Shyness, depression and anxiety are all nearly the same on the most basic level. They are all disorders that affect a person's ability to function in society. Shyness is the act of being timid, and possibly afraid of social interaction. People mainly agree that shyness is not a mental disorder. However, if shyness goes far enough, it can become anxiety, which often times is a mental disorder. Shyness is a personality disorder. A personality disorder is an illness characterized by trends in personality structure. It may show itself by lack of good judgment or poor relationships with others, accompanied by little anxiety and no personal sense of distress.

Anxiety is also known as social phobia. This is a condition that causes overwhelming fear of social situations that require interacting with or performing in front of others. Anxiety is different than being shy, introverted or experiencing normal anxiety, like...