How To Fight Social Anxiety

What Fears Are Involved

With social phobia, a person’s fears and concerns are focused on their social performance whether it’s a major class presentation or small talk at the lockers.

People with social phobia tend to feel self-conscious and uncomfortable about being noticed or judged by others. They’re more sensitive to fears that they’ll be embarrassed, look foolish, make a mistake, or be criticized or laughed at. No one wants to go through these things. But most people don’t really spend much time worrying about it. The fear and anxiety are out of proportion to the situation.

What Is Social Phobia

It’s natural to feel self-conscious, nervous, or shy in front of others at times. Most people get through these moments when they need to. But for some, the anxiety that goes with feeling shy or self-conscious can be extreme.

When people feel so self-conscious and anxious that it prevents them from speaking up or socializing most of the time, it’s probably more than shyness. It may be an anxiety condition called social phobia .

What Is Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety is a type of anxiety condition that makes people feel anxious or fearful in social settings.

People who have social anxiety disorder might have a hard time meeting new people, talking to them, and possibly attending social events. Though they may know these are feelings of anxiety, they may still have difficulty overcoming them.

This type of disorder can be debilitating on a persistent basis and affect ones ability to work, study, and create close relationships with non-family members.

Read Also: How Do You Know You Are Suffering From Anxiety

Medications For Social Anxiety

Your healthcare provider may also suggest prescription medication to help manage your social anxiety. They may recommend antidepressant medications, such as:

Many people with social anxiety disorder benefit from a combination of therapy and medication. Your provider can help you understand your treatment options. You can learn more in this guide to social anxiety disorder treatment.

Most People With Major Depression Also Suffer An Anxiety Disorder

What’s the best way to deal with depressiona and anxiety? Quickly and definitively. Whatever kicks them off, depression and anxiety both are maintained by styles of thinking that magnify the initial insult and alter the workings of the brain in such a way that the longer an episode exists, the less it takes to set off future episodes.

Anxiety and depression are probably two faces of the same coin. Surveys have long shown that 60 to 70 percent of people with major depression also have an anxiety disorder, while half of those suffering anxiety also have symptoms of clinical depression.

The stress response system is overactive in both disorders. Excess activity of the stress response system sends emotional centers of the brain into overdrive so that negative events make a disproportionate impact and hijack rational response systems. You literally can’t think straight. You ruminate over and over about the difficulties and disappointments you encounter until that’s all you can focus on.

Researchers believe that some people react with anxiety to stressful life events, seeing danger lurking ahead everywherein applying for a job, asking for a favor, asking for a date. And some go beyond anxiety to become depressed, a kind of shutdown in response to anticipated danger.

Cognitive-behavioraltherapy gets at response patterns central to both conditions. And the drugs most commonly used against depression have also been proved effective against an array of anxiety disorders.

Read Also: How To Deal With Anxiety Chest Pain

Are There Clinical Trials Studying Social Anxiety Disorder

NIMH supports a wide range of research, including clinical trials that look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat diseases and conditionsincluding social anxiety disorder. Although individuals may benefit from being part of a clinical trial, participants should be aware that the primary purpose of a clinical trial is to gain new scientific knowledge so that others may be better helped in the future.

Researchers at NIMH and around the country conduct clinical trials with patients and healthy volunteers. Talk to a health care provider about clinical trials, their benefits and risks, and whether one is right for you. For more information, visit NIMH’s clinical trials webpage.

Try Exercise Or Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Research shows that certain physical activities like jogging can help lower your anxiety. Progressive muscle relaxation can help, too. This means flexing and releasing groups of muscles in your body and keeping your attention on the feeling of the release.

Yoga can also help you calm down. Certain types involve deep breathing, so they can help lower your blood pressure and heart rate. Studies show that doing yoga for a few months can help lower overall anxiety. In fact, just one class may improve mood and anxiety.

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Now Youre Ready For Action

After you learn about the stages of change, identify your main problem, remind yourself of where your battles will take place, commit to the process, and determine your reason for doing all this, youll be ready to take action.

Skipping even one of these steps can cause you not to be as successful as you could be on the journey. Take the time and work through these steps. It wont take long and will put you in the best position for success.

This post was proofread by Grammarly and ProWritingAid.

What Causes Social Anxiety Disorder

Risk for social anxiety disorder may run in families, but no one knows for sure why some family members have it while others dont. Researchers have found that several parts of the brain are involved in fear and anxiety and that genetics influences how these areas function. By studying how the brain and body interact in people with social anxiety disorder, researchers may be able to create more targeted treatments. In addition, researchers are looking at the ways stress and environmental factors play a role in the disorder.

