The vast majority of people with social anxiety disorder fear more than one type of social situation. In social situations, people with social anxiety disorder may experience a rapid heartbeat, trembling, sweating, upset stomach, diarrhea, muscle tension, blushing and confusion. In some cases these symptoms may be severe enough to take the form of a panic attack. The consequence of social anxiety disorder can be socially and economically devastating. 3 Social anxiety disorder usually appears in the mid-teens, sometimes emerging out of a childhood history of shyness, and often becomes a lifelong condition.
Studies suggest that social anxiety disorder is more common in women than in men.
It also appears to run in families. 3 Social anxiety disorder may be associated with other psychiatric disorders, such as panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and depression, and usually precedes these disorders. Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Zhao S, et al. Archives of General Psychiatry 1994. Berglund P. Social Phobia Subtypes in the National Survey.