Click here to hear interviews with real prople who have resolved social anxiety

The essential feature of social phobia, as defined in the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), is a marked and persistent fear of social or performance situations in which embarrassment may occur. Exposure to the social or performance situation almost invariably provokes an immediate anxiety response.  Anticipatory anxiety (obsessive worry) may occur far in advance of the upcoming social or performance situation. Most often, the social or performance situation is avoided, although it is sometimes endured with dread.

Social phobia is also known as social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety is fear. Fear has a multi-dimensional character: thoughts (cognition), emotions, and physiological response. When the fear (anxiety) gets to the point that a situation is avoided, a phobia is present. Common social phobias include (to name just a few):

• fear of public speaking
• fear of groups
• fear of conversation (selective mutism)
• fear of intimacy
• fear of relationships
• fear of socializing
• fear of school
• fear of sports
• fear of performing.

Social phobia - commonly defined as performance anxiety - is, according to a November 1991 article in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, “an emerging problem that is just beginning to receive attention”. In the ‘90’s it was “emerging”. Now, social phobia is the anxiety disorder of the millennium, as society is firmly entrenched in dynamics of competition, rapidly developing technology, and pressure for productivity.

Listen to interviews from individuals who conquered their phobias.

Your Options

1. Free Introductory CD
2. The book, "Beyond Shyness: How to Conquer Social Anxieties" (Simon & Schuster)
3. Comprehensive self-therapy audio CD program for social and performance anxiety
4. Public Speaking Anxiety: Self Therapy Audio CD Program
5. Therapy in Great Neck, New York
6. Telephone therapy
7. Selective Mutism Seminar on Audio CD
8. "Parenting The Selectively Mute Child": Self-therapy Audio CD Program
9. "Social Therapy and the Learning Disabled: A seminar on Audio CD
10. Free social-ability questionnaire
11. Free "Parent Addiction" quiz
12. Subscribe to the Tip of the Month Club