As society returns to what life was like before the pandemic, many people are glad to again hang out with friends, attend concerts and travel.

For others, however, the idea of being around others can cause a crippling dread of social interaction called Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD).

SAD is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States, affecting 15 million adults and about 12 percent of the population at any given time, according to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA) and the National Institute of Mental Health.

Ryan Wagoner, MD, associate professor of psychiatry in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, said SAD is different from simply being shy, which he called a “personality trait” and manifests itself in such instances as a person feeling awkward walking into a room full of strangers or being nervous before a blind date.

Ryan Wagoner, MD

“When people are placed in situations where they have to be scrutinized by other people—social settings (and) presentations … that’s when Social Anxiety Disorder can pop up,” Dr. Wagoner said.

SAD, on the other hand, can cause intense stress that affects a person’s life. For example, someone living with SAD may turn down a promotion that involves public speaking or refusing to attend social and work parties.“When people are placed in situations where they have to be scrutinized by other people—social settings (and) presentations … that’s when Social Anxiety Disorder can pop up,” Dr. Wagoner said.

“There’s no hard and fast rule that COVID was good or bad for Social Anxiety Disorder—it was both,” he said.

As people ease their way back into normal levels of social interaction, Dr. Wagoner said it was important for people who think they have SAD to pace themselves and watch out for warning signs of acute anxiety.

“People with Social Anxiety Disorder need to figure out what they are comfortable with doing because if they put themselves in very uncomfortable situations without the appropriate support then they can be right back into some of those acute episodes,” Dr. Wagoner said.

Common symptoms of SAD, according to the ADAA, include:

• Fear of being visibly nervous in front of others
• Extreme anticipatory anxiety about social interactions and performance situations, such as speaking to a group
• Severe fear of not knowing what to say
• Avoiding face-to-face interactions by depending on technology
• Fear of eating in public
• Using alcohol or substances to function in social situations

Most people who seek treatments for SAD do improve and enjoy a better quality of life, Dr. Wagoner said. Treatments include cognitive-behavioral therapy and/or medication.

“Why not pursue treatments in order to try to make life better?” he said

Video & Article: Allison Long