Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder, or SAD, often manifests as an intense fear of negative evaluations from other people.

Said another way, those who suffer from SAD feel a near-crippling anxiety that other human beings are judging them, and probably negatively, and this can severely impair their ability to function, day-to-day, leading to uncontrollable heart palpitations, shortness of breath, nausea, shaking, excessive sweating, and other physical indications of panic and fear.

Many people who have SAD self-medicate with alcohol or other substances in order to damper or numb the sensations that otherwise leave them unable to function in some social contexts, and this can lead to secondary substance-abuse disorders.