Social anxiety
Encyclopedia
Social anxiety is anxiety
(emotion
al discomfort, fear
, apprehension, or worry
) about social situations, interactions with others, and being evaluated or scrutinized by other people. The difference between social anxiety and normal apprehension of social situations is that social anxiety involves an intense feeling of fear in social situations and especially situations that are unfamiliar or in which you will be watched or evaluated by others. The feeling of fear is so great that in these types of situations one may be so worried that they feel anxious just thinking about them and will go to great lengths to avoid them.
According to the US National Comorbidity Survey, social anxiety is the number one most common anxiety disorder and is also the third most common mental disorder in the U.S. An estimated 19.2 million Americans suffer from social anxiety disorder and it can occur at any time but most often it on-sets in adolescence, early adulthood, or even early childhood. Statistically it is also more common in women than in men.
It occurs for different reasons. Developmental social anxiety occurs early in childhood as a normal part of the development of social functioning, and is a stage that most children grow out of, but problem or chronic social anxiety may persist (perhaps unnoticed) until adolescence or may surface in adulthood. People vary in how often they experience social anxiety and in which kinds of situations.
Overcoming social anxiety depends on the person and the situation. In some cases it can be relatively easy—just a matter of time passing for many individuals, and yet for some people social anxiety can become a very difficult, painful and even disabling problem that is chronic in nature. The reasons are unknown. Social anxiety can be related to shyness
or anxiety disorders or other emotional or temperamental factors, but its exact nature is still the subject of research and theory and the causes may vary depending on the individual. Recovery from chronic social anxiety is possible in many cases, but usually only with some kind of therapy or sustained self-help or support group work.
A psychopathological (chronic and disabling) form of social anxiety is called social phobia
or social anxiety disorder
, and is a chronic problem that can result in a reduced quality of life. Standardized rating scales such as Social Phobia Inventory
can be used for screening social anxiety disorder and measuring severity of social phobia. Overcoming social anxiety of this type can be very difficult without getting assistance from therapists, psychologists or support groups. Social anxiety can also be self-integrated and persistent for people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder
, which can also make the social anxiety harder to overcome, especially if ignored.
Some use the terms social anxiety and social phobia interchangeably.
, peer rejection, public speaking
, blushing
, self-consciousness
, and past behavior. Most adolescents progress through their fears and meet the developmental demands placed on them. More and more children are being diagnosed with social anxiety and this can lead to problems with education if not closely monitored. Research has shown that some students have such severe cases of social anxiety that they are too afraid to speak or interact with other students or teachers. Part of social anxiety is fear of being criticized by others, and in children social anxiety causes extreme distress over everyday activities such as playing with other kids, reading in class, or speaking to adults. On the other hand some children with social anxiety will act out
because of their fear which makes it much harder to diagnose. Some cases have been reported where the social anxiety is so bad that it leads to physical illness. The problem with identifying social anxiety disorder in children is that it can be difficult to determine the difference between social anxiety and basic shyness. Often, children with social phobia (social anxiety) don’t want to go to school because of their anxiety.
, performance anxiety, public speaking anxiety, stage fright
, timidness, etc. All of these may also assume clinical forms, i.e., become anxiety disorder
s (see below).
The term social anxiety is also commonly used in reference to experiences such as embarrassment
and shame
. However some psychologists draw distinctions among various types of social discomfort, with the criterion for anxiety being anticipation
. For example, the anticipation of an embarrassment is a form of social anxiety, while embarrassment itself is not.
Criteria that distinguish between clinical
and nonclinical forms of social anxiety include the intensity and level of behavioral and psychosomatic disruption (discomfort) in addition to the anticipatory nature of the fear. Social anxieties may also be classified according to the broadness of triggering social situations. For example, fear of eating in public has a very narrow situational scope (eating in public), while shyness may have a wide scope (a person may be shy of doing many things in various circumstances). The clinical (disorder) forms are also divided into general social phobia (i.e., social anxiety disorder
) and specific social phobia
.
