Brief Diagnostic Guide
A person with social anxiety disorder (or social phobia) fears being negatively scrutinized and judged by others, such as performance situations like public speaking, interactions with one or more people, or being observed while engaging in an activity such as working. Individuals with social anxiety are often nonassertive in some or most situations. While it is common for most people to have a small amount of apprehension in a particular social situation, such as meeting new people, this condition applies when the anxiety is very strong and/or interferes significantly with the person’s functioning.