It's not uncommon for comparisons between shyness and Social Phobia to be made, particularly with respect to whether the two conditions are, in fact, the same thing, and whether one or both conditions requires treatment. So are shyness and Social Phobia the same thing? Not quite.

The general symptoms of shyness and Social Phobia are extremely similar: unease in unfamiliar social settings, sensitivity to scrutiny and/or critical judgments, avoiding unfamiliar social settings. Though there is some debate about the actual distinction between shyness and social phobia, the line crossed is often considered the level of symptoms each condition presents, and the effect they have on an individual.

Shyness is typically considered a condition where discomfort and reticence in social situations may be felt, but not to the extent that the person feeling this discomfort alters their behavior as a coping method. For example, a shy person may feel uncomfortable about attending a social function, but they'll attend if doing so holds some meaning for them, and once in attendance they'll likely be functional and their tension will likely subside over time.

The social phobic will feel an extreme reluctance to participate in unfamiliar social settings, and often will simply avoid unfamiliar social settings altogether, regardless of how meaningful the setting may be to the phobic personally. Once in an unfamiliar social setting, the social phobic will often display extreme signs of their anxiety -- increased heart rate, trembling, facial flushing, and sweating are all possibilities -- and rather than eventually becoming acclimated, the social phobic may either remove themselves from an unfamiliar setting or seek out a method to cope with their social anxiety, such as consuming alcohol or trying to isolate themselves.

What about treatment? Shyness is a condition that will sometimes resolve on its own. Some children have a tendency to be withdrawn in unfamiliar social situations, but can function socially without any difficulties whatsoever once they get older. Social Phobia may also resolve on its own, but it's not especially likely. To begin with, the social phobic has considerable symptoms to deal with: the social phobic also often has self-esteem issues that must be addressed. A key in determining the need for the treatment of a social condition is the impact the condition has: if a person alters their behavior because of social anxieties, treatment is called for, regardless of whether the person believes themselves to be only shy, or actively socially phobic.

Get help for social anxieties at social anxiety.

By Chas Oliver