Recommended Reading: How To Manage Severe Anxiety Without Medication

How Is Social Anxiety Disorder Treated

If youre concerned you may have symptoms of social anxiety disorder, talk to a health care provider. After discussing your history, a health care provider may conduct a physical exam to ensure that an unrelated physical problem is not causing your symptoms. A health care provider may refer you to a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or clinical social worker. The first step to effective treatment is to get a diagnosis, usually from a mental health professional.

Social anxiety disorder is generally treated with psychotherapy , medication, or both. Speak with a health care provider about the best treatment for you.

Tips For Managing Social Anxiety When Giving A Public Speech Or Performance

Lets say you are thinking about a presentation you have coming up. You become increasingly anxious. Try to identify the specific thoughts that make you nervous. In other words, what are you telling yourself could happen that makes you feel anxious?

You could be afraid that:

• You will forget what you plan to say while speaking.

• You will trip as you walk to the microphone.

• Other people will think you sound stupid.

• The audience will laugh at you.

• You will pass out while everyone is watching you.

• You will get sick in public.

All of these thoughts have unwanted outcomes. To change negative beliefs, you want to look for contrary evidence. This is evidence that suggests that your fears might not be entirely accurate.

Heres how you can look for new evidence. Begin by asking yourself:

• Have I gotten sick in public before?

• Would people be compassionate toward me if something did go wrong?

• What is the worst thing that could happen if I forget what I plan to say?

• Is it possible that other people also forget what they were supposed to say when theyre nervous?

• What makes me think I will sound stupid?

• Do my friends usually say I sound silly?

• Is it possible that I dont sound ridiculous?

• How would I treat someone else who is nervous about public speaking?

• What advice would I give to a friend who was in my position?

There is a good chance that you have something worthwhile to say. It is likely that you wont trip walking up to speak. But if you do, people will probably be sympathetic.

Read Also: What To Do To Distract Yourself From Anxiety

Are You Ready To Overcome Your Social Anxiety

The steps above cannot replace medication or therapy, but they should help you reach your goal easier and find the strength and motivation you need. If youre not the one suffering from social anxiety, but a friend or family member, guide them through the same steps described above. You can give them confidence and guide them to win over their fears.

While at it, do not forget to drop us a comment and let us know how it went. We would love to find out more about your experience and, why not, receive your suggestions.

How Is It Treated

Treatment of social anxiety disorder includes counselling, such as cognitive-behavioural therapy, and sometimes medicine, such as antidepressants. Whether you need medicine depends on how much the problem affects your daily life. If you already feel anxious around other people, it may be hard to ask for help. But treatment for social anxiety disorder works for many people.

Some people with social anxiety disorder turn to alcohol or drugs to help them relax. This can lead to substance use disorder. They may also have depression. It is important to treat these issues too.

Read Also: Can Anxiety Make You Forgetful

Tips For Managing Social Anxiety When Going To A Large Gathering

You can use the information youve learned so far when heading to a large social get-together. Consider also practicing meditation or a guided visualization before large social events to help keep your anxiety in check.

Visualization, or guided imagery, is a relaxation technique. You create a mental picture of a peaceful setting. The goal is to distract your mind from stressful thoughts. By picturing a scene that you associate with feeling calm, your body learns to react by feeling calm.

To do this, think about where you feel most relaxed. You may picture yourself relaxing in a hammock on a warm summer day. Or maybe you feel most peaceful curled up under a blanket with your pet. Visualize or picture in your mind what the scene looks like. Imagine the sights, sounds, and scents of your calming place.

At first, practice guided imagery when you already feel calm. This way, its easier to think of your visualization during high-anxiety moments. When you notice anxiety creeping in at a large event, call up your guided imagery.

You can use these tools anytime, anywhere to bring your mind and body to a state of calm.

Struggles With Intimacy Or Commitment In Friendships Or Romantic Relationships

Heightened anxiety is essentially your body going into fight or flight mode because it thinks you are in danger. So if your body is working extra hard to protect you and keep you safe, it makes sense that you would find it extra hard to be vulnerable and open up with other people.

But all healthy relationshipsespecially romantic relationshipsare built on intimacy . So if you cant be vulnerable, it severely limits your ability to grow and deepen your relationships, which eventually can lead to conflict or struggle in the relationship itself.

And once again, this unfortunately becomes a vicious cycle: the less willing you are to be vulnerable, the more the relationship struggles but the more the relationship struggles, the more anxious and afraid you are to be vulnerable.