. The experience is commonly described as having physiological components (e.g., sweating, blushing), cognitive/perceptual components (e.g., belief that one may be judged negatively or looking for signs of disapproval), and behavioral components (e.g. avoiding a situation).
The essence of social anxiety has been said to be an irrational or unreasonable expectation of negative evaluation by others. One theory is that social anxiety occurs when there is motivation to make a desired impression along with doubt about having the ability to do so. Although the "official" clinical name for the disorder, as listed in the DSM
and ICD
, is Social Phobia or Social Anxiety Disorder, support groups for people who have the disorder (whether through clinical diagnosis or self-diagnosis) often refer to it as simply "social anxiety" or even "SA".
Criteria in the DSM and ICD attempt to distinguish clinical versus nonclinical forms of social anxiety, including by intensity and levels of behavioral and psychosomatic disruption: The validity of the "disorder" diagnosis has been challenged, however, on scientific and political grounds; people satisfying DSM social phobia criteria may simply be temperamentally high in social anxiety rather than suffering from a disorder, although such problems in living in society may still deserve attention as a matter of social justice.
Clinicians and researchers continue to struggle with definitional problems regarding the constructs of shyness, social anxiety, and social anxiety disorder. Each shares similarities, yet each has been used to define distinct aspects of psychological life as it relates to interpersonal functioning and how easy or difficult different cases of social anxiety are to overcome. A continuum describes some of the distinctions yet there is no absolute consensus yet as to where one disorder begins and another ends, although it is widely agreed that there are differences.
Social anxiety disorder may sometimes be symptomatic of an underlying medical disorder, such as hyperthyroidism
.
If no physical illness is found, patients will be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist. Psychiatrists and psychologists use specially designed interview questions and assessment tools to evaluate a person for an anxiety disorder. The doctor bases their diagnosis of social anxiety disorder on reports of the intensity and duration of symptoms, including any problems with functioning caused by the symptoms;if the symptoms and degree of dysfunction are above normal it indicates that it is social anxiety disorder.
Another possible cause of social anxiety is the nervous system. Medications that are prescribed to treat social anxiety affect the levels of neurotransmitters, chemical messengers that are responsible for transmitting signals in the brain. However, researchers are still unsure if the differences in these chemicals cause social anxiety. Several studies have found that certain areas of the brain, such as a small, almond-shaped area called the amygdala
, can be more active in individuals with social phobia.
Another possible cause of social anxiety is life experiences. Negative experiences in life, and the way one handles and reacts to them, can also lead to the development of social anxiety. If one is consistently put in situations that make him or her feel inferior or fear the judgment of other people, he or she can begin to develop negative beliefs about himself or herself and the world that can cause social anxiety. If negative experiences continue, one may also begin to develop confirmation bias and tend to pay attention only to the actions and events that will reinforce negative beliefs, creating a snowball effect. For example, a public speaker who is worried about his or her presentation being boring may selectively focus on the few people in an audience who appear bored while completely disregarding the majority of others who are watching with great interest. As the confirmation bias strengthens pejorative beliefs, one tends to start exhibiting socially anxious behaviors such as anxious sensations, like blushing, or anxious thoughts. After a while, these beliefs lead one to make negative assumptions and read too much into neutral situations. If one sees another person glance at him or her as he or she walks by, one may automatically assume that such is on account of strange appearance or an odd manner of walking without considering other possibilities such as that the person's outfit attracts attention or that the person looking prefers to make eye contact with anyone he or she passes.
If one believes that most social situations are going to be uncomfortable, he or she is naturally going to try to avoid them. Avoidance allows one to escape feelings of anxiety temporarily by avoiding an uncomfortable situation, but doing so may strengthen beliefs that one cannot handle social situations normally. This causes one to miss the chance to find out that one may be completely wrong about automatic negative assumptions. If one enjoys singing but fears the judgment of others, he or she may never be able to discover the quality of his or her voice due to constant avoidance.
