What is social anxiety?
Social anxiety is a fear of being watched and judged in social situations such as meeting new people, public speaking, or answering a question in class. This type of fear can commonly be shared by many people and can be more present in teen years. However, when social anxiety becomes intense and persistent, with avoidance of situations where a person might fear being negatively evaluated or rejected, it is called Social Anxiety Disorder.
Many people with social anxiety disorder experience strong physical symptoms such as rapid heart rate, nausea, sweating, or experience panic attacks.
How do I know if I have social anxiety disorder?
Some of the symptoms of social anxiety include:
- persistent and intense fear in social situations
- avoidance of anxiety generating social situations
- high levels of anxiety that are disproportionate to the situation
- difficulty in getting on with daily life to the point that it has negative effect
Social anxiety disorder should be diagnosed by a mental health professional.
How to manage social anxiety
Here are some tips from from Clinical Psychologist Dr Nihara Krause for those who have experienced social worry or anxiety when (going back to) socialising:
1. Start with a small occasion
Perhaps start with one person you are comfortable with in a quiet place. Gradually building yourself up to larger events in unfamiliar locations.
2. Ease yourself into it
Give yourself some time to get ready before going out—do something relaxing beforehand such as have a bath, or watch your favourite programmes.
3. Prepare in advance
Prepare some topics you might like to talk about before the event. You can even practice some lines in front of a mirror—it might feel daft, but it can help you to be more fluent.
4. Plan when to arrive
Try going a little early before things get too busy. It also helps to know in advance when you’d like to leave. This way you can make arrangements to get away when you want to.
5. Allow yourself to have breaks
Give yourself the opportunity to have a break if it becomes too much—go somewhere quiet, do some breathing, or try to visualise a confident you that is able to go back and face your fear.
6. Don’t ‘self-medicate’
Using something like alcohol to ‘self-medicate’ might initially help you relax but it will generally add to more anxiety in the long-term.
7. Download the Clear Fear app
The fear of threat, or anxiety, is like a strong gust of wind. It drags you in and makes you want to fight it or run away. Instead, face your fear with the free Clear Fear app and learn to reduce the physical responses to threat as well as changing thoughts and behaviours and releasing emotions. Download the free app on the App Store and Google Play.
8. Learn more about anxiety
Learn more about anxiety and how to manage it—for young people, parents, teachers, and friends—on the stem4 website.
