shyness
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Beyond shyness: Overcoming the fear of social situationsFrom "/mayo"
Special to CNN.com
Everyone feels nervous from time to time. Going on a first date or giving a speech often causes that butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling. Or you may initially feel shy at a party among a group of strangers, but then warm up to them.
For some people, though, this sort of normal nervousness is magnified into extreme fear and anxiety. They avoid dating, giving speeches or attending parties altogether. They fear being watched or humiliated while doing something in front of others. Everyday social activities, even the most mundane, may become virtually impossible. You may not even be able to eat with others or sign a personal check in public.
When social anxieties become this extreme and disrupt your life, interfere with education or work, and lead you to avoid certain situations, they may have crossed the line into a condition known as social phobia...