Avoiding more and more situations for fear of others' judgments will strengthen negative beliefs and prevent one from going into situations where he or she might actually enjoy himself or herself. As this pattern starts to interfere with overall functioning, the warning signs of social anxiety can become more apparent.
website. The goal of CBT is to guide the patient's thoughts in a more rational direction when faced with anxiety; it helps the person to stop avoiding situations that once caused anxiety, it teaches people to react differently to the situations that trigger their anxiety. Cognitive-behavior therapy may include systematic desensitization or controlled exposure to the feared situation. With systematic desensitization, the person imagines the anxious social situation and works through their fears in a safe and controlled environment. This desensitization gradually exposes the person to the situation but with the support of the therapist, this allows them to become better skilled at coping with these anxious situations and to develop the confidence to face them alone. CBT may also include role-playing to practice social skills and gain the comfort and confidence in order to relate to others. Relaxation
or stress management
techniques may be included in a treatment plan.
For some patients medication might be used along with CBT. There are several different types of medications used to treat social anxiety disorder, such as antidepressants like Paxil or tranquilizer
s such as Xanax, Librium, Valium, and Ativan. Beta-blockers, which are often used to treat heart conditions, may be used to mitigate some of the physical symptoms of social anxiety, such as reducing heart rate or blood pressure.
Another more time-consuming approach is psychoanalytic therapy. This can be helpful in identifying the sources of anxiety in childhood, and may also be combined with medication.
In addition to seeking medical help, there are some things that people suffering from social anxiety can do on their own to handle situations likely to trigger social anxiety. Making a deliberate effort to return eye contact when walking past someone or to give someone a compliment will help to build coping skills in social situations even though it may initially be difficult or painful. Changing one's diet may also be of benefit; drinking less caffeine
may help reduce some of the symptoms, because caffeine is a stimulant which increases the heart rate.
have communication difficulties too. However, social anxiety and autism are very different. Early communication researchers described physiological sensations experienced while giving a public speech as "profound discomfort", patients with social anxiety typically experience embarrassment, distressing panic attacks, and self consciousness impairing their speech. According to a study done by Robin and Mills, children experiencing social anxiety show issues in social perspective-taking ability, fewer successful problem solving skills, and use less interpersonal problem solutions. This brings up a problem with people who experience social anxiety getting help for their problems. The feelings of embarrassment, inferiority, and shame that social anxiety causes inhibits the ability to seek help. Basically, avoiding social situations because of their fear eliminates the opportunities for social growth which reinforces their fears which will of course lead to more avoiding, creating a pattern that is hard to break. Social anxiety can bring about several problems in the process of language learning because it can hinder the students from mastering the language. An anxious learner will tend to avoid answering questions and being involved in class. Victim feels if he/she would answer they might say the wrong thing in the wrong way and make a fool out of themselves.
Sometimes what can help people with communication apprehension is to imagine the interactions that could happen. Imagined interaction
s (IIs) refer to the cognitive process of individuals indirectly experiencing themselves in anticipated future communication interactions with others through the process of imagination. IIs have their theoretical roots in symbolic interactions. The functions of IIs is to put into practice the phrase "practice makes perfect". When using IIs you can try to anticipate what is going to happen, and by doing this people with low communication skills can try and account for what is going to happen in the upcoming interaction. According to the article "Communication Apprehension and Imagined Interactions", people who practiced IIs were less likely to have nonverbal displays of apprehension. e.g. fewer silent pauses, shorter speech on set latencies, and fewer object adapters. IIs are said to increase the readiness to communicate and decrease the apprehension associated with a communication episode.
One thing that increases communication apprehension is if the partner is unknown. Some things that can reduce communication apprehension is if someone is extroverted, good self control, high levels of self esteem, and has high willingness to disclose information. These are all things that contribute to helping reduce communication apprehension.
Anxiety
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
(emotion
Emotion
Emotion is a complex psychophysiological experience of an individual's state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influences. In humans, emotion fundamentally involves "physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience." Emotion is associated with mood,...
al discomfort, fear
Fear
Fear is a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger...
