Signs and symptoms
... Social anxiety disorder, sometimes called social phobia, isn''t the same as shyness or stage fright. In fact, it''s perfectly reasonable to be anxious in some situations. What sets social anxiety diso...

Causes
... Social anxiety disorder typically begins in the midteens, although it can begin earlier in childhood. It rarely begins in adulthood. Like many other conditions, social anxiety disorder likely arises f...

Risk factors
... Risk factors are things that increase the likelihood that you''ll get a particular disease or condition. Risk factors for social anxiety disorder include: Your sex. About twice as many women as men ha...

When to seek medical advice
... Feeling shy at parties or nervous about giving a speech doesn''t necessarily mean you have social anxiety disorder. If your fears or anxieties don''t really bother you, you may not need treatment. For...

Screening and diagnosis
... When you decide to seek treatment for your signs and symptoms, you may have both a physical and psychological evaluation. The physical exam can determine if there may be any physical causes triggering...