A Few Things About Social Anxiety

Nelson Guerreiro
Jul 25, 2017 · 2 min read

You have no idea how far my comfort zone my entire life is.
M. Groff

Social anxiety is not something that affects only highly introverted people; it also occurs in extroverted people.

Social anxiety is an intense fear of social interaction and can prevent people from having a functioning social life. In more extreme cases, sufferers isolate themselves almost entirely.

The most complicated settings are usually parties, stores, shopping malls, etc. Works places with many people can also be very stressful — especially those “open office” that many companies love so much.

People who do not suffer from this disorder usually have some misconceptions about social anxiety.

  • People with social anxiety do want to socialize, and, generally speaking, like to talk and exchange ideas. Unfortunately, the disorder prevents them from interacting in a normal and stress-free way. In some cases, extreme stress in social situations leads to panic attacks. The fear of attacks and the discomfort leads to an avoidant behavior (better to be alone and silent than to risk a panic episode, or, more frequently, perspiration, blushing, etc.).
  • Just because social anxiety is not something in plain sight, doesn’t mean the sufferers are not hurting inside. Someone sitting quietly in the corner may appear calm and collected, but may, in fact, be freaking out on the inside.
    People with this problem have learned to hide, to maintain at least an appearance of normality.
  • Social events are draining, both physically and mentally. This makes sufferers dread invitations to gatherings. A simple invitation to a party can lead to days, or weeks, of stress, mental preparations, etc.
  • People with this disorder didn’t choose to be this way. It’s something out of their control. Advises of “it’s all in your head,” or “don’t need to be afraid” only makes them more aware of their predicaments.
  • They are not trying to be special or seeking for particular attention. Quite the contrary. There’s nothing they would like more than to be seen as “normal.”

Image from pixabay


Originally published at steemit.com on July 25, 2017.

Nelson Guerreiro

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