People who have chronic problems with being in social situations may wish to speak to a local doctor about receiving social anxiety help. The condition of social anxiety is characterized by a fear or anxiety about being evaluated by other people during common interactions. This can occur to people of all ages, ranging from young children to even mature adults developing shyness social anxiety. The fears that are involved with social anxiety are often irrational. Many sufferers can understand that they are irrational fears, but are still unable to overcome social anxiety disorder. The symptoms of the disorder can take on mental, emotional, or physical manifestations. The following symptoms are the most common: blushing, trembling, muscle tension, stomach issues, feeling lightheaded, sweating, elevated heart rate, nausea, shyness, fear of public speaking, or stage fright.

Social anxiety is actually a natural part of maturation. When first introduced to other people, children often experience anxiety as a normal emotion when they are unaware of how to interact. As a child grows older, this anxiety normally disappears and is replaced by an ability to interact in a normal manner with other people. The cause of an inability to develop normal interaction skills is not quite known, but experts believe that some people may have a genetic predisposition to social anxiety disorder. One possible indicator of potential future social anxiety is a higher than normal resting heart rate. A study by doctors at Harvard University found that children with a higher resting heart rate often displayed symptoms of social anxiety when introduced into social situations. It is also thought that brain chemistry may be involved, specifically the levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and GABA. Abnormal levels of these chemicals can lead to a distorted view of a person's well-being, meaning that normal social situations may cause genuine fear. Another possible cause can be traumatic events involving social settings.

Fortunately, there are social anxiety treatment options available to sufferers. For the majority of cases, a combination of cognitive behavior therapy and medication is most effective at eliminating the problem. Antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed medicine for social anxiety. The cognitive behavior therapy is a way of helping a sufferer to understand the mental thought processes that are causing the feelings of anxiety. Once these thoughts are understood, a person is more capable of confronting their fear and engaging in social contact. Exposure therapy is one form of cognitive behavior therapy that is effective by introducing the patient to a feared situation repeatedly until the person no longer has a fear of the specific situation. Often, conquering one setting that causes social anxiety will also help dealing with other settings. Another form of therapy that works is general social skills training. This type of instruction guides a person through a typical interaction by using role-playing. Social anxiety help is available from local doctors for those people who continually have problems dealing with regular social interaction.