The Symptoms and Causes of Social Anxiety Disorder

Based in Kansas City, Kansas, Christie Mensch practices outpatient psychiatry at the Wyandot Center. Christie Mensch’s range of experience includes treating patients with conditions such as attention-deficit disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety. 

One of the most common mental health conditions in the United States, social anxiety disorder often carries with it an avoidance of public places and social events due to a fear of being judged. Those with the disorder may experience worry surrounding events that others take in stride, and this can begin days and weeks before the event. With children, the condition may manifest as a tendency to cling to parents, a refusal to talk in public, and tantrums prior to the occasion. 

Physical symptoms associated with social anxiety include accelerated heartbeat, stomach pain, muscle tension, and hyperventilation. The fear of others noticing these signs of anxiety can make the symptoms even worse. In addressing the condition, therapy approaches often seek to provide exposure to situations that generate discomfort. This helps patients to gain confidence in dealing with situations that would otherwise cause anxiety.