Social anxiety disorder prevents some 15 million Americans from leading normal social and romantic lives, a new survey finds.
The disorder leaves many isolated, ashamed and often misdiagnosed. Thirty-six percent of those with social anxiety disorder have symptoms for 10 years or more before seeking help, the Anxiety Disorders Association of America reports.
People who struggle against social convention fascinate Christopher Lane, a Northwestern University professor of English. In his new book, "Shyness: How Normal Behavior Became a Sickness," (Yale University, $27.50) Mr. Lane looks at people who don't conform to our culture's fondness for sociability. It's a provocative look at an important chapter in the history of modern psychiatry.
Mr. Lane sat down with the Chicago Tribune recently to talk about the book. An edited transcript follows.
SAN DIEGO - Dr. John Kelsoe has spent his career trying to identify the biological roots of bipolar disorder. In December, he announced he had discovered several gene mutations closely tied to the disease, also known as manic depression.