, apprehension, or worry
Worry
Worry is thoughts, images and emotions of a negative nature in whichmental attempts are made to avoid anticipated potential threats. As an emotion it is experienced as anxiety or concern about a real or imagined issue, usually personal issues such as health or finances or broader ones such as...
) about social situations, interactions with others, and being evaluated or scrutinized by other people. The difference between social anxiety and normal apprehension of social situations is that social anxiety involves an intense feeling of fear in social situations and especially situations that are unfamiliar or in which you will be watched or evaluated by others. The feeling of fear is so great that in these types of situations one may be so worried that they feel anxious just thinking about them and will go to great lengths to avoid them.
According to the US National Comorbidity Survey, social anxiety is the number one most common anxiety disorder and is also the third most common mental disorder in the U.S. An estimated 19.2 million Americans suffer from social anxiety disorder and it can occur at any time but most often it on-sets in adolescence, early adulthood, or even early childhood. Statistically it is also more common in women than in men.
It occurs for different reasons. Developmental social anxiety occurs early in childhood as a normal part of the development of social functioning, and is a stage that most children grow out of, but problem or chronic social anxiety may persist (perhaps unnoticed) until adolescence or may surface in adulthood. People vary in how often they experience social anxiety and in which kinds of situations.
Overcoming social anxiety depends on the person and the situation. In some cases it can be relatively easy—just a matter of time passing for many individuals, and yet for some people social anxiety can become a very difficult, painful and even disabling problem that is chronic in nature. The reasons are unknown. Social anxiety can be related to shyness
Shyness
In humans, shyness is a social psychology term used to describe the feeling of apprehension, lack of comfort, or awkwardness experienced when a person is in proximity to, approaching, or being approached by other people, especially in new situations or with unfamiliar people...
or anxiety disorders or other emotional or temperamental factors, but its exact nature is still the subject of research and theory and the causes may vary depending on the individual. Recovery from chronic social anxiety is possible in many cases, but usually only with some kind of therapy or sustained self-help or support group work.
A psychopathological (chronic and disabling) form of social anxiety is called social phobia
Social phobia
Social phobia may refer to any of the following conditions:* Social anxiety disorder – a diagnosis referring to clinically excessive social anxiety...
or social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder , also known as social phobia, is an anxiety disorder characterized by intense fear in social situations causing considerable distress and impaired ability to function in at least some parts of daily life...
, and is a chronic problem that can result in a reduced quality of life. Standardized rating scales such as Social Phobia Inventory
Social Phobia Inventory
Social Phobia Inventory abbreviated as is a questionnaire developed by the department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences of Duke University for screening and measuring severity of social anxiety disorder. This self-reported assessment scale consists of 17 items, which cover the main spectrum of...
can be used for screening social anxiety disorder and measuring severity of social phobia. Overcoming social anxiety of this type can be very difficult without getting assistance from therapists, psychologists or support groups. Social anxiety can also be self-integrated and persistent for people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive–compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety, or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions...
, which can also make the social anxiety harder to overcome, especially if ignored.
Some use the terms social anxiety and social phobia interchangeably.
Child development
Social anxiety first occurs in infancy and is said to be a normal and necessary emotion for effective social functioning and developmental growth. Cognitive advances and increased pressures in late childhood and early adolescence result in repeated social anxiety. Adolescents have identified their most common anxieties as focused on relationships with peers to whom they are attractedInterpersonal attraction
Interpersonal attraction is the attraction between people which leads to friendships and romantic relationships. Interpersonal attraction, the process, is distinct from perceptions of physical attractiveness which involves views of what is and is not considered beautiful or attractive.The study of...
, peer rejection, public speaking
Public speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
, blushing
Blushing
Blushing refers to the involuntary reddening of a person's face due to embarrassment or emotional stress, though it has been known to come from being lovestruck, or from some kind of romantic stimulation. It is thought that blushing is the result of an overactive sympathetic nervous system...
, self-consciousness
Self-consciousness
Self-consciousness is an acute sense of self-awareness. It is a preoccupation with oneself, as opposed to the philosophical state of self-awareness, which is the awareness that one exists as an individual being; although some writers use both terms interchangeably or synonymously...
