Health Tip: Extreme Shyness

Warning signs of social anxiety disorder

(HealthDay News) - Many people are shy, but extreme shyness or fear in social situations may signal a condition called social anxiety disorder.

Social anxiety disorder can be controlled with therapy, medication or a combination of both. Here are some characteristics that help to identify the disorder, courtesy of the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health:

• Feeling excessively self-conscious while around others.
• An intense, debilitating fear of being embarrassed, watched or judged by others.
• Physical symptoms of extreme anxiety, including sweating, nausea, shaking and sweating.
• Significant difficulty speaking around others, or forgetting what to say.

-- Diana Kohnle

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Last updated 1/18/2008.

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