All of us are familiar with social anxiety, having experienced it at some point of our lives. It is the worry, apprehension, fear, and nervousness that we feel with regard to a social context, a situation in which we are exposed to a number of people.

Social anxiety is of different types and intensities. If some people are terrified of public speaking, others are just shy, an emotion that manifests as a blush or excessive sweating. Shy people might avoid crowds altogether because they feel that people view them negatively.

Shyness versus Social Anxiety

Little children commonly hide behind parents when accosted by strangers. Commonly, they outgrow this tendency. Some people, however, grow up with this shyness, which might develop into social anxiety. Factors such as environment and upbringing determine the time taken by a child to overcome this shyness.

Ultimately, many people get over social anxiety and learn to actually enjoy being in the midst of a social gathering. Although they might not become social butterflies, they will have no qualms about mingling in a crowd.

But there are some people who are never able to overcome social anxiety. They suffer from what is commonly known as social anxiety disorder or social phobia. Such people require professional help.

Difference between Shyness and Social Anxiety

Sometimes, it is difficult to identify the line of demarcation between social anxiety and mere shyness. Normally, shyness wears away with age. It is commonly believed that shyness and patterns of social behavior are inherited traits; some people believe that it is acquired. Shyness does not permit some of us to enjoy being with strangers while others thrive in the company of people, especially strangers.

On the contrary, social anxiety becomes worse with the passage of time. It can not only lead to extreme distress, but also the inability to interact with other human beings. People with social anxiety feels that they are constantly watched and that their behavior is contiuously analyzed. While, in some cases, this may be true, people with social anxiety usually have an exaggerated idea of the social attention they attract. There are statistics to point out the fact that over 13% Americans suffer from social anxiety at some point of their lives.

Trembling, blushing, sweating, palpitations, stammering, and nausea are some of the common symptoms of social anxiety. Extreme cases of social anxiety might also experience panic attacks.

Individuals suffering from social anxiety can benefit greatly from psychotherapy; it could be group or individual therapy. When used in combination with cognitive behavior therapy, any therapy can work wonders.