Also Check: Can You Recover From Anxiety

What Is Selective Mutism

Some kids and teens are so extremely shy and so fearful about talking to others, that they don’t speak at all to some people or in certain places . This form of social phobia is sometimes called selective mutism.

People with selective mutism can talk. They have completely normal conversations with the people they’re comfortable with or in certain places. But other situations cause them such extreme anxiety that they may not be able to bring themselves to talk at all.

Some people might mistake their silence for a stuck-up attitude or rudeness. But with selective mutism and social phobia, silence stems from feeling uncomfortable and afraid, not from being uncooperative, disrespectful, or rude.

Challenge Your Anxious Thoughts

You are often thinking about how badly things will go. For example, you predict that you will fall apart and make a fool of yourself. You predict that everyone will notice that you are sweating–and that they will all talk about it. You think it is a catastrophe that your mind will go blank.

You can challenge these thoughts by asking yourself the following: Have you really made a fool of yourself or are you just predicting the same thing over and over? Is it possible that people dont notice your sweating, because they are thinking about what they are going to say? What is the evidence that people talk about your anxiety? How do you know? Why would anyone really care if you are feeling anxious? How is it relevant to them? Have you ever noticed when someone else said, I forgot what I was going to say? Did anything terrible happen? Argue back at these negative thoughts.

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How To Cope With Social Anxiety In A Healthy Way

Most people with mild social anxiety cope by busting out the booze. A 2016 study confirmed that when people with social anxiety drink, they feel more comfortable in social situations. It makes sense one or two cocktails can certainly help take the edge off, and doing so in moderation can be a way for people to cope with anxiety, says James Gross, Ph.D., director of the Stanford Psychophysiology Laboratory. The challenge, though, is making sure you don’t rely solely on alcohol. “If all you have is drinking, then you’re going to overuse it,” says Gross. That’s why it can help to have a variety of tools that can help keep social anxiety at bay, he suggests.

Ahead, experts weigh in on how to overcome social anxiety, including their top tricks for doing so healthily.

Recognize Where The Battles Will Take Place

To fight social anxiety, remember that all your battles you will take place in your mind.

Yes, I know that its the outside world that causes us to feel anxious and awkward. But its our response to the outside world that triggers our negative feelings, behaviors, and reactions.

We have to learn to control our responses by managing our thoughts. As we continue to walk this journey together, we will learn exercises and strategies that will require us to stretch our comfort zone in the company of others. But remember, all of that activity is designed to help us fight the battle going on in our minds.

Also Check: How Do I Know I Have Anxiety

Visualize What You Want

What exactly do you want? If you haven’t defined this for yourself, then you don’t know where you are headed or how to get there. Do you want more friends, a better job, or simply not to feel anxious all the time? Visualize having those things that you want this will help motivate you to do what needs to be done to get out of a rut.

What Is Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is a type of mental health disorder which makes people has the constant dread and fear of being judged as well as evaluated around by people negatively.

This is one of the factors that instil feelings of inadequacy, self-consciousness, lack of self confidence and even embarrassment and humiliation.

Often times, people suffering from this condition tend to become very reclusive and closed off in social situations while the tables completely turn when they are alone at home.

In one of the epidemiological studies conducted in the United States, it was found that social anxiety was the third most prevailing mental health disorder, following depression and alcoholism. Statistics suggest that around 7% of the population across suffer from some form of social anxiety.

The worst part of this condition is the lack of awareness surrounding it.

Also Check: Who To Talk To About Anxiety And Depression

What Causes Social Anxiety

Like a lot of important questions in life, What causes social anxiety? is a more complicated question than wed like.

For one thing, different forms of social anxiety are likely to have different causes.

For example:

• If you struggle with social anxiety at workparticularly with imposter syndrome and feeling like other people are about to discover how big a fraud you really arethat may be caused primarily by perfectionism and a mental habit of self-criticism and comparing yourself to others.
• On the other hand, if your social anxiety tends to crop up in the context of romantic relationships and having a hard time being emotionally vulnerable, that might stem from your experiences as a child seeing how poorly one of your parents was treated when they expressed emotion in the context of a relationship.

I bring this up because its unwise to hang onto the idea that theres one cause of social anxiety. And that if you just figure that out, youll be able to crack the code and end your struggle with it.

More than likely your social anxiety has very different causes than your mothers social anxiety, which has different causes than your bosss social anxiety.

Of course, that doesnt mean there arent common factors in what causes social anxiety that many people share. There are! But the point is theres no way to shortcut the hard work of identifying the unique causes of your social anxiety.