Social Anxiety

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social anxiety

Understanding Social Anxiety and how it affects our daily living especially in the Digital World 

As technology continues to rapidly grow and the world becomes increasingly connected, it’s easy and normal to feel overwhelmed or anxious in the face of all that can go on in our digital lives. But what is social anxiety, exactly, and how does it affect people today? This blog will explore the impact of social anxiety in a highly connected world and how to better cope with feelings of anxiety and tension when engaging online. 

Defining Social Anxiety 

While the exact causes of Social Anxiety are unknown, it is thought to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Social Anxiety is more than just shyness or stage fright. It is a chronic condition that can interfere with all aspects of a person’s life, from school and work to relationships and social activities. 

People with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) can feel extremely anxious and uncomfortable in many kinds of social situations. They may worry about being judged by others or making mistakes, and as a result, they may avoid situations where they might be the center of attention. SAD can cause significant emotional and physical distress, and it can interfere with work, school, and other activities. 

Most people experience some degree of Social Anxiety at some point in their lives. For some people, however, Social Anxiety is so severe that it interferes with their ability to lead normal lives. If you have SAD, you may find yourself avoiding work or school functions, parties, dates, public speaking engagements, or any other situation where you might be expected to perform or interact with others. 

Symptoms of Social Anxiety 

Physical symptoms 

  • Extreme sweating
  • Racing heart
  • Trembling or shaking
  • Gastrointestinal issues
  • Trouble catching breath

Emotional symptoms 

  • Fear of situations in which you may be judged negatively 
  • Expectation of the worst possible outcome from a negative experience during a social situation 

Behavioral symptoms 

  • Avoiding social situations
  • Spending inconsiderable amount of time to prepare for the upcoming event ● Difficulty making and maintaining eye contact with others
  • Indecisiveness
 

Causes of Social Anxiety in the Digital Age 

It’s no secret that social anxiety can be triggered by any number of things, from public speaking to meeting new people. But in the digital age, there are a whole host of new reasons why someone might start to feel anxious about social interactions. 

Here are just a few: 

  1. Social media comparison: Constantly scrolling through social media and comparing our lives to others’ can trigger feelings of anxiety and insecurity. We see everyone else’s highlight reel and assume that’s what their life is like all the time, leading us to believe that we don’t measure up.

  2. FOMO: The fear of missing out is real, and it can be exacerbated by social media. We see our friends and acquaintances living their best lives and feel like we’re not doing enough with our own lives. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy and anxiety about what we’re doing with our time.
  3. Perfectionism: The pressure to appear perfect online can be overwhelming. We edit our photos, curate our posts, and make sure everything looks just right before hitting publish. But the reality is that nobody’s life is perfect, and this perfectionism can lead to anxiety about how we’re perceived by others online.
  4. Cyberbullying: Unfortunately, the anonymity of the internet can lead to people feeling emboldened to say or do hurtful things to others online. This cyberbullying can take a toll on someone’s mental health, leading
 

Effects of Social Anxiety on Relationships and Daily Life 

There are a number of ways that social anxiety can impact relationships and daily life. One of the most significant ways is by causing people to avoid or limit their social interactions. This can lead to problems in personal relationships, as well as difficulty maintaining work and other daily responsibilities. 

People with social anxiety may also find it hard to express themselves or be assertive in social situations. This may make it difficult to form and maintain close relationships. Additionally, people with social anxiety may turn to alcohol or drugs as a way of self-medicating and this can further damage personal relationships. 

The good news is that there are treatments available that can help people learn to manage their social anxiety and live happier, more fulfilling lives. If you’re struggling with social anxiety, reach out for help from a mental health professional.

Coping Strategies to Manage Social Anxiety 

When it comes to social anxiety, there are many different coping strategies that can help manage the condition. Below are some common coping strategies that people with social anxiety often use: 

  1. Avoidance – This is when someone with social anxiety tries to avoid any and all situations that might trigger their anxiety. While this may offer short-term relief, avoidance can actually make social anxiety worse in the long run.
  2. Safety Behaviors – These are actions or behaviors that people with social anxiety use in order to feel safer or more comfortable in Social situations. safety behaviors can include things like avoiding eye contact, staying silent, or trying to blend in with the crowd. Unfortunately, safety behaviors often have the opposite effect and can actually increase one’s anxiety.
  3. Cognitive Restructuring – This is when someone with social anxiety challenges the negative thoughts and beliefs that contribute to their fear and anxiety. This can be done through techniques like journaling, visualization, and self-talk.
  4. Exposure Therapy – This is a type of treatment for social anxiety that involves gradually exposing oneself to the situations they fear and avoiding in a safe and controlled environment. Exposure therapy can be an effective way of reducing social anxiety over time.
  5. Relaxation Techniques – Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and yoga can help people with social anxiety learn to control their body’s physical response to anxiousness (i.e., heart rate)
 

