Suppose that anytime, anywhere, people are talking about you. The whispers and looks people give you are meant for you. This is what people with social anxiety disorder, or social phobia, feel when they are vulnerable and exposed to others. It is a terrible ordeal for those who suffer from it, because it interrupts them and prevents them from functioning properly in their daily lives. This raises the question of how such a thing happens. What are the possible causes of this problem and how to fix it? There are many studies that have used social and physiological factors as possible causes of social phobia. To begin with, social phobia is an anxiety disorder that prohibits socializing with others due to fear of judgment and an extreme level of self-consciousness. People with this disorder have a strange fear of being observed and scrutinized by others. This is exacerbated when they lack social skills in social situations. This causes anxiety which, for some, can lead to panic attacks, as they are constantly distressed at the thought of others judging them. Some people even withdraw from social situations completely so they don't have to deal with anxiety. Bruce H. Hinrichs (2004) states that anxious people worry, feel stressed, and ruminate, meaning they have to go over things repeatedly in their minds (340). They are aware that their fear is unreasonable but they are unable to overcome it. Even though they try to face their fears, the fear still lingers in the back of their minds and always seems to catch up with them. This deters them from doing even the simplest tasks, like going to the store, talking to people, or walking outside, because they fear people will stare at them from home. Not on...... middle of paper ......l model." Clinical Psychology Review 2 (2004): 744-745. Science Direct. Web. November 27, 2011. Richards, Thomas A.. "Qu "Is Social Phobia/Social Anxiety?." Social Phobia/Social Anxiety Association. Web. November 27, 2011. .Shirley, Brinkeroff. "Treatment Description." Drug Therapy and Personality Disorders. Philadelphia: Mason Crest Publishers, 2004. 80- 85. Print. "Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) - MayoClinic.com." Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, August 2, 2011. Web. Wardy, Adrienne Shyness: the biological causes of social anxiety disorder " Serendip Home | Serendip's Exchange. Serendip, October 27, 2002. Web. November 27. 2011. .