Health Tip: Understanding Social Anxiety Disorder

(HealthDay News) -- Social anxiety disorder (sometimes called social phobia) is characterized by extreme anxiety and self-consciousness in social situations.

The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health says symptoms of social anxiety disorder may include:

• Feelings of extreme self-consciousness around others.
• Excessive fear that others are watching and judging you.
• Excessive fear of embarrassment.
• Worry that persists long before an event actually occurs.
• Physical symptoms stemming from anxiety, including sweating, feeling nauseous, shaking and blushing.