An essential guide for the 5.3 million American sufferers of social anxiety from a leading psychiatrist and researcher An estimated 5.3 million Americans experience social anxiety disorder, making it the third most common psychiatric illness in the United States. Unlike people with simple shyness, people with social anxiety disorder become sick with fear in social situations, experiencing physical symptoms like sweating, trembling, a shaky voice, or a pounding heart. They realize their fears are irrational, but they are virtually incapable of maintaining healthy relationships and performing everyday tasks in public settings without medical treatment. In Coping with Social Anxiety, Eric Hollander, director of the Compulsive, Impulsive, and Anxiety Disorders Program at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center explains - the nature of social anxiety disorder and how it differs from simple shyness and phobia - the latest research on the physiological effects of social anxiety disorder and its links with depression - the full range of treatment options-and how to select the best therapeutic course with the help of a medical professional Illustrated by accounts of successful treatment from Hollander's clinical practice, this book will help readers make informed judgments about the proper treatment to seek for themselves or someone close to them.