, and past behavior. Most adolescents progress through their fears and meet the developmental demands placed on them. More and more children are being diagnosed with social anxiety and this can lead to problems with education if not closely monitored. Research has shown that some students have such severe cases of social anxiety that they are too afraid to speak or interact with other students or teachers. Part of social anxiety is fear of being criticized by others, and in children social anxiety causes extreme distress over everyday activities such as playing with other kids, reading in class, or speaking to adults. On the other hand some children with social anxiety will act out
Acting out
Acting out is a psychological term from the parlance of defense mechanisms and self-control, meaning to perform an action in contrast to bearing and managing the impulse to perform it. The acting done is usually anti-social and may take the form of acting on the impulses of an addiction Acting out...
because of their fear which makes it much harder to diagnose. Some cases have been reported where the social anxiety is so bad that it leads to physical illness. The problem with identifying social anxiety disorder in children is that it can be difficult to determine the difference between social anxiety and basic shyness. Often, children with social phobia (social anxiety) don’t want to go to school because of their anxiety.
Ordinary adult form
It is much easier to spot social anxiety in adults because they tend to shy away from any social situation and keep to themselves. Common adult forms of social anxiety include shynessShyness
In humans, shyness is a social psychology term used to describe the feeling of apprehension, lack of comfort, or awkwardness experienced when a person is in proximity to, approaching, or being approached by other people, especially in new situations or with unfamiliar people...
, performance anxiety, public speaking anxiety, stage fright
Stage fright
Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, whether actually or potentially . In the context of public speaking, this fear is termed glossophobia, one of the most common...
, timidness, etc. All of these may also assume clinical forms, i.e., become anxiety disorder
Anxiety disorder
Anxiety disorder is a blanket term covering several different forms of abnormal and pathological fear and anxiety. Conditions now considered anxiety disorders only came under the aegis of psychiatry at the end of the 19th century. Gelder, Mayou & Geddes explains that anxiety disorders are...
s (see below).
The term social anxiety is also commonly used in reference to experiences such as embarrassment
Embarrassment
Embarrassment is an emotional state of intense discomfort with oneself, experienced upon having a socially unacceptable act or condition witnessed by or revealed to others. Usually some amount of loss of honour or dignity is involved, but how much and the type depends on the embarrassing situation...
and shame
Shame
Shame is, variously, an affect, emotion, cognition, state, or condition. The roots of the word shame are thought to derive from an older word meaning to cover; as such, covering oneself, literally or figuratively, is a natural expression of shame....
. However some psychologists draw distinctions among various types of social discomfort, with the criterion for anxiety being anticipation
Anticipation (emotion)
Anticipation, or being enthusiastic, is an emotion involving pleasure, excitement, and sometimes anxiety in considering some expected or longed-for good event.-As defence mechanism:...
. For example, the anticipation of an embarrassment is a form of social anxiety, while embarrassment itself is not.
Criteria that distinguish between clinical
Illness
Illness is a state of poor health. Illness is sometimes considered another word for disease. Others maintain that fine distinctions exist...
and nonclinical forms of social anxiety include the intensity and level of behavioral and psychosomatic disruption (discomfort) in addition to the anticipatory nature of the fear. Social anxieties may also be classified according to the broadness of triggering social situations. For example, fear of eating in public has a very narrow situational scope (eating in public), while shyness may have a wide scope (a person may be shy of doing many things in various circumstances). The clinical (disorder) forms are also divided into general social phobia (i.e., social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder , also known as social phobia, is an anxiety disorder characterized by intense fear in social situations causing considerable distress and impaired ability to function in at least some parts of daily life...
) and specific social phobia
Specific social phobia
Mental health professionals often distinguish between generalized social phobia and specific social phobia. People with generalized social phobia have great distress in a wide range of social situations. Those with specific social phobia may experience anxiety only in a few situations...
.
