Social Butterfly Trapped in Cocoon

7% of the population suffers from Social Anxiety Disorder, aka Social Phobia, at any given moment. But what exactly is social anxiety?

People with social anxiety fear social situations and interactions which can trigger negative feelings, such as self consciousness, inadequacy, humiliation, or criticism. Simple things like being introduced to others, talking on the telephone, or making small talk can cause significant emotional distress to a person with social anxiety.

“Some people think ‘social anxiety’ is just a fancy term for someone who is shy. This is not true,” says Jenna Guzman, 33, who has had social anxiety for 19 years. “I am a very fun and outgoing person with my family and a few close friends. Outside of that group, I’m like a social butterfly trapped in it’s cocoon. Fear just grabs me and keeps me from interacting with other people. I want to be social, but the anxiety makes it very, very difficult for me.”

That’s what lead Jenna to start www.SocialAnxietyMatch.com, a different kind of community website for persons with social anxiety disorder (SAD). Detailed profiles provide a complete SAD background of each user, including medications and therapies tried, SAD symptoms, feelings and experiences. This background information is intended to help visitors feel comfortable enough to initiate and sustain social interaction with other website users, so relationships can begin to form. “I couldn’t find a social anxiety websites that would help me make real connections with others, so I decided I needed to start Social Anxiety Match for myself and others,” says Jenna.

The SAD-friendly functions of the website include an advanced searching capability, which allows the user to specify the type of interaction they are looking for (such as friend, support group, penpal, ask/answer questions, or romance), and also choose the social anxiety background of the potential match. The site also posts “Dear Diary” entries, giving users an inside look at the socially anxious mind at work. Additionally, the site hosts weekly scheduled chats, inspirational postings, private e-mail, instant messaging, and a place where users can post events.

For more information on this Social Anxiety Disorder / Social Phobia community website, go to http://www.socialanxietymatch.com

Contact Person: Jenna Guzman
Company Name: Social Anxiety Match, Inc.
Email Address: admin@socialanxietymatch.com
Web site address: http://www.socialanxietymatch.com

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