmental factors.

Imbalances in brain chemistry have been linked to SAD. For example, an imbalance in the neurotransmitter serotonin, a brain chemical that regulates mood and emotions, may play a role in the development of social anxiety disorder.

Over-activity of a structure in the brain called the amygdala has also been linked to social anxiety. People with SAD may be predisposed to an exaggerated fear response and, in turn, increased anxiety.

Several environmental factors may also increase your risk of developing SAD.

These include but are not limited to:

having an overly critical, controlling, or protective parent
being bullied or teased as a child
family conflict or sexual abuse
a shy, timid, or withdrawn temperament as a child
Symptoms
People with social anxiety disorder know that their fear is out of proportion to the actual situation, but they are still unable to control their anxiety. The anxiety may be specific to one type of social or performance situation, or it may occur in all situations.

Some of the situations that are common triggers include interacting with strangers, making eye contact, and initiating conversations. People with social anxiety disorder may experience cognitive, physical, and behavioral symptoms before, during, and after these social and performance situations.

Examples of cognitive symptoms:

fearing situations where you don't know other people
worrying that you will be judged by others
fear of becoming embarrassed or being humiliated
thinking that others will notice your anxiety.
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