From Shyness To Social Phobia: What They Are And How They Are Treated
Shyness becomes a problem that affects hundreds of thousands of people, often with negative consequences that go beyond simple discomfort. However, being shy does not mean having a psychological disorder ; Rather, it is a personality trait that can occur in different degrees of intensity.
Something very different happens with social phobia which is a disorder and puts the person in serious difficulties when trying to maintain a good quality of life.
In this article we will see what these two psychological phenomena consist of and what psychological therapy does to help people who suffer from one of them.
These two concepts are similar in several ways, but it is worth distinguishing them.
Shyness, as we have already seen, is a personality trait linked to pessimistic forecasts about how others will see us The idea of being a person with problems being accepted or appreciated by others feeds personal insecurities, and that is why those who are shy avoid being the center of attention, and prefer not to expose themselves too much to situations in which they can be valued by others. unknown.
Thus, although there are always exceptions, in general terms shy people tend not to have large groups of good friends, they tend to go out less to socialize, and they have more individual and introspective habits.
On the other hand, there is social phobia, also known as social anxiety disorder. In this case, the anxiety generated by the possibility of experiencing ridicule or rejection from others is so intense that the person obsessively avoids these types of situations, to the best of their ability. Besides, When exposed to contexts in which he attracts a lot of attention from several people, he can barely hide his anxiety and your priority is to get out of that place (even though by doing this you are drawing more attention, paradoxically).
In this case we are talking about a psychological disorder from the group of phobias, and therefore it can generate symptoms so intense that they are of clinical relevance; That is, they are reason enough to seek help from health professionals. The more time passes without having intervened on this tendency to develop moments of high anxiety, the more negative consequences accumulate: resignation from jobs with good conditions, practical impossibility of making friends or finding a partner, etc.
What is done in therapy to overcome these problems?
Both the problems derived from social phobia and very pronounced shyness can be addressed in psychotherapy, even though being someone who is shy is much less serious than having a phobia.
In the case of shyness, since it is more of a personality trait, Therapy will not make it disappear, but it does help it express itself in much more adaptive ways, and even to not be noticed at key moments, such as performances in front of the public. On the other hand, in the case of social phobia, the discomfort caused by exposure to unknown people rarely disappears completely, but it can become so weakened that it does not limit well-being or prevent leading a normal life.
How is this achieved? There are different ways to promote therapeutic change, and the overall objective of psychologists’ intervention points to the need to promote other ways of interpreting reality and different ways of interacting with others. This way, intervenes in both physical actions and mental processes both in the cognitive ones and in those that concern emotions.
Some of the techniques used in therapy to help these people are the following, although they are always adapted to the particular case of each patient:
⦁ Live exposure to social situations ⦁ Systematic desensitization ⦁ Psychoeducation, to get rid of unnecessary worries ⦁ Cognitive restructuring to question limiting beliefs ⦁ Exercises to improve expressive skills ⦁ Exercises to improve non-verbal communication ⦁ Creation of socialization guidelines to do between sessions ⦁ Work in collaboration with family members (if necessary and possible)
Conclusion
Psychology professionals specialized in psychotherapy use resources such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, emotional release techniques and other scientifically created means. to facilitate the patient’s transition to this new way of relating to other people
Of course, it is necessary for those who go to therapy to commit to this process of change for the better, given that psychologists do not impose anything or transform individuals if they do not do their part.
