Social anxiety disorder (SAD) affects 1 out of 3 adolescents between 13 and 18 years old. Over 19 million people across America suffer from social anxiety disorder (SAD) today. It is the most common anxiety disorder and third most common mental health disorder in the country.  Social Anxiety Disorder, also known as Social Phobia, is marked by ongoing and pervasive fear of social interaction and/or situations where embarrassment might occur. While it is common to experience some anxiety in new social situations, individuals with social anxiety disorder feel overwhelming self-consciousness, distress, and fear of judgement in day-to-day social interactions. SAD prevents individuals from having normal relationships and interactions. It can also negatively affect normal daily activities. Additionally, those who suffer from SAD often experience intense worry about upcoming social situations (causing distress days or even weeks in advance).

People with social anxiety disorder frequently avoid social interactions all together. This leads to diminished relationships, withdrawal and overall isolation. Like many other anxiety disorders, those with SAD may realize and acknowledge that their anxiety is often unreasonable or unwarranted, but still find themselves trapped in the cycle of anxiety and fear of social humiliation or embarrassment. Strong physical symptoms, such as nausea, trembling, sweating, or blushing, may occur in sufferers even in “normal”, everyday social situations.