Social anxiety is so common these days that it has become the third highest rating psychological issue occuring today and even though it is so common is is still very much misunderstood.

Social anxiety can show itself in a number of unique ways. Someone can experience it as a feeling of being watched or followed all the time. Even though they really know this is not the case they find it impossible to shake the feelings.

Common everyday tasks that we take for granted can be terrifying ordeals for someone with social anxiety disorder. Something as simple as opening the door when someone knocks can fill them with paralysing fear

In the end social anxiety sufferers experience a life of constant worry and apprehension about how they are seen and how they are judged by others. Because of this fear they withdraw and keep away from people and to a large extent the outside world as a whole.

Public speaking or being interviewed (interrorgated) are stressful for most people but are especially traumatic for people with social anxiety.

If the condition worsens to the point of a social phobia developing it has become a psychiatric condition that combines extreme fear and anxiety with a disabling self consciousness.

And as always there is the associated chronic worry about being constantly scrutinized and evaluated by others and the fear of making a fool of themselves or embarrassing themselves in some way

Fortunately, even though the cause is not entirely understood there are methods available today to help people who have to deal with social anxiety. There are a number of conventional therapeutic techniques that can be used as well as a number of less than conventional “alternative” therapies that have helped many people free themselves of the condition.