What is Social Anxiety Everyone experiences social anxiety at some point in their lives. The dread of arriving alone at a party, feeling foolish sitting in a movie theatre by yourself or being overcome by embarrassment at doing something foolish in public can all be forms of social anxiety. The underlying concern is that others will notice us or what we have done and form a negative opinion. For some people, the possibility of being judged by others is a worry that infiltrates many aspects of their daily lives. They are often afraid of being scrutinised by others, of being seen to be anxious or of doing and saying things that would result in embarrassment. Understandably, when these fears grow, many people begin to manage their predicament by avoiding social gatherings or situations in which they are under scrutiny, such as public speaking. The long-term impact on their lives can be far reaching when avoidance becomes so entrenched that they are unable to reach their academic, work, relationship and personal potential.   How does Social Anxiety differ from Shyness A clinical psychologist, or other mental health professional, will consider a range of factors before diagnosing a person with Social Anxiety. Like all difficulties with anxiety, the primary concern is how much the worry about being judged negatively is interfering with a person's life. There is considerable debate about the relationship between shyness and Social Anxiety. One argument is that people who are mostly shy may be somewhat self-conscious but tend to warm up in social situations and are less likely to avoid or be greatly distressed. People with more pronounced social anxiety are likely to avoid feared situations altogether or go into it with a strong feeling of dread becuase they have decided the negative consequences of not attending a social event will outweigh the consequences of being there.   Types of Social Anxiety Some people may only experience fears of being judged negatively when they have to do something that puts them in the spotlight, such as public speaking. This type of anxiety is commonly known as performance anxiety. It typically arises with public speaking, from giving presentations at meetings or tutorials, to addressing guests at a wedding. It can also involve signing one's name in front of others (such as before a bank teller), or using equipment (automatic teller machines, ticket machines on public transport).   Other people, especially those who are more likely to be suffering from high levels of Generalised Social Anxiety, report that the fear of public speaking is accompanied by intense worry about interacting with other people across a range of settings. They often describe fear about starting and maintaining conversations with strangers and friends alike, asking questions and  dating. The anxiety can also often emerge when such people are under scrutiny or fear that they are the centre of attentions, such as walking down the street, using public transport, standing in a queue, eating or drinking in public, using public or mobile telephones and going to crowded places, such as the movies or a concert.             When does Social Anxiety begin Research indicates that some people experience strong Social Anxiety in their early childhood, although it more often becomes evident in mid adolescence. Explanations for why it develops in a particular person include genetic, biological, environmental and cognitive aspects. Some people are believed to inherit a general predisposition to anxiety, with recent research indicating that Generalised Social Anxiety shows the strongest association with genetic and biological factors. Enviromental elements can include experiencing verbal and emotional abuse within the family or community, such as having difficulty with bullying behavior at school. On a cognitive level, a person living with social anxiety will very likely hold strong, negative beliefs about their self-worth and adequacy. They might see it as a fact, rather than an opinion, that they are less attractive, intelligent and capable than their peers or colleagues. These facts 'feel' like the truth and thus are rarely questioned when they enter social situations believing they are inferior to others and are likely to be judged negatively by others.   How can people get help for Social Anxiety Unfortunately, due to the way in which people with Social Anxiety feel acutely embarrassed about their difficulties, it is often many years before they seek professional help. We have also noted that many people initially come to treatment for help with associated problems, such as depression and drug and alcohol abuse. Sometimes, the underlying social anxiety has not been detected and people have been unaware of the importance of examining their underlying beliefs about themselves and others. One of the leading treatments for social anxiety is cognitive-behavioural therapy, which examines the associations between the way we think, feel and behave. Initially, we teach people how to relax their bodies and use breathing techniques so they can enter social situations in a calmer state. The therapy then focusses on helping people to explore their core ideas -- which tend to be negative, fixed beliefs that they are unlovable and inadequate -- and to question these assumptions so that they are less likely to avoid less social situations for fear that they will be judged negatively. A key component is developing alternative, more realistic beliefs (for example: challenging the statement 'I made a mistake at work, therefore I am a failure' and considering a more helpful response, such as 'I made a mistake, which feels painful to me at this point because I expect myself to be perfect, but everyone makes mistakes and I have the same right as others to be flawed'). In addition, we help people to slowly reduce their avoidance by developing graded exposures to their feared situations. For example, a university student who has been missing classes might be helped to develop a plan to begin attending lectures. Her first step may be visiting the campus and staying on the site until her social anxiety has dropped to a more manageable level. This step might be repeated until the prospect of going on campus does not cause significant anxiety. The next step might involve visiting their university department and staying in the building until their anxiety has diminished. Another step in the plan might involve attending a lecture and sitting at the back of the hall for 10 minutes. These steps would continue until the student was able to attend a full lecture with managable levels of anxiety. We do not impose a time frame on the length of time it takes to complete a goal or how often a person has to complete a step so that their anxiety is lowered. Our clinical experience has shown that very often these social situations are not as difficult as people have expected and they can make steady progress in achieving their goals if they are commited to the plan. Through the therapy, we also encourage people to use relaxation strategies, such as breathing techniques, to reduce their physiological stress in these situations.