Social anxiety disorder is the third most common psychiatric disorder in the United States, after depression and alcohol dependence.1 One out of every eight Americans suffer from social anxiety disorder.2
	Social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia) is characterized by an excessive fear of scrutiny by other people, or by a persistent fear of humiliation or embarassment in social or performance situations. This results in either avoiding the feared situation or enduring it with intense distress.3
	The vast majority of people with social anxiety disorder fear more than one type of social situation.3 The most common phobias are speaking in public; speaking to strangers or meeting new people; eating, drinking, or writing in public; or using a public restroom.
	In social situations, people with social anxiety disorder may experience a rapid heartbeat, trembling, sweating, upset stomach, diarrhea, muscle tension, blushing and confusion. In some cases these symptoms may be severe enough to take the form of a panic attack.3
	The consequence of social anxiety disorder can be socially and economically devastating. It can result in a person dropping out of school, chronic unemployment and financial dependence, alcohol abuse, suicidal thoughts, 4 and not getting married or having children.3
	Social anxiety disorder usually appears in the mid-teens, sometimes emerging out of a childhood history of shyness, and often becomes a lifelong condition. Studies suggest that social anxiety disorder is more common in women than in men.3 It also appears to run in families.3
	Social anxiety disorder may be associated with other psychiatric disorders, such as panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and depression, and usually precedes these disorders.3 Return to Social Anxiety Disorder Index
REFERENCES
1)	Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Zhao S, et al. Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in the United States. Archives of General Psychiatry 1994. 51: 8-19 (page 12 cited).
2)	Kessler RC, Stein MB, Berglund P. Social Phobia Subtypes in the National Survey. American Journal of Psychiatry 1998. 155:5; 613-19 (page 613 cited).
3)	American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 1994 317-39.
4)	Schneier MD, Johnson J, Hornig MR, et al. Social phobia; comorbidity in an epidemiologic sample. Archive of Gen Psychiatry. 1992;49:262-288.