Butterflies

If you’ve ever been that person at the party standing over in a corner watching everyone else have a good time, then you probably know something about social anxiety.
Social anxiety is defined by the Social Anxiety Institute as “the fear of being judged and evaluated negatively by other people, leading to feelings of inadequacy, inferiority, self-consciousness, embarrassment, humiliation, and depression.”

Are we really so conscious of what other people think of us?

When you’re the person standing in the corner at that party, it’s easy to believe that you’re the only one who has ever felt socially awkward. But in truth, up to 13% of the population (that’s more than 13 million Americans!) is so strongly affected by this discomfort that they have what’s known as a Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD).

The above number doesn’t even count those who suffer from shyness or mild social fears!