Marked fear or anxiety occurs in one or more social situations involving possible scrutiny by others.
The person fears acting in a way or showing anxiety symptoms that will be negatively evaluated.

The fear or anxiety is out of proportion to the actual threat posed by the social situation and the sociocultural context.

The fear, anxiety, or avoidance is persistent, typically lasting 6 months or more.

The fear, anxiety, or avoidance causes clinically significant distress or impairment.

If another medical condition is present, the fear is clearly unrelated or excessive.

Social anxiety disorder is usually about being seen, judged, embarrassed, or exposed in front of other people. Some patients avoid those situations entirely, while others keep showing up but feel tense, preoccupied, and exhausted by the experience.
Scrutiny theme: The feared outcome is usually some form of negative evaluation, like embarrassment, rejection, humiliation, or visibly looking anxious.
Duration: This tends to be a stable pattern, not just a bad week or a rough stretch before one important event.
Subtype thinking: Some people fear only performance situations, while others struggle across much broader social and interpersonal settings.
Clinical focus: Common clinician-rated or self-report scale for social fear and avoidance.

Common clinician-rated or self-report scale for social fear and avoidance.

Brief self-report screen and severity tracker.

FDA labeling for social anxiety disorder exists for selected SSRIs and SNRIs; verify the specific product label before clinical use.

Simple Psych

Social Anxiety Disorder