Health:

Social Anxiety - Health

Every year, social anxiety disorder (social phobia), becomes more and more frequent among teenagers. Progress doesn’t stop and now there is a computer in every house. Teenagers spend time in social networks for hours, preferring virtual communication to reality. They get used to knocking fingers on the keyboard all the time and real communication becomes a problem for them. There are problems everywhere: to go to the shop, to visit neighbors and meet friends. Reality is the enemy of people with social phobia. Playgrounds, where once there were many children playing football, are empty now. And that’s sad.

There is a common term, “Hikkikomori”, that originated from Japan. This term refers to the phenomenon of reclusive adolescents or adults who withdraw from social life, often seeking extreme degrees of isolation and confinement. (Wikipedia).

The second reason for the social phobia among teens is the fear of other’s opinions. The majority of teenagers have low self-esteem and they are afraid of negative judgments about themselves. Not simply verbal abuse, but even negative thoughts. Just one mistake can lead to disappointment, depression, and suicide. For many teenagers the social phobia is a protective barrier from disappointment and the shame and loneliness are their only friends. Most often people with social phobias are teens with unattractive appearance and a heap of complexes.

The society is unpleasant for many teens because they can’t find those who share their views. Nobody understands them. Probably there are geniuses and child prodigies among them. Also many phobias are consequences of a tough childhood. Avoiding real contacts with people, teens with social phobia lose the best moments in their life. These are smiles, laughter, embraces, presents and a lot more. These teens need our help and should not be neglected. 

What is Social Phobia?

It's completely natural to feel nervous, insecure or shy in front of others at times. Anybody can have a racing heart, dry mouth, shaky voice or a fluttering stomach when asking someone on a date or when giving a class presentation.

Not very surprisingly, most people manage to get through these moments when they need to. But for some people, the anxiety that goes with feeling shy and nervous can be extreme. It can seem so unbearable that they might feel too nervous to give answers in class, be unable to make eye contact with classmates, or avoid chatting with others at the lunch table. When people feel so anxious and so insecure that it prevents them from speaking up or socializing most of the time, it's probably more than shyness. It may be an anxiety condition called social phobia.

What fears are involved? How can it affect someone’s life?

People with social phobia feel extremely self-conscious and uncomfortable about being judged by others. They don’t like to be noticed and do not have too many friends. They're highly sensitive to fears that they'll be embarrassed, look foolish, make a mistake, or be criticized or laughed at. No one wants to experience these things. But most people don't really spend much time worrying about it.

With social phobia, thoughts and fears about what others think get exaggerated in the mind. The person starts to focus on the humiliating things that could happen, instead of the good things. This makes a situation seem much worse than it is, and influences a person to avoid it.

Social phobia can make people feel lonely or disappointed over missed opportunities. People with social phobia may not feel very confident about sharing their talents or trying new things. Social phobia also prevents them from making the normal, everyday mistakes that help people improve their skills.

What is Selective Mutism?

Some kids and teens are simply extremely shy and fearful about talking to certain people, such as a teacher or students they don't know or in certain places like at someone else's house. This form of social phobia is sometimes called selective mutism.

People with selective mutism can talk. They have normal conversations with the people they're comfortable with or in certain places. But other situations cause them such extreme anxiety that they may not be able to bring themselves to talk at all.

Some people might mistake their silence for rudeness. But with selective mutism and social phobia, silence emerges from feeling uncomfortable and afraid, not from being disrespectful or rude.

Why do some people develop Social Phobia?

Anybody can develop social phobia. But, most of the time, it starts when a person is young. Like other anxiety-based problems, social phobia develops because of a combination of three factors:

1. A person’s biological makeup. Inherited genetic traits from parents and other relatives can influence how the brain senses and regulates anxiety, shyness, nervousness, and stress reactions. Likewise, some people are born with a shy temperament and tend to be cautious and sensitive in new situations and prefer what's familiar.
2. Behaviours learned from role models. A person's naturally shy temperament can be influenced by what he or she learns from role models.
3. Life events and experiences. If people born with a cautious nature have stressful experiences, it can make them even more cautious and shy.

The good news is that the effect of these negative experiences can be turned around with some focused slow-but-steady effort. Fear can be learned. And it can also be unlearned.

How to deal with Social Phobia

People with social phobia can learn to manage fears, develop confidence and coping skills, and stop avoiding things which make them anxious. But it's not always easy. Overcoming social phobia means mustering up the courage it takes to go beyond what's comfortable, little by little.

How to overcome Social Phobia

Overcoming social phobia takes patience, courage to face fears and try new things, and the willingness to practice. It takes a commitment to move forward rather than back away when feeling shy and nervous.

Little by little, someone who decides to deal with extreme shyness can learn to become more comfortable. Each small step forward helps build enough confidence to take a big step. As shyness and fears begin to melt, confidenceand positive feelings build. Pretty soon, the person is thinking less about what might feel uncomfortable and more about what might be fun.