Social Anxiety Disorder: It’s More Than Just Being Shy
Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is a severe type of anxiety that makes people feel as though they are being continuously judged and evaluated. Many people who suffer from this disorder will oftentimes feel awkward or less-than — which then causes them to avoid social situations altogether.
The majority of people who experience social phobia begin to do so in their teenage years. It is estimated that approximately 15 million adults in America are currently affected by social anxiety, but only about five percent of those actually follow through with seeking treatment.
Because of the low percentage of individuals receiving help for their social phobia, they may see their day-to-day lives are made much more difficult.
They might:
Avoid being with friends, thus losing their support system in the long run
See their school work begin to suffer
Begin to experience a decline in their overall work performance
Steer away from job opportunities, due to the social interactions required
Develop depression, increasing their risk for substance abuse (1)
What Causes Someone to Have Social Anxiety Disorder?
Although the exact cause is thus far unknown, medical research currently has reason to believe that a mixture of environmental factors, biology, and past experiences contribute to an individual developing social anxiety.
1. Environmental
Many scientists believe that social anxiety is a learned behavior. For example, anxious parents may cause their children to model that behavior and become anxious themselves in the same situations.
2. Biology
There is a structure in our brains called the amygdala, which is partly responsible for controlling our fear response. If someone’s amygdala is overactive, they might experience an overall increase in anxiety, including social phobia.
3. Past Experiences
A traumatizing or embarrassing social experience in the past may also trigger social anxiety. Whether it was bullying or falling in front of a group of people, how someone felt in that situation can play a part in how we react to future social events.
Some other contributing factors for developing social anxiety disorder include:
Your overall personal temperament (i.e., introverted or extroverted)
Daily demands (i.e., giving work presentations)
Having a trait that draws attention (i.e., physical disability)
What Are The Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder?
Simply feeling shy or discomfort while in a social situation does not mean you have social anxiety disorder. Any one person’s comfort level around others will vary — after all, some of us are more reserved than others.
However, for someone who has social anxiety, they are not merely experiencing nervousness here and there. Their daily activities are severely impacted — whether this is routine errands, going to work, or nurturing relationships.
Physical symptoms of social anxiety disorder include:
A fast heart rate
Sweating
Blushing
Trembling
Muscle tension
Nausea
Inability to catch your breath
Lightheadedness
Difficulty finding words
Stumbling when you speak
Emotional and behavioral symptoms of social anxiety are:
Fear of social situations
Obsessively worrying about humiliating yourself
Avoiding speaking with strangers
Being afraid people will notice you’re anxious
Staying away from any event that will make you the center of attention
Analyzing your behavior after each social interaction
Catastrophizing situations before they ever happen
If you believe you or someone you know may be suffering from social anxiety, you may notice a difficulty with:
Eye contact
Starting conversations
Dating or holding relationships
Eating in front of other people
Going to the store or returning items
Using public restrooms (2)
How is Someone Diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder?
This is no clear-cut way to diagnose someone with social anxiety disorder. Rather, your healthcare provider will ask you to explain your symptoms and track your progress or decline using a screener, such as the MHT assessment tool.
Some of the diagnostic criteria your clinician will be looking for are:
Anxiety surrounding social situations, with the fear of being judged or scrutinized for six months or more
Having a fear that your anxiety will manifest in your behavior, with others noticing
Every social situation one is put in always causes anxiety or panic
Social gatherings are almost exclusively avoided
One’s fear or anxiety over a situation is worse than the situation itself (3)
Tips To Help Control Social Anxiety Disorder
Although the earlier you receive treatment, the better — no matter how severe your social anxiety has become, this phobia is treatable. It’s just a matter of stepping out of your comfort zone.
Here are 4 tips, according to the Cleveland Clinic, that you can do to help yourself in overcoming social anxiety disorder:
1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
One of the top treatment options that professionals recommend for social anxiety disorder is cognitive behavioral therapy, otherwise known as CBT. In essence, this type of therapy helps you to understand how your thoughts affect and guide your actions — with the ultimate goal to modify your behavior naturally.
2. Leisurely Introduce Yourself to Social Situations
Also known as situational exposure, identify your biggest social triggers and gradually begin introducing yourself to them.
For example, if a trigger of yours is large groups of people, start small with spending time with one friend and then slowly work your way up to hanging out with multiple friends at a time. By doing this, you are in control. You can choose to repeat time spent with only one friend as much as you’d like until you feel mentally ready to handle adding in a second or third person to the mix.
3. Ask Your Support System for Help
Having social anxiety disorder may feel embarrassing to some, so many people will forgo telling their friends and family what is going on with their mental health.
However, having a friend who knows and understands the situation can be extremely helpful — they can tactfully bring the person suffering from social phobia into conversations and guide them through socializing. They are there to jump in when struggling becomes evident.
4. Analyze Your Progress
You may feel like your progress is lagging and is not going as quickly as you’d like.
It could be that you are moving too fast or that one particular type of social situation is causing you to stumble. Take a step back and ask yourself:
“How can I think about that situation differently?”
“What steps can I take to change the outcome next time?”
“Are there any relaxation techniques I need to learn?”
It’s important to remember that most everyone will be focused on themselves — not you. Scrutinizing your own behavior because you believe others are watching you is creating unnecessary anxiety. (4)
Allow MHT to Guide Your Social Anxiety Diagnosis
Social anxiety disorder is a life-altering mental illness that has a high probability of negatively affecting your patient’s quality of life.
With MHT, you can feel confident that your patient is receiving the proper diagnosis — leading to the correct treatment and ultimately a relief in their symptoms.
By using our assessment tool, you can see their improvement with each visit. And, if you notice a decline in their functioning, you will have caught it early enough to change your treatment plan — giving your patient their best chance of taming their social phobia once and for all.
You are the one advocate they have that has the resources to help.
Contact us today for more information.
