Social Anxiety/Social Phobia

Social phobia is characterized by a marked and persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others. The individual may fear that he or she will act in a way (or show anxiety symptoms) that will be humiliating or embarrassing, or have concerns that he/she will be judged or evaluated negatively. Exposure to the feared social situation(s) is associated with anxiety, and the person either avoids the situations or endures them with intense anxiety or distress.

Examples of Common Social Situations that May Be Associated with Significant Anxiety:

• Parties
• Participating in meetings
• Participating in classes (e.g., answering questions in class, reading out loud)
• Talking in front of a group/formal speaking
• Working or playing with a group
• Speaking with unfamiliar people
• Eating in public
• Using public restrooms
• Writing in public (e.g., signing checks, filling out forms)
• Dating situations
• Musical or athletic performances
• Talking to persons in authority (e.g., principal, boss, police)
• Refusing unreasonable requests, saying "no" when it involves something you really don't want to do
• Asking others to change their behavior, telling others to leave you alone if they are teasing you
• Initiating a Conversation
• Inviting a friend to get together
• Maintaining a Conversation