What Is Social Anxiety?

Social Anxiety describes the anxiety a person feels when within environments where many people are (e.g. bars, stations, offices.) Not to be confused with goraphobia, this is about feeling anxious about people in larger groups than one rather than being in open and large spaces.

They may feel seriously under confident in this situation whereas on their own, or with just one other person they will be fine and not affected by anxiety at all.

It is a separate anxiety and not related to others, although I would not be surprised to find that the same person felt anxious with other things or in other situations.

By the way, I recently suggested to a person in a forum that her partner might be suffering from a certain disorder.

On reflection I decided that even though by naming his possible condition may have helped her understand what was going on for her partner, the use of the word ‘disorder’ in the description is unhelpful.

A disorder will put shivers through anyone’s bones that is told they have, or are with someone who has it as far as I would imagine. So, because of this, I am going to try very hard not to use the word on DiscoverAid. Let me know if you see me use it and I will remove it :0)

The word ‘disorder’ makes things sound rather extreme so its best to understand you may recognise you suffer from a particular behavioural problem that isn’t necessarily a disorder at this stage but if not dealt with may become so.

Social anxiety hits us because we are unconfident with being in a social environment for some reason. So, what is the reason? Well that’s going to be specific to whoever you are and your own experiences in life.

Take for example someone I met. A successful friendly and popular man in his fifties. Put him in a social environment and everyone reminds him of his own inadequacies.

So how do you control it? How do you change?

Well, its not easy I know. But essentially you need to work on your own self-esteem as a priority.

Work with help guides and books, counsellors and online support forums to work out what specifically is your weakness and try to challenge yourself to work towards overcoming it.

For example, walking into a crowded room can be terrifying for someone with social anxiety. However walking into a room where a trusted friend is sitting will be much easier more often than not.

So, why not try walking into a mildly busy room with your friend?

Then try the same without your friend? If you are anxious about what people think about you, try entering a bar or room where no one knows you so if something goes wrong (and you and I know it wont, but that’s not the point) then if no one knows you, you can just walk out and never hear it talked about again.

Have you got any advice you would like to share about your situation? Post them here.

Guy

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Filed under: Depression, Self-Esteem & Anxiety

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