Disorder
Extreme, persistent and disabling social anxiety may be diagnosed as social anxiety disorderSocial anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder , also known as social phobia, is an anxiety disorder characterized by intense fear in social situations causing considerable distress and impaired ability to function in at least some parts of daily life...
. The experience is commonly described as having physiological components (e.g., sweating, blushing), cognitive/perceptual components (e.g., belief that one may be judged negatively or looking for signs of disapproval), and behavioral components (e.g. avoiding a situation).
The essence of social anxiety has been said to be an irrational or unreasonable expectation of negative evaluation by others. One theory is that social anxiety occurs when there is motivation to make a desired impression along with doubt about having the ability to do so. Although the "official" clinical name for the disorder, as listed in the DSM
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is published by the American Psychiatric Association and provides a common language and standard criteria for the classification of mental disorders...
and ICD
ICD
The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems is a medical classification that provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances, and external causes of injury or disease...
, is Social Phobia or Social Anxiety Disorder, support groups for people who have the disorder (whether through clinical diagnosis or self-diagnosis) often refer to it as simply "social anxiety" or even "SA".
Criteria in the DSM and ICD attempt to distinguish clinical versus nonclinical forms of social anxiety, including by intensity and levels of behavioral and psychosomatic disruption: The validity of the "disorder" diagnosis has been challenged, however, on scientific and political grounds; people satisfying DSM social phobia criteria may simply be temperamentally high in social anxiety rather than suffering from a disorder, although such problems in living in society may still deserve attention as a matter of social justice.
Clinicians and researchers continue to struggle with definitional problems regarding the constructs of shyness, social anxiety, and social anxiety disorder. Each shares similarities, yet each has been used to define distinct aspects of psychological life as it relates to interpersonal functioning and how easy or difficult different cases of social anxiety are to overcome. A continuum describes some of the distinctions yet there is no absolute consensus yet as to where one disorder begins and another ends, although it is widely agreed that there are differences.
Social anxiety disorder may sometimes be symptomatic of an underlying medical disorder, such as hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism is the term for overactive tissue within the thyroid gland causing an overproduction of thyroid hormones . Hyperthyroidism is thus a cause of thyrotoxicosis, the clinical condition of increased thyroid hormones in the blood. Hyperthyroidism and thyrotoxicosis are not synonymous...
.
Diagnosis
This disorder is very tricky to diagnose because its so easily confused with general shyness or paranoia. But if symptoms of social anxiety disorder are present, the doctor will ask questions about the medical history and patients will have to perform a physical exam. Although there are no laboratory tests to specifically diagnose social anxiety disorder, there are a variety of tests that can prove whether the cause is a physical or mental illness causing the symptoms.If no physical illness is found, patients will be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist. Psychiatrists and psychologists use specially designed interview questions and assessment tools to evaluate a person for an anxiety disorder. The doctor bases their diagnosis of social anxiety disorder on reports of the intensity and duration of symptoms, including any problems with functioning caused by the symptoms;if the symptoms and degree of dysfunction are above normal it indicates that it is social anxiety disorder.
Causes
The exact causes of social anxiety are still contested. Ongoing research on the genetic roots of physical and mental health suggests that the tendency toward feelings of anxiety, in social situations in particular, has a moderate probability of inheritance. In other words, if one parent has a mental health disorder such as social phobia, the child has a slightly higher chance of having an anxiety disorder.Another possible cause of social anxiety is the nervous system. Medications that are prescribed to treat social anxiety affect the levels of neurotransmitters, chemical messengers that are responsible for transmitting signals in the brain. However, researchers are still unsure if the differences in these chemicals cause social anxiety. Several studies have found that certain areas of the brain, such as a small, almond-shaped area called the amygdala
Amygdala
The ' are almond-shaped groups of nuclei located deep within the medial temporal lobes of the brain in complex vertebrates, including humans. Shown in research to perform a primary role in the processing and memory of emotional reactions, the amygdalae are considered part of the limbic system.-...
, can be more active in individuals with social phobia.
