Social Anxiety

Nearly everyone experiences at least mild anxiety in certain social or performance situations, such as giving an important presentation in front of a large group. For some people, however, social anxiety goes far beyond this level and can interfere with important activities of daily life, such as making and keeping friends, being successful in school and work, playing sports or participating in other group activities, ordering in restaurants, or going shopping. For most people who have impairing levels of social anxiety, the problem begins in childhood or adolescence. This entry describes social anxiety and discusses intervention strategies.