It’s one of the most emotionally debilitating conditions, but also one of the most underpublicized. It can encapsulate people to the point where they become anxious or fearful of disclosing their thoughts or interacting in certain social situations.

What could be dubbed as the Milquetoast Syndrome, or chronic shyness, is something that afflicts more people than you probably think. In fact, according to Dr. Bernardo J. Carducci of Psychcentral.net, 40 to 45 percent of adults describe themselves as shy.

Anyone who has battled shyness, myself included, should consider just striving to overcome it a victory. But no matter how much timid people work to overcome this form of social anxiety, it is likely that at least a nugget of shyness always will remain part of them.

Obviously, passive people can’t suddenly transform themselves into socialites, regardless of the extent they go to squelch their meekness.

Most painfully shy people strive to avoid the milquetoast label. Of course no one wants to be viewed as unassertive. But nonetheless, the repercussions of being timid easily outweigh those, if any exist, of possessing an outgoing personality.

Typically, and understandably, shyness is not too burdensome in most people’s younger years. Although it might have social consequences, it still won’t barricade one’s ability to thrive in a school setting.

In adults, shyness standardly stifles one’s ability to initiate conversations, prevents people from developing close relationships with others and can drastically affect someone’s ability to succeed in the workplace, depending on the extent of one’s meekness, Dr. Carducci says.

As shy people get older though, as I’ve discovered, it is imperative they stray from their comfort zone to chip away at their aggravating passiveness.

What I found strikingly interesting while researching shyness and its repercussions is that shyness is a form of self-absorption. Overly timid people are preoccupied and wrapped up in their own actions and thoughts, which consequently hinders their ability to sharpen their communication skills on several facets.

Dr. David Onestak, director of Eastern’s Counseling Center, said shyness can be most acute when students enter as college freshmen when they are looking to establish a fresh network of friends.

“Sometimes shy people operate under the assumption people won’t like them. They tend to be punitive, self-deprecating. If they begin to work on those things they’ll find if they approach people most people respond favorable,” Onestak said.

But many measures can be taken to help you emerge from your shell so you are better able to quell and combat this form of social anxiety. Here are a few resourceful ones:

-Service work, for instance, can do wonders. Devote your spring break, a weekend or simply a few hours to helping the less fortunate or elderly. When your focus is others, you don’t restrict your focus to yourself.

-Deviate from your norm. Smile and converse with others you may not normally mingle with. This will help you gain confidence and make you more willing to take risks. “If you are willing to open yourself up, you will realize not everyone will respond to you negatively,” Onestak says.

-“Direct your attention inward instead of outward,” Onestak says. Join a group where you know many students share your interests. When students know they are joining an organization where others share their interests, they are more likely to relax and open up.

-Finally, If you find it difficult to break down your shyness on your own, seek a counselor to help you extinguish your negative thinking patterns and strengthening your social skills. Dr. Onestak suggests when students enter a new group or organization they should make eye contact with one person and then ask questions to help break themselves into the conversation.

People often set themselves up for failure. We visualize a situation in our heads and imagine things going wrong before we have even taken the risk. Essentially, when we do this, we reject ourselves before we have even been rejected. “We think what we think is going to happen,” Dr. Onestak said.

And as he emphasized, pills cannot help others develop and manage skills.

Shyness is nothing that needs to be treated. It’s something we can embrace, learn from and get beyond.