The World Psychiatric Association suggests that as many as ninety-five percent of those who have Social Anxiety Disorder will have developed the disorder before the age of twenty. If left untreated, Social Anxiety Disorder can add to the onset of other developmental problems, and other conditions such as depression, avoidant personality disorder, drug and alcohol abuse, and sometimes suicide. When the person who has Social Anxiety Disorder is confronted by the feared situation, or even just thinks about the feared situation, extreme symptoms of anxiety result. A common misconception amongst some of the medical profession and the general public is that Social Anxiety Disorder is the same as shyness. It is important to clarify that shyness and Social Anxiety Disorder are different.
Shyness is a normal characteristic.
Social Anxiety Disorder is a recognised medical condition, where the symptoms are so excessive that they cause significant disruption to the person's life. In 1980, Social Anxiety Disorder was classified as an illness in the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual, the highly recognised manual to diagnose psychiatric disorders. Since this time, diagnostic criteria has been widely improved, allowing for correct diagnosis of Social Anxiety Disorder and more appropriate treatment options to be put in place. The World Psychiatric Association suggests that yes , Social Anxiety Disorder responds well to treatment. Medications, in conjunction with various psychological therapies have been seen to be the most successful in the treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder.