Social anxiety | Do introverts all have it? What are the symptoms and treatment options?

People like to mention whether they are “introverted” or “extroverted” regarding MBTI reading. Some may feel energized by being in social gathering, while others like to avoid it. As social phobia is often mentioned online, what actually is social anxiety disorder? Most of us feel stressful in certain social situations, what differences do people with social anxiety disorder experience? Who is particularly more likely to have this phobia? In this article, we will also discuss what one could do if they have social phobia.

What are the symptoms of social phobia?

Different from being introverted and shy, people with social phobia display significant anxiety, embarrassment and self-consciousness for social interactions. These symptoms could even affect interpersonal relationships, work and studies. These symptoms include:

• Worried of humiliating themselves
• Afraid of others’ scrutinization
• Worried of others noticing their own anxiety
• Obsessed with analyzing their shortcomings after interactions with others

Therefore, they could avoid some daily experiences or might feel difficult to get by these experiences:

• Interacting with strangers
• Maintaining eye contacts
• Starting conversations
• Going to school or going to work
• Eating in front of other people
• Dating
• Going to social gathering
• Going to public toilets

They might experience some physical symptoms, such as:

• Blushing
• Racing heartbeat
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Dizziness
• Difficulty breathing
• Upset stomach or nausea

Who is more likely to have social phobia?

Social phobia can be caused by many factors interacting, such as those biological and environmental:

• Brain structure: Amygdala controls how we react to fear – when it is overactive, the fear response is heightened, individuals will be more anxious towards social situations
• Family history: Social phobia usually runs in family – could be due to genetics and/or learned behaviors
• Parenting style: If parents are more overprotective of their children, or more controlling in their lives, their children may be more likely to have social phobia
• Environment: If there were previous experiences of embarrassing or unpleasant social situation, such as being teased, bullied, rejected or ridiculed, they are more likely to have significant anxiety

Why are the LGBT+ community more likely to have social phobia?

According to a journal article in European Journal of Public Health, LGBT+ community has a higher social anxiety level than their cis-gender heterosexual counterparts. Furthermore, the social anxiety levels of bisexual, pansexual, asexual and queer communities are higher than that of the gay and lesbian communities.

Their clothing, appearance, behaviors and demeanor are typically considered not aligning to the social norms. This makes them more likely to be bullied and discriminated against, heightening their sensitivity towards others’ opinions.

These rejection experiences could weaken their sense of belonging, and make them more likely to avoid social situations and interactions. Some might also choose to come out, but their experience might not be positive. When someone dear to them rejects their identities, they face heightened stresses.

What to do if I have a social phobia?

If you are aware of your symptoms, you could try the following things:

• Identify triggers and symptoms: Knowing what might make you anxious and how your body react helps you coping with it
• Practice with someone you trust: Role play what you would speak and do in certain scenarios, to let you know your own reaction based on others’
• Try relaxation methods: When you have physical symptoms, you can practice different breathing methods and find the one that suits you best
• Limit alcohol: Though consuming alcohol might seem relaxing, it could exacerbate your anxiety. If you are used to deal with social phobia symptoms with drinking, you might gradually become able to socialize only after consuming alcohol

However, if the symptoms are affecting your daily lives, you could consider psychotherapy and counseling.

For social phobia, psychotherapy and counseling helps them to realize and change their negative thoughts about themselves. The intervention also teaches skills to gain confidence in different social situations, to reduce the anxiety of socializing and interacting with others.

MY WELLBEING is one of the services provided by MY PLACE Health Services Center. MY WELLBEING tailors mental wellbeing plan for individuals of diverse sexual orientations/gender expressions. It includes professional affirmative counseling for individuals and couples, and sex therapy and counseling. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.