What are the characteristics of social phobia?
Although this disorder is often thought of as shyness, the two are not the same. Shy people can be very uneasy around others, but they do not experience the extreme anxiety in anticipating a social situation — and, they do not necessarily avoid circumstances that make them feel self-conscious. In contrast, people with social phobia are not necessarily shy at all, but can be completely at ease with some people most of the time. Most people experiencing social phobia will try to avoid situations that provoke dread or otherwise cause them much distress.
