Social anxiety, or social phobia, is a very common form of anxiety. Social anxiety often begins in childhood, and has a tendency to worsen over time without treatment. In many cases, the social anxiety can be uncomfortable enough that it leads to panic attacks. Many individuals need to interact with others due to their job duties, their schooling, their parenting activites and so on. In such cases, the presence of social anxiety can create great pressure and dread. Other times, individuals suffering from social anxiety find themselves withdrawing from more and more areas of their lives over times.

Social anxiety can be effectively treated. Sometimes, talk therapy methods such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are sufficient to overcome negative habits of thinking, feeling and doing in social situations. Other times, a combination of medication and counseling may be the best choice.