In a new survey conducted by the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, nearly 15 million Americans suffer from some form of social anxiety disorder. This prevents these people from leading normal lives socially and romantically. This type of disorder tends to bring shame and embarrassment to the sufferer, so more than 36% of people suffering from social anxiety disorder can live with symptoms for nearly ten years before seeking treatment.
Social anxiety disorder is characterized by an irrational fear of social situations, which is often a persistent and intense feeling. This hinders the people afflicted by holding them back in social situations. Sometimes a trigger can be something as simple as a crowded shopping area.
This disorder not only affects their personal lives, but their professional lives as well. It puts more pressure on the person’s life by not being able to make friends and find romantic partnerships. The fear that sufferers have is an irrational fear, but its effects on their lives are real. Most sufferers feel as if there is no hope and they are powerless to do anything about it.
Social anxiety disorder can begin in a person’s life as early as their teens. Many suffers report that this feeling began in childhood or their early teens. Besides the emotional effects the disorder has, there are also many physical symptoms as well. The individual may experience sweating, blushing, heart
Palpitations, trembling, stammering, and a feeling that the throat is going to close on them. This can create a situation where the person can no longer feel they are able to put themselves into social situations.
The survey results showed that 75% of the people who have social anxiety disorder had it to such an extent that it affected their ability to do normal daily activities. The survey also found that over half of the people asked were embarrassed by the condition and didn’t want anyone to think that they were crazy.
