The holiday season provides wonderful opportunities for people to attend social gatherings, whether office parties, family get-togethers, visiting with friends from out of town, catching up with acquaintances, and just spending time with loved ones. But for people with social phobias, this seemingly enjoyable frivolity can, at times, be a source of stress or anxiety. According to the Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology, anxiety disorders affect 20 percent of the US population, with 8-13 percent of the population dealing with social phobia in particular. Social phobia involves a fear of one or more social or performance situations, such as public speaking, conversations, or meeting new people. The fear is of being embarrassed, humiliated, or judged by others.

Social phobia can affect performance at work or school, daily routine, and social interaction or relationships. Those with social phobia fear that they will behave incompetently, leading others to make negative judgments. Social phobia is not the momentary anxiety one may feel when encountering a new situation such as a first date or public speaking engagement; rather, social phobia symptoms are experienced for at least 6 months at a time, and for some people, are experienced regularly over a lifetime.

A common treatment used by professional psychologists and those in related fields is exposure therapy. This treatment consists of repeated and systematic exposure of patients to situations that they fear. Exposure can be gradual, or patients can confront the most difficult situation first. If you are concerned that you may suffer from social phobia, seek advice from a professional before making personal treatment decisions.

Your local librarian cannot diagnose any social phobia condition you may suspect you are experiencing, but we can certainly provide you with a friendly and welcoming environment to learn more about it. We can connect with books and articles examining social phobia written by experts or those who have experienced it firsthand. The following titles provide some useful information:

How to Control Your Anxiety Before It Controls You by Albert Ellis 157.3 E47-3 2016

The Mindful Path Through Shyness: How Mindfulness & Compassion Can Help Free You From Social Anxiety, Fear & Avoidance by Steven H. Flowers 157.3 F644

100 Ways to overcome shyness: go from self-conscious to self-confident by Barton Goldsmith 157.3 G6237

Anxiety Free: Unravel Your Fears Before They Unravel You by Robert L. Leahy 157.3 L434-1

Triumph Over Shyness: Conquering Shyness and Social Anxiety by Murray B. Stein 157.3 S8195

The Art of Mingling: Fun and Proven Techniques for Mastering Any Room by Jeanne Martinet 177.2 M385-2 2015

The Awkward Human Survival Guide: How to Handle Life's Most Uncomfortable Situations by Adam Dachis 177.9 D117

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae 301.45096 R134

Calming Your Anxious Child: Words to Say and Things to Do by Kathleen Trainor 370.1542 T768

Worried No More: Help and Hope for Anxious Children by Aureen Pinto Wagner 370.1542 W132 2005

Raising the Shy Child: A Parent's Guide to Social Anxiety: Advice for Helping Kids Make Friends, Speak Up, and Stop Worrying by Christine Fonseca 370.157 F676