Social Anxiety

Affecting millions of people in the United States, social
anxiety, according to DSM-5-TR, refers to the condition of persisting
intense fear or anxiety about being severely embarrassed or humiliated in
social situations where such fear is out of proportion to any actual threat.


This compelling new guide calls for an expanded definition, one that
involves the persistent fears and shame of individuals related to what
others might think of them if certain actions or thoughts in their past or
present were ever to become known-even when there may be no actual
interaction with those other people.

At the heart of the case made by
Social Anxiety: Hidden Fears and Shame in Teens and Adults are 22
case examples featuring individuals from age 14 to age 52. These revealing
vignettes underscore that

* Social anxiety does not correspond merely
to transient fears such as meeting new people or public speaking but can be
chronic and persistent
* Social anxiety does not involve only fears of
potentially challenging behaviors; for many it also manifests as fears or
shame about past or present wishes or thoughts considered unacceptable
*
A significant percentage-as many as half-of individuals struggling with
social anxiety avoid seeking help

Opening with a description of what
the research has to say about the nature, causes, and effects of social
anxiety, this book also examines the wide variety of treatment
interventions, including psychotherapy, medications, and family
interventions.

With a depth of information that will prove clinically
useful to medical and mental health professionals, Social Anxiety is
also written in an engaging style that will be easily accessible to
laypeople-including those suffering from social anxiety themselves, as well
as their family and community.