Do people with anxiety have less friends?
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Do people with anxiety have less friends?
People with social anxiety disorder tend to have trouble making friends—and to assume the friendships they have are not high quality. The problem with this perception, according to new research, is that their friends don’t necessarily agree.
Research suggests that social anxiety can influence friendships in a variety of ways. In other words, while those with SAD may have blown-out-of-proportion negative perceptions of their friendships, there is indeed some unique impact of having SAD on these friendships, that doesn’t occur with other types of anxiety.
Is social anxiety different for everyone?
Again, the experience may be different for everyone, but if you have social anxiety and you’re in a stressful situation, you may feel: Very self-conscious in social situations. A persistent, intense, and chronic fear of being judged by others.
Does social anxiety get better?
For some people it gets better as they get older. But for many people it does not go away on its own without treatment. It’s important to get help if you are having symptoms. There are treatments that can help you manage it.
One study (Katzelnick et al., 2001) found that people with generalised social anxiety disorder had wages that were 10\% lower than the non-clinical population. Naturally, social life is impaired. On average, individuals with social anxiety disorder have fewer friends and have more difficulty getting on with friends (Whisman et al., 2000).
However, you probably do have some impairments in your friendships that wouldn’t be present if you had a different type of anxiety disorder. If you know other people with social anxiety, they probably understand you (and perhaps accept you) in a way that people without the disorder might not.
How long does social anxiety disorder last?
Social anxiety disorder usually starts during youth in people who are extremely shy. Social anxiety disorder is not uncommon; research suggests that about 7 percent of Americans are affected. Without treatment, social anxiety disorder can last for many years or a lifetime and prevent a person from reaching his or her full potential.
How do I know if I have social anxiety disorder?
If you have been feeling this way for at least six months and these feelings make it hard for you to do everyday tasks—such as talking to people at work or school—you may have a social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety disorder (also called social phobia) is a mental health condition.