| Social anxiety disorder means that a person has | | | | grand or more important than they are. This is only |
| difficulty in relating to other people when in group or | | | | intended to impress people so that attention is gained, |
| other communal situations. Just because you have a | | | | but often it can cause further disruption to a person's |
| dislike of attending certain types of social function | | | | social experience if others think that they are always |
| which others seem to enjoy does not mean that you | | | | showing off or bragging. |
| have social anxiety disorder. For some, a formal | | | | One way that children get attention is by creating |
| cocktail party promises to be fun, for others it can be | | | | distress and uproar - it is a negative way of getting |
| a nightmare of what to wear, what to say, and how to | | | | attention. Sometimes people will carry on this type of |
| behave. Some people are lucky in that their early | | | | behavior into their adult years. Because they lack the |
| years of life have given them the opportunity to | | | | social skills to interact with people on a normal basis, |
| develop good social skills and interactions with other | | | | they are often the ones who cause disruption and |
| people, others have a range of difficulties which are | | | | difficulties in group situations and they either end up |
| basically caused by a lack of self esteem, feelings of | | | | being ostracized from a group or heartily disliked by |
| inferiority compared with other people, and lack of | | | | many people. |
| social skills and experience. | | | | Other forms of social anxiety disorder lead to people |
| Sometimes family structures are so close that virtually | | | | blaming others for difficult situations, and using that as |
| all socializing takes place in the context of being with | | | | an excuse for their own behavior. Whatever the |
| family. Sometimes children born into this type of | | | | circumstances, people with social anxiety disorder who |
| situation find it extremely difficult to go out on their own | | | | try to maintain social relations in a disruptive and |
| and meet people independently. Other children may | | | | argumentative manner, get little pleasure from it in |
| find that they have had little or no support from family | | | | reality and under the surface can become extremely |
| members to develop social skills. Whilst not all people in | | | | depressed or angry. |
| these situations will go on to develop social anxiety | | | | There is hope for those who suffer from social |
| disorder, their lack of good social skills may lead to | | | | anxiety disorder if they really would like to improve |
| them experiencing problems in general relationships | | | | their situation. Counseling, support and encouragement |
| and in going outside of their usual socializing habits. This | | | | is available to anyone who would like to socialize more |
| can lead to remaining in a restricted social circle and to | | | | or feels that their general manner of dealing with |
| restricted abilities to communicate and socialize with | | | | people needs some modification. Negativity and lack of |
| others. | | | | self-assurance is the underlying theme of social |
| Sometimes a person who already feels inadequate will | | | | anxiety disorder. Often great improvements can be |
| face rejection by another individual or group and | | | | made with individual counseling, group sessions and |
| decide as a result that they really are not worthy of | | | | mentoring. Introducing people to groups and activities |
| anyone's attention. The problem is that if a person has | | | | most suited to their personality type and their needs |
| negative feelings about themselves, they never | | | | can often see them start to flourish as they find new |
| present themselves to others in their best possible light. | | | | confidence, competence and skills. Everyone needs |
| They may appear to others as being dismal, shy, | | | | relationship with others in order to be truly happy and |
| apologetic or aloof and people can be put off by their | | | | those suffering from social anxiety disorders can be |
| attitude. Some people who feel inferior develop an | | | | very easily helped into better ways of communication |
| "inferiority complex" in which they may pretend to be | | | | and interrelating with others, to the benefit of all. |