Unmasking social anxiety disorder.

Shyness and self-consciousness are related constructs describing a tendency for some people to fear and avoid the scrutiny of others. In some cases, these characteristics are so pronounced that the individual shuns most forms of interpersonal contact or endures these encounters only with intense discomfort. Such people suffer from what is alternately referred to as “social anxiety disorder” or “social phobia.” Once largely neglected by the medical community, social anxiety disorder is now garnering increased attention and recognition as a serious but treatable condition.