We may encounter many everyday social situations that make us feel fear, anxiety, or tension around other people. Yet these feelings do not hinder our ability to interact with our social environment or prevent us from investing in our social relationships. If they did, we would be condemning ourselves to isolation to avoid any of the situations above, collectively indicating what is known as social anxiety disorder, which might be described as the graveyard of a person's social life. In this article, we therefore highlight the meaning of social anxiety disorder, its causes and symptoms, and how it can be overcome.

What is social anxiety disorder (social phobia)?

Everyday interactions lead to intense anxiety, fear, poor self-awareness, and embarrassment because of the fear that others are focusing on, monitoring, or judging the person's actions. In social anxiety disorder, fear and anxiety lead to avoidance that can disrupt life. Severe stress can affect ordinary daily activities, work, school, or other activities.

Social anxiety disorder is a chronic mental health condition, but learning coping skills, regulating emotions and thoughts through psychotherapy, and taking medication can help a person gain self-confidence and improve their ability to interact with others.

Causes of social anxiety disorder:

It can be said that social environmental factors and genetic factors are major causes of most psychological disorders we experience. Growing up in a stressful family and social environment dominated by anger and tension, excessive strictness and rigidity in upbringing, and constant criticism of the child will inevitably lead to people who experience anxiety, social phobia, and fear of engaging in any social interactions.

What are the symptoms of social anxiety disorder?

Signs and symptoms of social anxiety disorder may include persistent feelings of the following:

  1. Fear of situations in which you may be judged.
  2. Anxiety about embarrassing or humiliating yourself.
  3. Intense fear of interacting or speaking with strangers.
  4. Fear that others will notice your anxiety.
  5. Fear of physical symptoms that may embarrass you, such as blushing, sweating, trembling, or having a shaky voice.
  6. Avoiding doing things or speaking to people for fear of embarrassment.
  7. Avoiding situations in which you might be the center of attention.
  8. Anticipatory anxiety about a feared activity or event.
  9. Being unable to endure a social situation involving intense fear or anxiety.
  10. Spending time after a social situation analyzing your performance and identifying flaws in your interactions.
  11. Always expecting the worst possible consequences because of a previous negative social experience.
  12. In children, anxiety during interactions with adults or peers may appear as crying or tantrums.

How can you overcome social anxiety disorder?

  1. Think logically and realistically about what makes you afraid of or apprehensive about social interaction.
  2. Ask yourself about the advantages and disadvantages of interacting socially with people around you and what consequences those disadvantages might have.
  3. Make the decision to confront the negative outcomes you imagine may result from interacting with your community. The solution lies in recognizing and facing your fears.
  4. Talk to people around you about the negative outcomes and fears you imagine. This helps you recognize and understand yourself more deeply.
  5. If you feel that you are still unable to overcome your social fears despite the previous steps, you should undergo psychotherapy.

We should understand that feelings of shyness or discomfort in some situations do not necessarily indicate social anxiety disorder, especially in children. Comfort levels in social situations vary according to personality traits and life experiences. Some people are naturally reserved, while others are more outgoing. This differs from nervous tension that can occur daily.

Social anxiety disorder involves fear, anxiety, and avoidance that interfere with daily routines, work, school, or other activities. It usually begins in early to mid-adolescence, although it can sometimes begin in younger children or adults.