Seeking Professional Help for Severe Cases of Social Anxiety 

The incidence of SAD in India is 2.79% and the prevalence of 1.47 % [1] That’s nearly one in every six people. But, despite its high prevalence, social anxiety is often misunderstood. Many people with social anxiety do not seek professional help because they think their symptoms are not severe enough or they are embarrassed to talk about them. However, social anxiety can have a profound impact on your life, making it difficult to work, socialize, and even go out in public. If you are struggling to manage your social anxiety, it is important to seek professional help. 

A therapist can help you understand your social anxiety and work with you to develop coping mechanisms. medication may also be recommended for severe cases of social anxiety. If you are suffering from social anxiety, do not hesitate to seek professional help—it could be the best decision you ever make. 

If you are someone going through above mentioned symptoms or other mental health related issues, help is around the corner. For your A-Z mental health needs feel free to reach out to us and book a counseling session with TEE experts at Miind my Miind, visit https://www.miindmymiind.com/ or call us at 9888130005

Sources 

[1]Social Phobia(Social AnxietyDisorder) inMedical andParamedical FirstYear Undergraduates

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      1 (s) I found it hard to wind down.

       

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      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      2 (a) I was aware of dryness of my mouth.

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      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      3 (d) I couldn’t seem to experience any positive feeling at all.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      4 (a) I experienced breathing difficulty (e.g. excessively rapid breathing,
      breathlessness in the absence of physical exertion).

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      5 (d) I found it difficult to work up the initiative to do things.

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      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      6 (s) I tended to over-react to situations.

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      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      7 (a) I experienced trembling (e.g. in the hands).

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      8 (s) I felt that I was using a lot of nervous energy.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      9 (a) I was worried about situations in which I might panic and make a fool
      of myself.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      10 (d) I felt that I had nothing to look forward to.

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      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      11 (s) I found myself getting agitated.

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      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      12 (s) I found it difficult to relax.

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      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      13 (d) I felt down-hearted and blue.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      14 (s) I was intolerant of anything that kept me from getting on with what I
      was doing.

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      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      15 (a) I felt I was close to panic.

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      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      16 (d) I was unable to become enthusiastic about anything.

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      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      17 (d) I felt I wasn’t worth much as a person.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
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      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      18 (s) I felt that I was rather touchy.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      19 (a) I was aware of the action of my heart in the absence of physical
      exertion (e.g. sense of heart rate increase, heart missing a beat).

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
      1 - Applied to me to some degree, or some of the time.
      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      20 (a) I felt scared without any good reason.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
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      2 - Applied to me to a considerable degree or a good part of time.
      3 - Applied to me very much or most of the time.

      21 (d) I felt that life was meaningless.

      0 - Did not apply to me at all.
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      Locus of control

      A big question we all feel - am I in control of my life?

      This test helps you ascertain the degree of control that you believe  you have over your life and the events that occur. This belief plays a huge role in the satisfaction levels that we feel.

      /10

      1 / 10

      Is there some bad habit, such as smoking, that you would like to break but can’t?

      2 / 10

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      Do you believe that your personality was firmly laid down in childhood so there is little you can do to change it?

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      Do you find it a waste of time to plan ahead because something always causes you to change direction?

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      If something goes wrong, do usually reckon it’s your own fault rather than just bad luck?

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      Are most of the things you do designed to please other people?

      8 / 10

      Do you often feel you are the victim of outside forces you cannot control?

      9 / 10

      Do you usually manage to resist being persuaded by other people’s arguments?

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          How do You Cope with Anger?

          (The Behavioural Anger Response Questionnaire, BARQ)

          What do you most likely to do when you experience anger? This 34-item measure assesses your anger responses for children and adolescents – and may tell you which response you tend to favour when experiencing this strong, unpleasant emotion. A list of statements are provided below. State whether each of the statements are not true, sometimes true, or often true. This measure was developed specifically for children and young adolescents.

          /34

          1 / 34

          I say something nasty to the person who made me angry.

          2 / 34

          I use strong gestures (for example, make a fist, wave my arms, or give a hand sign).

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          I swear or curse, at the person who made me angry.

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          I hit or push the person who made me angry.

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          I express my anger by slamming a door, or hitting something.

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          I shout.

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          I wait until I am calm again and then talk to the person who made me angry. 

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          I carefully think it over and then tell the person who made me angry how I feel.

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          In a calm voice, I tell the person who made me angry how I honestly feel.

