There's nothing wrong with the desire for solitude. For many people, loneliness or a temporary narrowing of the social circle — the perfect way to unwind, recharge and re-evaluate. After such a respite, you can again join in the daily cycle of events until the "battery runs out" again. People who are quickly tired of society are commonly called sociophobes. This is an incorrect definition. Social phobia — it is a psychological disorder based on social fears.
- What is social phobia and how it manifests
- Causes and symptoms of anxiety disorder
- Sociophobes and introverts: Finding 5 differences
- How to deal with social phobia: 5 helpful tips
- Highlights on social phobia and anxiety disorders
What is social phobia and how does it manifest itself
Sociophobia is an anxiety disorder in which a person has difficulty coping some situations — public speaking, meeting new people, visiting public places, etc. Fears are causeless, but very strong — pre-panic attacks. Attacks may be accompanied by increased sweating, redness of the skin of the face.
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Sociophobes concentrate not on communication situations, but on their own experiences. They doubt themselves, belittle their own achievements, are afraid to look others in the eye, and try their best to "get lost in the crowd" if they have to be among people.
All the same social fears are inherent in other people, but only occasionally, and the degree of manifestation is much lower. To determine whether it is social phobia or just an individual personality trait, you can use the special Liebowitz (Leibovich) scale.
Read also: How to believe in yourself: 5 simple recommendations from psychologists
Causes and symptoms of anxiety disorder
About 12% of the population suffers from social phobia, but the reasons of its appearance are not fully understood. It is known that this is not a congenital disorder, as generalized social phobia manifests itself at the age of 10-11 years, and specific — about 16-17 years old.
It is believed that a bad experience is a provoking factor, but there is no unequivocal scientific data that confirms this. Therefore, psychologists are inclined to the opinion that there is a hereditary predisposition to anxiety disorders.
With social phobia, a person has certain features that interfere with normal communication:
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Confidence in the hostile attitude of others. The person believes in advance that he will be condemned.
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Ultimate concentration on internal sensations. The sociophobe closely monitors the slightest changes in his condition, worries, exaggerates the significance of his fears.
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Safe or protective behavior. Social phobes try to act in such a way as to minimize the risk of negative assessment of others, avoid communication whenever possible.
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Negative interpretation of situations. Any reaction of the surrounding people is interpreted by social phobes not in to their own advantage.
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Reflection, focusing on failures.People prone to social phobia constantly return to their mistakes, exaggerate their meaning.
Expecting trouble in a communication situation leads to annoying misunderstandings that only confirm negative attitudes. The vicious circle closes and sociophobia feeds on itself.
Read also: Properties of a person's character that speak of mental disorders
Socialophobes and introverts: find 5 differences
Sociophobes are often confused with introverts — people who deliberately avoid society. But there are significant differences between them:
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Introversion — an innate quality, and sociophobia — acquired. Introverts need solitude for relaxation, and sociophobes are afraid of society, but their self-isolation is not pleasant.
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Sociophobes try never to contact with anyone once again, while introverts enjoy contact with a narrow circle of people.
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Sociophobes can also extroverts.They are uncomfortable in loneliness. Some of them would welcome invite guests if not the thought of being condemned.
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For introverts, other people's opinions mean little, while sociophobes are obsessed with trying to meet certain standards and worry if it doesn't work out.
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The main defense of social phobes — safe behavior. Introverts don have to resort to it.
The main difference between introversion and social phobia — attitude towards & nbsp; loneliness. For an introvert, this is good, but for a sociophobe — punishment.
How to deal with social phobia: 5 helpful tips
If you experience symptoms of social phobia, try to deal with them yourself:
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Keep a diary. Write down what worries you in situations and then reread the notes. You will quickly see that 90% of your fears are unfounded.
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Participate in organizing events. If you are very afraid of public speaking, take on some organizational issues. This will help to see the situation from a different angle and to be less anxious about it.
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Expand your comfort zone. You need to get out of your comfort zone, but it can be very stressful. There is a proven recipe: move towards the intended goal in small steps, getting used to new emotions.
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Ask questions. Stop hiding from communication, but and do "jump into the pool". Learn to ask people questions that require detailed answers. Gradually you will get used to dialogs.
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Meet new people.Refuse surrogate social media and look for new acquaintances. For this, "circles"of "interests" — language courses, gyms, study groups.
If an anxiety disorder manifests itself in the form of panic attacks, nausea, tremors, heavy sweating, it makes sense to seek professional help.
Read also: Stop stress: how to prevent the consequences of worries and worries
Highlights on social phobia and features of anxiety disorder
You shouldn't think of social phobia as a cute feature romanticized by the internet. This is a serious anxiety disorder that really poisons a person's social life. Keep in mind that:
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Sociophobia — This is an anxiety disorder. It may progress.
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While introverts are comfortable in solitude, then sociophobes suffer in isolation. They need the company of other people.
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You can deal with the problem yourself if you set yourself such a goal. Keep a diary to see how unreasonable your fears are, gradually expand your comfort zone.
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If social phobia manifests itself in the form of panic attacks, it is better to seek professional psychological help. Individual and group therapy works wonders.
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Don't hide from society. Open up to the world and make sure it is friendly, filled with wonderful people and pleasant events.
Read also: Assertive behavior: what it is and how to develop it
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