If fear of rejection has led you to distance yourself from people, especially groups, there are several specific things you can do.

Social anxiety disorder affects millions of Americans and leaves men and women, young and old alike with performance anxiety related to a great deal of different situations and interactions... However you may be affected, the condition can be treated and eliminated.

"There are two different types of social phobia. The first is generalized, where anything and everything in the way of social interaction has the potential to send your nerves into overdrive. People who are only afraid of a few or a particular type of social interaction have non-generalized or specific social phobia."

Most of us are concerned about what others think about us and we say and do things just to get the approval of others.  These thoughts and behaviors seem to be so much a part of who we are and are so common in others that we assume that they are just part of being human. In fact, however, you can eradicate these thoughts and behaviors forever.

Individuals suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) feel that people are constantly watching them, judging them – just waiting for them to make some kind of embarrassing mistake. The degree of discomfort is such that the individual will avoid certain social situations (trigger stimulus) altogether, situations like public speaking, eating out at a restaurant, or using a pubic restroom. Interacting with perceived figures of authority such as a supervisor at work is also a source of extreme discomfort.

By Ron Pies, MD: You always hated it when the teacher called on you in class. Even now, you get those big, fluttering “butterflies” in your stomach before making a speech. You stay away from parties because you feel a little self-conscious around people. Your mom always described you as “shy” and you admit you’re a bit of a “wallflower”. So do you qualify as having a diagnosable mental disorder? Unless there’s much more to your story, the answer is no.

New research by the HealthEmotions Research Institute and Department of Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health indicates that the brains of those suffering from anxiety and severe shyness in social situations consistently respond more strongly to stress, and show signs of being anxious even in situations that others find safe.

"Oxytocin has a very powerful effect," says Dr. Baumgartner of the University of Zurich. Oxytocin lowers activity in the amygdala, a region linked with fear and danger. The same brain circuits play a role in social disorders. Most social phobia sufferers receive talk therapy of some kind but recent studies have shown that oxytocin can speed up the process.

It may seem baffling, even bizarre, that ordinary shyness could assume the dimension of a mental disease. But if a youngster is reserved, the odds are high that a psychiatrist will diagnose social anxiety disorder and recommend treatment.

What's wrong with being shy, and just when and how did bashfulness and other ordinary human behaviors in children and adults become psychiatric disorders treatable with powerful, potentially dangerous drugs, asks a Northwestern University scholar in a new book that already is creating waves in the mental health community.