In today’s society, social anxiety is slowly becoming more a part of the public consciousness. While in some cases people have spoken out about the disorder to raise awareness, there are other more unfortunate instances in which SA is brought to the forefront. A good case in point would be former Irish soccer player Paul McGrath who was recently arrested for intoxication and threatening/abusive behavior.
This came as a big surprise since McGrath is extremely popular and well liked in his home country. He claims to suffer from severe anxiety and occasionally drinks in order to cope. While this incident has been an embarrassing one for McGrath, it does shed light on a disorder that is still misunderstood.
This is proof that anyone can suffer from social anxiety, even someone whose job involved excelling under pressure with thousands of fans watching his every move. It can reach all walks of life and any personality type. This also illustrates the extremes that people will go to avoid feeling the effects of a truly overwhelming disorder. McGrath was very apologetic about the incident and was ordered by a judge to spend a day volunteering to coach kids at Tullamore Soccer Club, which he gladly completed.