How does social phobia affect our lives?

A review of the different ways in which social phobia affects quality of life.

Social phobia is one of the types of phobia for which people go to psychotherapy the most. However, some people are not even aware that they are developing it and believe that it is just another characteristic of their way of being, or they refuse to face the fact that they have a problem for which it is necessary to see professionals.

In this article we will look at the ways in which social phobia has an impact on people's quality of lifeIn this article we will see the ways in which social phobia has an impact on the quality of life of people, so that it is easier to detect the appearance of this psychological disorder and to intervene as soon as possible from psychotherapy. In addition, in this way we will review the implications of allowing a disorder of these characteristics to grow in us.

How does social phobia affect us?

This is a summary of the different ways in which social phobia wears down the quality of life of people who develop it.

1. It complicates daily life through avoidance routines.

People with social phobia adopt their habits of avoidance, as far as possible, to contact with people with whom they do not have a certain confidence.. This happens, for example, by trying to shop without leaving home, ordering over the Internet.

2. It makes it almost impossible to meet new people

The implications of this effect of social phobia include not being able to expand the circle of friends, as well as to meet people with whom to start a possible romantic relationship.

3. It wears down physical health

Social phobia not only has harmful effects on a person's mental health; it also has a negative impact on physical health, due to the fact that promotes social isolation and sedentary lifestylesas well as increased exposure to addictions or anxiety-reducing activities that are not good for the body, such as compulsions, binge eating, trichotillomania, etc.

4. It generates a constant fear of rejection.

Although the social life of people with this disorder is very poor, in spite of this, the fear of being a victim of rejection does not cease. the fear of being a victim of rejection or ridicule does not cease..

How to distinguish it from shyness?

The simplest way to understand the difference between social phobia and shyness is to understand that the latter is a personality characteristic that in some people is expressed consistently over the years more or less since adolescence.

On the other hand, as we have seen, social phobia has a very important learned and context-related component.It is based in part on expectations about the social support available, and may also have been developed on the basis of traumatic experiences that lead the person to feel very vulnerable and emotionally disconnected from the way others experience life.

Shy people do not have a fairly high probability of presenting psychological disorders, whereas social phobia is associated with a high probability of presenting psychological disorders. social phobia is associated with a high risk of developing these kinds of disorders.. In particular, these individuals are more exposed to depression, addictions, other anxiety disorders and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Finally, the way in which shyness is expressed also differs from that of social phobia. In situations of interaction with unknown or semi-unknown people, people with social phobia suffer symptoms that can never be hidden, and which often seriously hinder communication, such as breathing problems, tachycardia or tremors, whereas those who are shy reveal this in more subtle ways, such as through facial blushing.In the case of those who are shy, they reveal this in more subtle ways, such as facial blushing, a tendency to avoid eye contact, or cold sweats in cases where there is a lot of nervousness.

On the other hand, shyness is expressed primarily at times of social interaction, while social phobia is also expressed at times of social interaction.while social phobia also expresses its symptoms when no one is around. This is because those who have developed this disorder usually adopt strategies to avoid exposure to others as much as possible.

The importance of seeking help in psychotherapy.

Fortunately, social phobia can be tackled by psychotherapyIt is effective in reducing its symptoms until they are sufficiently weak to allow the person to enjoy a full social life if other disorders do not come into play.

The professionals at the Instituto de Psicode are trained to treat all types of anxiety disorders, including social phobia and shyness problems that do not constitute a diagnosable psychological disorder. You can find us in our centers in Madrid and Alicante. To contact us or see more information about our services, click on this link.

Bibliographical references:

• Chavira, D. A.; Stein, M. B.; Malcarne, V. L. (2002). "Scrutinizing the relationship between shyness and social phobia". Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 16 (6): pp. 585 - 598.
• Torgrud, L. J., Walker, J. R., Murray, L., Cox, B. J., Chartier, M. y Kjernisted, K. D. (2004). Deficits in perceived social support associated with generalized social phobia. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 33(2): pp. 87 - 96.