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What to do about social anxiety disorder.

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What to do about social anxiety disorder

The holidays are coming, with lots of convivial occasions * fun for most, but distressing if you suffer from social phobia.

It's not unusual to feel nervous about meeting new people or attending parties. But if you're so anxious that you dread or avoid such situations, you may have social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia. People with the disorder feel inordinately uneasy and self-conscious in everyday social situations. The source is an unreasonable fear of doing or saying something embarrassing and being negatively judged by others.

If you have social phobia, you might be terrified by just the thought of proposing a toast, or even making small talk. Even if you make yourself attend gatherings, you may feel miserable before, during, and afterward * worrying for days about people's opinion of you. Avoiding these get-togethers is not the answer, of course; it can result in misunderstandings and other personal problems.

Social phobia received little attention until data from the National Comorbidity Survey published in the late 1990s showed that the disorder is widespread, often disabling, often associated with problems such as alcohol abuse, and usually untreated. Since then, studies have shown that certain medications and certain types of psychotherapy can help. Meanwhile, scientists have been investigating the roots of the disorder, as a step to discovering new therapies.

What does social phobia look like?

There are two types of social phobia. Specific social anxiety (also called performance anxiety) arises in limited situations. It's a problem mainly for people whose work (for example, acting, music, or lecturing) requires them to perform in public. Far more prevalent and disabling is generalized social anxiety. People with this disorder fear common social situations, such as eating or ordering food in public; asking questions or seeking help; meeting...

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