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          I try to understand what happened, so I can explain things to the person who made me angry.

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          I stay calm, and I try to talk about the problem and the person who made me angry. 

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          I leave the situation in order to calm down, and then try to solve the problem.

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          I do not show my anger but I talk about what happened with someone afterwards.

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          I leave the situation and look for someone who will agree with me.

          15 / 34

          I leave the situation, find someone to listen to my story, and ask for advice. 

          16 / 34

          I think about the problem first and then talk about it with someone.

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          I leave the situation and call a friend or family member to tell him/her how I feel. 

          18 / 34

          Even without planning it, I usually end up talking about my feelings with someone.

          19 / 34

          I get rid of my anger by playing music, writing, or painting. 

          20 / 34

          I just keep busy, until I stop feeling angry.

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          I work off my anger by doing some sport. 

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          I stay on my own to get rid of my anger.

          23 / 34

          I simply get very busy with other things to get rid of my anger.

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          I work off my anger by doing something else, like playing on the computer.

          25 / 34

          I tell myself that what happened is not important.

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          I try to forget what happened.

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          I put what happened out of my mind.

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          I just wait to feel better.

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          I keep thinking about what I wish I had done, but didn’t do.

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          I find it hard to stop thinking about what happened.

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          I am upset for a long time after this kind of situation.

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          Are you kind to yourself, and accepting of your personality? Self-compassion relates to your ability to ‘hold one’s suffering with a sense of warmth, connection and concern (Neff, 2003). This ability consists of self-kindness, self-judgement, the view that others suffer too (common humanity), feelings of isolation from others when one fails, as well as mindfulness towards one’s difficult situation and the extent to which one over-identifies with failure. This 12-item measure assesses your self-compassion ability. Simply answer each statement from ‘almost never’ to ‘almost always’ to indicate the extent to which you engage in these behaviours during difficult times of challenge and setbacks.

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          I’m intolerant and impatient towards those aspects of my personality I don’t like.

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          When I’m feeling down I tend to obsess and fixate on everything that’s wrong.

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          When I fail at something that’s important to me, I tend to feel alone in my failure.

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          When something upsets me I try to keep my emotions in balance.

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          When I’m going through a very hard time, I give myself the caring and tenderness I need.

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          I try to see my failings as part of the human condition.

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          When I’m feeling down, I tend to feel like most other people are probably happier than I am.

          10 / 12

          When something painful happens I try to take a balanced view of the situation.

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          I try to be understanding and patient towards those aspects of my personality I don’t like.

          12 / 12

          When I fail at something important to me I become consumed by feelings of inadequacy.

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          How Mindfully Aware and Attentive are You?

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          Being mindful means being consciously, deliberately attentive towards your present circumstances and environment, and being curious and non- judgmental towards the thoughts and emotions that arise as a result of one’s situation. This 15-item measure of mindfulness, called the Mindful Attempt Awareness Scale (MAAS) is designed to assess how mindful you generally are.

          /15

          1 / 15

          I could be experiencing some emotion and not be conscious of it until sometime later.

          2 / 15

          I break or spill things because of carelessness, not paying attention, or thinking of something else.

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          I find it difficult to stay focused on what’s happening in the present.

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          I tend to walk quickly to get where I’m going without paying attention to what I experience along the way.

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          I forget a person’s name almost as soon as I’ve been told it for the first time.

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          I find myself listening to someone with one ear, doing something else at the same time.

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          I find myself preoccupied with the future or the past.

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          I find myself doing things without paying attention.

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          I snack without being aware that I’m eating.

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          The brief resilience scale

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          I tend to bounce back quickly after hard times.

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          I have a hard time making it through stressful events. 

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          It does not take me long to recover from a stressful event. 

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          It is hard for me to snap back when something bad happens.

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          I usually come through difficult times with little trouble. 

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           I tend to take a long time to get over setbacks in my life.

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          The WEMWBS was developed and tested by a group of researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh and Warwick.
          The WEMWBS is used to measure subjective well-being in adults ≥16 years.

          As defined by the developers, mental well-being relates to a person’s psychological functioning, life-satisfaction and ability to develop and maintain mutually benefiting relationships. Psychological wellbeing includes the ability to maintain a sense of autonomy, self acceptance, personal growth, purpose in life and self esteem. Staying mentally healthy is more than treating or preventing mental illness.

          Below are some statements about feelings and thoughts. Please tick the box that best describes your experience of each over the last 2 weeks

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          I’ve been feeling optimistic about the future

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          I’ve been feeling useful

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          I’ve been feeling cheerful

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          Role Fitment

          The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS)

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          The brief resilience scale

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