▎ WuXi AppTec content team editor
Nowadays, on the Internet, the word "social terror" has been played badly.
Some people are nervous just when socializing with unfamiliar people, saying that they are "social fear", and corresponding to this is "social cow disease".
But in fact, the real social phobia is more serious than you think.
The next thing to tell is the story of a socially phobia patient from the UNITED Kingdom, 22-year-old Emily.
When I was 17, I developed social phobia
Once upon a time, the pain and annoyance that social phobia caused me was still vividly remembered.
I tossed and turned on sleepless nights, being consumed by anxiety and fear every morning. But I told myself to be strong. So I began a long battle with social phobia.
When I was 17, I had severe phobias most of the time.
For example, I would be afraid to sit in a classroom with a lot of people, especially afraid to enter the exam room.
Every time I think of these scenes, I panic extremely, and then fall into anxiety, and this is a vicious circle.
I would shake, sweat, feel nauseous, my heart would pound in my chest, and my internal organs would explode.
Image credit: 123RF
I often wonder: What if I did something embarrassing, what would they think of me? What if I throw up, can they hear my stomach tipping over? What if I can't escape the scene?
Therefore, I have been in a state of high alertness, and I was once stunned by myself, and it took a long time before I reacted and fled the classroom.
After that, I started living alone. I felt too embarrassed to tell anyone about my experience. Even if you want to say it, you will whitewash it and try to be as "nice" as possible.
At the time, sitting in the exam room (even if it was just a class quiz) was as difficult for me as climbing Mount Everest. When it was quiet in the exam room, I could even get deaf.
I was afraid that I would suddenly explode, get out of control, do something embarrassing, and not be able to escape before everyone's eyes were on me.
So I quickly started to avoid the exam room, and finally had to take the exam in a separate room. Unconsciously, I was trapped in the cage of escape.
But evasion is still a failure. For people with social phobia, in the short term, we do avoid what we are afraid of; in the long run, avoidance only makes anxiety worse — because after avoidance, we are less able to face this fear.
The standard treatment is, under the guidance of a professional psychologist, by constantly increasing the level of exposure, so that we can gradually adapt, face the fear little by little, and finally achieve "desensitization".
True warriors should face their fears
After going to college, I told myself: I must face the fear and never fall into this terrible cycle again! never!
I tried my best to grit my teeth and calm my anxiety with mindfulness exercises such as progressive muscle relaxation and breathing techniques.
Image credit: 123RF
Finally, for the first time in so long since I was sick, I sat in a quiet exam room surrounded by hundreds of classmates – and I did!
Since then, it has become easier to overcome social phobia.
Although I still have some strange thoughts and behaviors, once I find that I can indeed overcome my fears, it is easier to correct these things and it is easier to seek help.
In the end, I got a bachelor's degree in psychology and successfully graduated.
Yes, I took the graduation exam in the large exam hall of a lot of people around me. At that moment, I controlled my anxiety, and I couldn't help but smile slightly at the thought that I could get to where I am today.
Since I can do it, believe me, you can too.
Postscript: Do you really understand social phobia?
1. What are the manifestations of social phobia?
Social phobia, which is now more commonly used clinically as "social anxiety disorder" or "social anxiety disorder", is a type of anxiety disorder.
As a healthy person, everyone has a certain degree of "social fear", but not to the extent of illness. For most people, even if some anxiety is generated in the social process, it will not bring about serious and painful consequences.
For example, when socializing with people who are not familiar with each other, they may feel nervous, worried, embarrassed, shy, unable to look directly into each other's eyes, and their body movements are not very relaxed and natural.
But this is at best a manifestation of "shyness", and the average person can continue to face it even if he is shy, and it will not be difficult to try to escape.
True social phobia sufferers become "stressed" in the face of similar situations.
People with social phobia develop persistent fear or anxiety for one or more social or needed situations that far exceed the threat posed by the actual situation; they are especially concerned when they are judged, rejected, and negatively evaluated in social situations.
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Typical scenarios include meeting people, meetings, or talking to a group of people, talking to authority figures, being watched at work or eating, going to school, going shopping, being seen in public, going to public toilets, going on stage to speak or perform, and so on.
The average person doing these things may be a little uncomfortable.
But real social phobia patients, before and after doing these things will be excessively worried, before and after thinking, afraid of their own bad performance (such as blushing, sweating, trembling and other nervous performance, and appear to be bored, too stupid or incompetent) and so on, so as to avoid socialization as much as possible, their normal life, work, study, interpersonal relationships have a serious impact.
According to a study in the United States, 12% of adults in the United States will suffer from social anxiety disorder at some point in their lives, some people may also suffer from other mental illnesses (the most common of which is depression), and some people will even drink heavily and try to "use alcohol to dispel their sorrows".
Adult patients may have these symptoms: rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, dizziness, stomach pain, and even the feeling of being light and fluttering, as if the soul is out of the blue. (Hyperthyroidism can have similar symptoms and may need to be investigated when going to the hospital for examination.) ）
Children behave differently from adults, in addition to avoiding social activities, they may also cry or lose their temper when socializing, do not eat and play with other children, and even do not want to go to school.
Image credit: 123RF
And different patients, the "point of fear" is not the same -
Some people have no obstacles to one-on-one communication, but they are very afraid of sitting in a crowded classroom or office; some people can go on stage alone to speak, but they are afraid to attend a party. Even some extroverts get the disease.
2. Causes and treatment of social phobia
This disease has a certain relationship with genes and family inheritance, and is also related to acquired personal experiences, such as having been abused, bullied, bullied, or parental control is too strong.
People who are easily shy may also be more likely to develop social phobia when they grow up than people who are not shy. The formation of a shy personality is related to stressful experiences such as frequent moving in childhood, native family problems (such as parents are too picky, or parents are also introverted and shy), and too much pressure to work or study.
In terms of treatment, social phobia often requires psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, skills training, role play, etc., to practice exposure to social situations.
Depending on the severity of the condition, medication may sometimes be required (e.g., antidepressants, anxiolytics, etc.).
For some people, the symptoms of social phobia may disappear over time, but others need to take medication for many years to avoid relapse.
Therefore, under the guidance of a psychiatrist, we must follow the doctor's instructions for treatment and regular follow-up consultations.
Resources
[1] Coping with social phobia. Retrieved Apr 20 from https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/blog/coping-with-social-phobia/
[2] Health,National Collaborating Centre For Mental. (2013). Social anxiety disorder: recognition, assessment andtreatment. German Journal of Psychiatry, 19(5), 377-391. DOI：10.2165/00023210-200519050-00002
[3] Social anxiety disorder (social phobia). Retrieved Apr 20 from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/social-anxiety-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20353561
[4] What Is Social Anxiety Disorder or Social Phobia? . Retrieved Apr 20 from https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/mental-health-social-anxiety-disorder
[5] Holiday Survival for the Ultra Shy. Retrieved Apr 20 from https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/features/holiday-survival-for-ultra-shy
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