Social Anxiety In Adults

Social anxiety seems, on the surface, to be a trifling, almost incomprehensible condition to the average American. We are a country that is built on friendship, neighbors, and huge cities filled with millions of people. What could an American, living in a country like that, possibly have against interacting with other people?

The reality, however, is that many people across the country do have problems interacting with others. For some, this may exhibit itself as an awkward shyness that merely makes them slow to open up to other people and make friends. For others, it is a crippling anxiety that prevents them from making any meaningful connections or interactions with other people.

Professionally, it is referred to as “Social Anxiety,” and here’s what you need to know about it.

It’s About Evaluation

An adult with social anxiety or social phobia has an extreme, negative reaction to being in certain social situations. Even just thinking about these situations can be enough to trigger an anxiety or panic attack in some. The root of this anxiety comes from a fear of judgment or embarrassment. People with social anxiety want to avoid these situations because they feel like they are being evaluated, and are already afraid of the negative evaluation they believe is coming.

This is why for situations such as public speaking, being watched while performing an activity, or even a date at a restaurant with someone new, these situations can all trigger social anxiety. It stems from the fear that someone else is watching and already deciding that the person is not good enough, or inadequate somehow, and the embarrassment or shame of being labeled as such is unbearable.

The Impact

Social anxiety is one of the “easiest” anxieties to deal with using avoidance behavior, which is a very common tactic for sufferers of anxiety disorder. Avoidance behavior is exactly what it sounds like; if something is a source of distress or anxiety, then simply don’t get into a position where you are exposed to that trigger. For people with social anxiety, this usually means avoiding the specific forms of contact or interaction that cause panic or worry.

On the lower end, this may exhibit itself as stage fright, which is a very common anxiety that many people have, so sufferers simply avoid situations where they have to publicly speak, or perform. On the more extreme end, however, this may mean someone with severe social anxiety is inadvertently sabotaging their own professional and social advancement prospects. America is a country that is built on social interaction, so someone that avoids it can impede their own career track. In the 21st century, this is—for better or worse—a bit more viable to sustain, as some forms of employment, such as freelance work, can be online via, email, and online payments, meaning no direct contact with people needs to occur at all.

The Treatment

There is a variety of different ways to approach social anxiety. Depending on the severity, some people may attempt to overcome their anxieties on their own, though this can obviously take a long time with greater room for missteps.

Seeking professional help is another way to address the challenge. Individual therapy with a trained professional can involve such techniques as psychoanalysis, cognitive behavioral techniques and many other established professional methods.

There is also group therapy, which should immediately reveal itself to be a challenging but ultimately very rewarding form of treatment for people with social anxiety. This helps people with the same problem identify with each other and use the source of anxiety as a source of treatment and character building.

Social anxiety can have a very large, negative impact on both a person’s emotional and professional life. Interacting with people is an essential skill in today’s world, and treating social anxiety restores both freedom and choice to a person’s life.

To learn more about social anxiety or to talk to a therapist, call or contact us today at 202-641-5335.