Another possible cause of social anxiety is life experiences. Negative experiences in life, and the way one handles and reacts to them, can also lead to the development of social anxiety. If one is consistently put in situations that make him or her feel inferior or fear the judgment of other people, he or she can begin to develop negative beliefs about himself or herself and the world that can cause social anxiety. If negative experiences continue, one may also begin to develop confirmation bias and tend to pay attention only to the actions and events that will reinforce negative beliefs, creating a snowball effect. For example, a public speaker who is worried about his or her presentation being boring may selectively focus on the few people in an audience who appear bored while completely disregarding the majority of others who are watching with great interest. As the confirmation bias strengthens pejorative beliefs, one tends to start exhibiting socially anxious behaviors such as anxious sensations, like blushing, or anxious thoughts. After a while, these beliefs lead one to make negative assumptions and read too much into neutral situations. If one sees another person glance at him or her as he or she walks by, one may automatically assume that such is on account of strange appearance or an odd manner of walking without considering other possibilities such as that the person's outfit attracts attention or that the person looking prefers to make eye contact with anyone he or she passes.
If one believes that most social situations are going to be uncomfortable, he or she is naturally going to try to avoid them. Avoidance allows one to escape feelings of anxiety temporarily by avoiding an uncomfortable situation, but doing so may strengthen beliefs that one cannot handle social situations normally. This causes one to miss the chance to find out that one may be completely wrong about automatic negative assumptions. If one enjoys singing but fears the judgment of others, he or she may never be able to discover the quality of his or her voice due to constant avoidance.
Avoiding more and more situations for fear of others' judgments will strengthen negative beliefs and prevent one from going into situations where he or she might actually enjoy himself or herself. As this pattern starts to interfere with overall functioning, the warning signs of social anxiety can become more apparent.
Treatment
It is not very difficult to treat social anxiety and the treatment needed varies case to case. It is claimed that the most effective treatment available is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), improving symptoms in up to 75 percent of people with social anxiety disorder according to the Mayo ClinicMayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
website. The goal of CBT is to guide the patient's thoughts in a more rational direction when faced with anxiety; it helps the person to stop avoiding situations that once caused anxiety, it teaches people to react differently to the situations that trigger their anxiety. Cognitive-behavior therapy may include systematic desensitization or controlled exposure to the feared situation. With systematic desensitization, the person imagines the anxious social situation and works through their fears in a safe and controlled environment. This desensitization gradually exposes the person to the situation but with the support of the therapist, this allows them to become better skilled at coping with these anxious situations and to develop the confidence to face them alone. CBT may also include role-playing to practice social skills and gain the comfort and confidence in order to relate to others. Relaxation
Relaxation
Relaxation stands quite generally for a release of tension, a return to equilibrium.In the sciences, the term is used in the following ways:*Relaxation , and more in particular:...
or stress management
Stress management
Stress management is the alteration of stress and especially chronic stress often for the purpose of improving everyday functioning.Stress produces numerous symptoms which vary according to persons, situations, and severity. These can include physical health decline as well as depression. According...
techniques may be included in a treatment plan.
For some patients medication might be used along with CBT. There are several different types of medications used to treat social anxiety disorder, such as antidepressants like Paxil or tranquilizer
Tranquilizer
A tranquilizer, or tranquilliser , is a drug that induces tranquility in an individual.The term "tranquilizer" is imprecise, and is usually qualified, or replaced with more precise terms:...
s such as Xanax, Librium, Valium, and Ativan. Beta-blockers, which are often used to treat heart conditions, may be used to mitigate some of the physical symptoms of social anxiety, such as reducing heart rate or blood pressure.
Another more time-consuming approach is psychoanalytic therapy. This can be helpful in identifying the sources of anxiety in childhood, and may also be combined with medication.
In addition to seeking medical help, there are some things that people suffering from social anxiety can do on their own to handle situations likely to trigger social anxiety. Making a deliberate effort to return eye contact when walking past someone or to give someone a compliment will help to build coping skills in social situations even though it may initially be difficult or painful. Changing one's diet may also be of benefit; drinking less caffeine
Caffeine
Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a stimulant drug. Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the seeds, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants...
may help reduce some of the symptoms, because caffeine is a stimulant which increases the heart rate.
