ABSTRACT
Shyness and social anxiety are quite common problems, often strongly connected with low self-esteem. The symptoms of shyness and social anxiety are a combination of cognitive, emotional, and physical. People experience significant emotional distress in the following sorts of situations: being introduced to new people; being the centre of attention; meeting "important" people; and so on. Many people experience a form of "shyness" in some form or another at different times in their lives, but these people do not start behaving differently, or avoiding those situations of social anxiety. Social anxiety is the third largest psychological problem in world—and possibly the least understood. Some people experience a more extreme form of social anxiety, and this is classified as a "social phobia". Essentially, there is a step-by-step process of desensitization, or treatment, for social anxiety that is usually almost totally effective. In terms of self-help, some people go to public speaking groups, or book clubs, or something pretty safe at first.
