We all know the situation when we get nervous around the public until we find someone to talk to. Sometimes we feel distressed, for example, we feel butterflies in our stomach before going on stage but when we get on it we become normal easily.
Social Phobia is also known as a social anxiety disorder (سماجی اضطراب). It is a condition in which a person feels fear of the social situation and his interaction with other people.
People with social phobia find it difficult to speak in public. It is a common problem that occurs in teenagers. It can be a very serious problem that negatively impacts your life. The intensity of this phobia varies from person to person. Some people overcome this problem as they become older but some people stay with this fear until they get treatment.
There is a difference between introvert and social phobia. Social phobia is a long-lasting problem with a fear of being judged by others and you end up in social isolation.
Suggested Read: Introvert meaning in Urdu: Everything about Introvert vs. Extrovert
Table of Contents
How to get rid of social phobia?
To get rid of this fear, You need to understand this problem. It looks simple but unfortunately, this is a war where you throw all your weapons down before initiating a war. Why this happened all the time with you, to understand this problem you have to identify all the symptoms and causes of this social fear.
First of all observe yourself, how you react in a situation. Symptoms vary from one person to another so look after your symptoms. Try to identify what are the causes that lead you to feel in a negative way. Social anxiety disorder can be chronic in nature but after learning coping skills you can overcome social anxiety.
Let’s discuss the common symptoms that exist among people with social phobia
Symptoms of Social Phobia
Symptoms of social phobia exist in a range from emotional to behavioral, physical, and avoidance. Each behavior starts with Emotional processing and it depends on how you interpret the situation so some emotional and behavioral symptoms are following as:
Emotional and behavioral symptoms
- You feel a fear that people will evaluate you negatively
- You start worrying about your actions that will let you feel embarrassed in front of others
- You feel a strong fear of talking with new people
- Your fear increases that others will observe your anxiety
- Fear of showing your physical symptoms such as blushing, sweating, stuttering, or shaky hands.
- Your fear or embarrassment makes you avoid doing things or speaking in front of people
- Where you are the center of attention you try to escape the situation.
- You do negative self-talk of mishappening in front of a public
- You feel intense fear or anxiety in a public situations
- You make a negative analysis of your performance at the end of the day
- You always expect negative situations where you will feel embarrassed
If we see children when they are not interested in talking with others, they cry and throw tantrums or sometimes they hide behind you and refuse to speak with others.
Social anxiety disorder has one type which is performance-type anxiety. People with performance-type anxiety feel anxious only during public speaking and performance. But when they are in other social situations they feel normal.
Physical Symptoms
Now we will discuss some common physical symptoms that are aroused in response to emotions. You can have a look at the symptoms below.
- Blushing
- Handshaking
- Voice shaking
- Sweating
- Dizziness
- A feeling of blank mind
- Upset stomach
- Fast breathing
Believe it or not, after these symptoms you start avoiding social situations like interacting with strangers, dating, social events and parties, school or office, eating in front of others, and even start avoiding going to the washroom in front of others.
Causes of social phobia
- Mental illness runs in families and social anxiety has a tendency to pass through a generation. However, there is very little evidence that supports this idea.
- Our brain has a small structure that manages fear. Some people have overactive responses due to their special brain structure. Whenever they counter an anxious situation their brain structure gets active and tries to avoid the situation.
- People learned behaviour through environments and their experiences. For example, Ahmad slipped onto a stage while giving his presentation and people laughed so hard. This experience for Ahmad is so embarrassing that he starts avoiding public speaking.
Treatment of Social phobia
After knowing the root causes and symptoms of the problem we can work on the treatment. Treatment can help us to learn coping skills that will help us to get rid of social phobia. The treatment process is slow but it’s worth doing.
Make a list of steps
Before going to expose yourself to the social setting, make a list of steps. Break down these steps into simple and small steps and build and hierarchy. After this start practising with the easy and last step and move upward.
Practice in front of the mirror
Before going to any social situation try to practice your dialogues in front of the mirror. Watch your physical symptoms and try to manage these symptoms alone.
Keep positive self-talk
While practising in front of a mirror or before going to a social setting, always tell yourself.
- Yes you can do it
- Nothing can stop you
- I can overcome my anxiety
- I can speak well
- I will not judge myself
Believe these little phrases are magical and definitely will boost your confidence. Always try to balance positive self-talk.
Exercise your breathing
Before going on stage or in a social situation, take a deep breath in and out for 5 minutes. Follow the rhythm of your breathing and make yourself calm. It’s a way to tell your heart, “All is well”.
Start from an easy point
Do not throw yourself into a big event. You may start your journey from a small point. Remember you make a hierarchy of steps. Join a small social setting and try to give a response to someone else’s communication. First of all, nobody is expecting you to speak, so you don’t have to rush.
Next time try to initiate a conversation by saying a single hello to a stranger. This is the way you can go from simple to complex communication.
Keep a journal
At the end of your day write a journal about what you accomplished. Even if it’s a small step towards your journey, try to appreciate it. Journal will help you to analyze your small efforts that will boost your self-esteem and confidence.
Things you should consider
Social phobia is an intense and prolonged fear of receiving negative evaluations from people in society. Your will can challenge your fear and there is a possibility to overcome your fear and anxiety. But this is not the last option for everyone. Some people fail to overcome their anxiety and in case they require professional therapeutic help to overcome their fear.
You might like to contact a Psychologist in Lahore.
