Basically, all social anxiety is is the fear of being examined and judged while out in public or other social settings. That's the idea in a nutshell, though social anxiety really means quite a bit more. Its often misunderstood, and there is more confusion because of various terms used to describe the problem:

• Shyness

• Social anxiety

• Social anxiety disorder

• Social phobia

Now, the last two are really the same thing, and social anxiety only becomes an official disorder if the symptoms precisely match the description given by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (also just called the DSM). So for social anxiety to actually be a social anxiety disorder, the person suffering must have these symptoms:

• have an anxiety level in social settings that is out of proportion for the situations

• be in constant fear of social situations where you think you will be unfairly judged and subsequently embarrassed

• frequent avoidance of social situations in order to ease the anxiety

• the anxiety interferes with your life

Shyness itself is not considered a disorder, and is a much more generic term to refer to discomfort in social settings. But since many people experience some level of shyness in their lives, and what point does it go from a personality trait to a disorder.

A person with a normal amount of anxiety will be nervous in unfamiliar social settings, but they anxiety is not overwhelming and can be managed. A mild-to-moderate level would be where the anxiety interferes with your behavior and the person does avoid certain situations to avoid the anxiety.

The moderate-to-extreme level would mean that the person suffering from anxiety would make particular effort to avoid nearly all social situations due to the anxiety and fear. At this point, it can be classed as a phobia. Extreme levels of anxiety would mean that someone isolates themselves completely, and avoids all social contact.

It may seem extreme, but more than 15 million Americans who are over the age of 18 suffer from some level of social phobia. This disorder tends to manifest itself around the age of 13. The anxiety doesn't always show itself equally in all situations. Some people have much more fear when having to speak in public, but others are terrified of one-on-one conversations instead.

Once you realize that your social fears may be a treatable problem, the next step is to learn more about it, and develop some techniques to get past it.

Please remember: If you feel you need help in working on your social anxiety problem, especially if your symptoms are interfering with your life, don't wait to seek help from a qualified professional. The earlier social anxiety disorder is identified and treated the better.