Social anxiety is defined as the fear of blushing, sweating, trembling hands, and fear of doing something wrong that will humiliate oneself when speaking or performing any action in public. It is the fear of being negatively evaluated by other people. When forced to enter such situations, the person becomes disturbed by symptoms of anxiety. The person fears that these symptoms and the anxiety he experiences will be noticed by everyone in the community, so he avoids going into the community by finding various excuses. In situations that he cannot avoid, for example if he is about to give a speech, he begins to experience anxiety days or even weeks in advance. The most common symptoms of social anxiety include speaking in public, participating in conversations, eating and drinking, and using public toilets.
When we look at the prevalence of social anxiety in our country; It was found to be 2.3% in women and 1.1% in men. It has been observed that people with social anxiety are accompanied by depression due to reasons such as avoiding social environments and moving away from activities they enjoy.
The main feature that distinguishes social anxiety from other anxiety disorders is that the person is overly concerned with what others will think about him/her. The basic fear is to be humiliated and disgraced in front of others. The person thinks, "They will make fun of me," and gets worried. Along with his anxiety, his heart beats faster, his throat becomes dry, his face turns red, his voice trembles, his hands tremble, his legs become stiff, and the anxiety of being noticed is added. In order not to be noticed, he/she avoids social environments, conversations, visiting guests, hosting guests, asking questions in class, expressing his/her opinion, participating in foreign environments, talking to people he/she considers superior to him/her, and performing. If he is forced to do these, he may not make eye contact, may speak little and briefly, may sit in places where he cannot be noticed, may constantly play with something in his hand... Therefore, as these escape, avoidance and security-seeking behaviors continue, social anxiety continues to grow.
Subtypes of Social Anxiety:
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Performance
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Speaking in public, doing sports, playing a musical instrument, like dancing.
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Social Interaction
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Meeting, participating in conversation, going out with someone, expressing your opinion, defending your rights.
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Observation
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Walking on the street, taking the bus, entering the room later, using open toilets, eating with someone, etc.
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The Most Common Symptoms:
• Flushing and tremors in the muscles in patients with panic disorder 2 times more than other people
• Palpitations (79%), tremors (75%), sweating (74%), muscle tension (64%), stomach discomfort (63%), dry throat (%) 61), feelings of heat/cold (57%), pressure in the head (46%)
A Person with Social Anxiety Monitors Himself:
• People with social anxiety The person begins to monitor himself to understand how he looks in social environments and his fears are produced by himself
• Attention to the outside and what is happening decreases
• Positive reactions from other people are not noticed
<Feeling anxious is the same as looking anxious: One assumes that one looks the same way one feels.
Imagining yourself from the observer's perspective: According to the person, everyone in the environment noticed the anxiety and difficulty he was experiencing. Images come to his mind that he looks bad, weak, and helpless from the outside, and he believes them.
Feeling self: Disconnected from dialogue with other people. The person's attention is always on himself. He follows his hands, feet, every move and what he says and moves away from the environment.
Rules a Person Sets for Himself Regarding Social Performance:
<I must be very intelligent, bright and speak fluently
There should be no silence in speech
I must gain everyone's appreciation
I shouldn't show any signs of weakness
No one should notice that I'm anxious
Just I should talk when other people are silent
I should not bore the other person
I should always say important and interesting things.
The person imposes these rules on himself without even realizing it. and tries to live by these rules. As you may have noticed, these rules are unrealistic for anyone. It is not possible to live by these unrealistic rules. It definitely creates anxiety and stress. It is not necessary to make an effort to avoid the anxiety and stress it creates or to get rid of it, but to shake these self-imposed rules.
Beliefs of the Person Experiencing Social Anxiety:
The person experiencing social anxiety begins to have some beliefs as a result of their avoidance. Many experience social anxiety because they have these beliefs. These beliefs need to be addressed, worked on and shaken in psychotherapy.
• Relating to oneself: inadequate, weak, powerless, helpless, unwanted, different, (in a negative sense), strange, strange, stupid, ugly, unloved…
• Relating to others: strong , critical, cynical, superior, intolerant…
As a result, the person experiencing social anxiety does not focus on enjoying life and enjoying the environment, but constantly focuses on his own performance, how he looks, how he speaks, what he does. Lives focused. In order not to experience this intense strain, he often stays away from environments. This causes him to isolate himself, not to do what he can do, and perhaps not to realize his dreams. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy method that has proven its effectiveness in social anxiety therapy all over the world. If you think you are experiencing social anxiety, you can meet with a professional CBT practitioner in your location and overcome this problem.
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