What is Social Anxiety Disorder?

Social anxiety or phobia is characterized by overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situations. Social phobia can be limited to one type of situation or, in its most severe form, one may experience symptoms anytime they are around other people.

Do you have Social Anxiety Disorder? Join now to connect with patients like you!

What is it like to have Social Anxiety Disorder?

Common Symptoms Patients' Latest Severity My Current Severity  
Severity
Severe
Moderate
Mild
None
Anticipatory anxiety None Mild Moderate Severe
Avoidance of situations None Mild Moderate Severe
Fear of embarrassment None Mild Moderate Severe
Panic attacks None Mild Moderate Severe

What do patients take to treat Social Anxiety Disorder and its symptoms?

Commonly prescribed and frequently used treatments

Treatment name Efficacy Overall rating of side effects # of Evaluations
Individual Therapy
(Meditation - Reflection, Mentalization Based Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Individual Therapy, Drug Treatment Centers)
33
Lorazepam
(Sandoz Lorazepam, Lorenin, Temesta, Orfidal)
11
Paroxetine
(Zydus Paroxetine, Pexeva, Paxxet, Pondera)
11
Clonazepam
(DOM-Clonazepam, Paxam, APO Clonazepam, Clonotril)
2
Peer Support Group
(Men's Support Group, PALS & CALS Support Group)
1

These charts show data from Social Anxiety Disorder patients' latest treatment evaluations

Who has Social Anxiety Disorder at PatientsLikeMe?

<20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70+
Current Age
Distribution of females vs. males
Gender
74% Females
26% Males
Age at first symptom
Age at first symptom # of patients Proportion
0-19 yrs 1047
20-29 yrs 275
30-39 yrs 175
40-49 yrs 85
50-59 yrs 28
60-69 yrs 4
70+ yrs 3
Diagnosis status
Diagnosis status # of patients Proportion
Diagnosed 2095
Not Officially Diagnosed 2760

These charts show data from Social Anxiety Disorder patients who have completed their condition history