Social Anxiety: Hidden Fears and Shame in Teens and Adults

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.