Shyness isn’t a big issue normally. About half of teens between the ages of 13 and 18 say they’re shy; but a handful of those already teens—about 12 percent—are so reclusive that they meet the criteria for having a social phobia, according to a study by the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health. The Institute also found that about 5 percent of teens who didn’t call themselves shy also met the criteria for having a social phobia—meaning the two conditions aren’t always linked. “Social phobia or social anxiety disorder is a serious disorder that is very different than normal human shyness,” says Dr. Alan Manevitz, a clinical psychiatrist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. He says it can be “limited to only one type of situation—such as a fear of speaking in formal or informal situations or eating or drinking in front of others—or in its most severe form, may be so broad that a person experiences symptoms almost anytime he or she is around other people.” The study also found that teens with social phobias are more likely to struggle in school and have another psychiatric disorder in their lives. (HealthDay)