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Community data Updated 4 weeks ago

Social anxiety disorder

Social anxiety disorder

mental-health psychiatric
0 medicines 6 symptoms

Overview

Social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia, is a long-term and overwhelming fear of social situations.

People with social anxiety disorder feel overly worried before, during and after social situations.

Social anxiety usually develops in the teenage years. It can be a lifelong problem unless its treated.

It’s important to get help if you’re having symptoms. There are treatments that can help.

Speak to your GP practice if:

  • anxiety is affecting your daily life
  • you’re not looking after yourself
  • you’re finding it hard to manage any responsibilities you have

Common Symptoms

avoid or worry a lot about social activities like group conversations or parties worry about doing something embarrassing like blushing, sweating or appearing incompetent worry that other people are looking at you and noticing what you’re doing worry about eating or drinking in public fear being criticised, avoid eye contact or have low self esteem feel sick, sweaty or tremble during social situations

⚠️ This symptom list is for educational purposes. Having these symptoms does not mean you have this condition. See a doctor for proper diagnosis.

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Medicines Commonly Used

⚠️ These medicines are commonly used for confirmed diagnoses of this condition. This is NOT a recommendation or prescription. Treatment must be determined by your doctor.

No medicines have been linked to this condition yet.

Causes

What causes social anxiety disorder?

There is not always a clear cause for social anxiety.

Sometimes it may be brought on by:

  • social reasons: you may have been bullied or embarrassed in a social situation in the past
  • psychological reasons: you may have poor social skills, or you may believe that others are paying close attention to you
  • biological reasons: you may be more likely to be socially anxious if someone in your family is also socially anxious

Most likely, your socially anxious feelings come from a combination of all of these factors.

Treatment

Social anxiety can affect your daily life in a big way, but there are several different treatments that can help. These include:

  • talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
  • medication, such as a type of antidepressant called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

There are also many things you can do yourself to help reduce your social anxiety, such as:

  • trying a self-help course
  • exercising regularly
  • stopping smoking
  • cutting down on alcohol
  • drinking less caffeine

With treatment, many people are able to keep their social anxiety under control. Some treatments may need to be continued for a long time, and there may be periods when your symptoms get worse.

Self help for anxiety

Our mental health self-help guides are based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). They can help people with social anxiety disorder and other mental health problems.

Daylight

Daylight is a digital programme for improving anxiety, based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). It has been clinically proven to help people improve their anxiety symptoms by using it for just a few minutes each day.

You can use Daylight through the app for iOS and Android devices.

Support groups

Support groups can give you useful advice on how to manage your anxiety. They are also a good way to meet other people who have been through similar experiences.

Examples of support groups you may find useful include:

  • SAMH
  • Anxiety UK

Support groups can often arrange face-to-face meetings, where you can talk about your feelings with other people. Many support groups also offer support and guidance over the phone or in writing.

Ask your GP practice about local support groups for anxiety in your area.

Do not include personal information, such as your name, location or any personal health conditions.