Communication apprehension
Social anxiety causes communication apprehension which can be thought of as an "internally experienced feeling of discomfort" that causes ineffective communication when in a social or public situation. “Communication apprehension is the level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person”. People with autismAutism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
have communication difficulties too. However, social anxiety and autism are very different. Early communication researchers described physiological sensations experienced while giving a public speech as "profound discomfort", patients with social anxiety typically experience embarrassment, distressing panic attacks, and self consciousness impairing their speech. According to a study done by Robin and Mills, children experiencing social anxiety show issues in social perspective-taking ability, fewer successful problem solving skills, and use less interpersonal problem solutions. This brings up a problem with people who experience social anxiety getting help for their problems. The feelings of embarrassment, inferiority, and shame that social anxiety causes inhibits the ability to seek help. Basically, avoiding social situations because of their fear eliminates the opportunities for social growth which reinforces their fears which will of course lead to more avoiding, creating a pattern that is hard to break. Social anxiety can bring about several problems in the process of language learning because it can hinder the students from mastering the language. An anxious learner will tend to avoid answering questions and being involved in class. Victim feels if he/she would answer they might say the wrong thing in the wrong way and make a fool out of themselves.
Sometimes what can help people with communication apprehension is to imagine the interactions that could happen. Imagined interaction
Imagined interaction
Imagined interactions are a type of social cognition and mental imagery grounded in symbolic interactionism in which individuals imagine conversations with significant others for a variety of purposes. The II construct has provided a beneficial mechanism for operationalizing the study of...
s (IIs) refer to the cognitive process of individuals indirectly experiencing themselves in anticipated future communication interactions with others through the process of imagination. IIs have their theoretical roots in symbolic interactions. The functions of IIs is to put into practice the phrase "practice makes perfect". When using IIs you can try to anticipate what is going to happen, and by doing this people with low communication skills can try and account for what is going to happen in the upcoming interaction. According to the article "Communication Apprehension and Imagined Interactions", people who practiced IIs were less likely to have nonverbal displays of apprehension. e.g. fewer silent pauses, shorter speech on set latencies, and fewer object adapters. IIs are said to increase the readiness to communicate and decrease the apprehension associated with a communication episode.
One thing that increases communication apprehension is if the partner is unknown. Some things that can reduce communication apprehension is if someone is extroverted, good self control, high levels of self esteem, and has high willingness to disclose information. These are all things that contribute to helping reduce communication apprehension.
See also
- Social phobiaSocial phobiaSocial phobia may refer to any of the following conditions:* Social anxiety disorder – a diagnosis referring to clinically excessive social anxiety...
- ShynessShynessIn humans, shyness is a social psychology term used to describe the feeling of apprehension, lack of comfort, or awkwardness experienced when a person is in proximity to, approaching, or being approached by other people, especially in new situations or with unfamiliar people...
- Self esteem
- Anxiety DisorderAnxiety disorderAnxiety disorder is a blanket term covering several different forms of abnormal and pathological fear and anxiety. Conditions now considered anxiety disorders only came under the aegis of psychiatry at the end of the 19th century. Gelder, Mayou & Geddes explains that anxiety disorders are...
- AgoraphobiaAgoraphobiaAgoraphobia is an anxiety disorder defined as a morbid fear of having a panic attack or panic-like symptoms in a situation from which it is perceived to be difficult to escape. These situations can include, but are not limited to, wide-open spaces, crowds, or uncontrolled social conditions...
- Highly sensitive personHighly sensitive personA highly sensitive person is a person having the innate trait of high psychological sensitivity . According to Elaine N...
- Major depressive disorder
- Social rejectionSocial rejectionSocial rejection occurs when an individual is deliberately excluded from a social relationship or social interaction. The topic includes both interpersonal rejection and romantic rejection. A person can be rejected on an individual basis or by an entire group of people...
- Obsessive-compulsive disorderObsessive-compulsive disorderObsessive–compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety, or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions...