Being a shy person is not as bad as it seems, even having shy behavior could be considered as a virtue when shyness is moderate. In general, shy people are usually more respectful, reliable and protocol people in social treatment. Moderate shyness does not prevent the person from enjoying life and heading to their goals and objectives, neither does it have to lack self -esteem. However, there are people whose shyness becomes extreme to the degree of preventing them also to isolate themselves from others. This type of extreme shyness, which is extremely negative, in psychology is considered as social phobia. Social phobia is a psychological disorder that is located within the group of anxiety disorders and is considered one of the most common disorders.
In this psychology-online article about extreme shyness in adults: symptoms and treatmentwe will know what are the symptoms of an adult who suffers from extreme shyness or social phobia, what are their causes, what consequences this can bring to people and their treatment.
The adults with extreme shyness or social phobia They present a series of common symptoms when they are interacting with other people, which we will describe below:
Physical symptoms
Tachycardia.
Facial blush
Excessive sweating.
Gastrointestinal discomfort.
Voice tremor and/or hands.
Muscle tension
Tics.
Behavioral symptoms
Avoidance and/or escape in the social situations where they think they can make a fool of them or be mocked.
They can adopt behaviors destined to hide their anxiety when they are facing some social interaction. For example, they tend to let other people speak more than them, previously plan what they are going to say or do in a certain situation, they can consume alcohol to disinhibit, etc.
They tend to adopt security measures to protect themselves from any possible social ridiculous. For example, they can wear dark clothes so that they are not noticed by sweating, not writing in front of other people, not talking on the phone in front of other people, etc.
Cognitive symptoms
They have negative thoughts and beliefs about themselves.
They focus a lot on themselves.
They become obsessed with the possible consequences that their behavior can have and consider them catastrophic.
They impose on themselves personal rules and norms that are excessively exaggerated. since they demand too much. When they cannot carry them out, they constantly self -criticize.
They can have difficulty concentrating and finding the right words when they talk to one or more people.
Causes of extreme shyness in adult
Extreme shyness or social phobia usually appears in the stage of childhood or adolescence suddenly after a humiliating or extremely stressful experience for the person.
So that the shyness of a person becomes extreme becoming a social phobia, some factors have to be present, such as the following:
Biological vulnerability: Scientific research has been found that indicate that this disorder can be hereditary.
Psychological vulnerability: It refers to everything the person has learned throughout life, which determines the way in which it perceives difficult situations and the way of facing them. This way of perceiving life and personality is based on the raising style that has been received, life experiences, etc. For example, if a person throughout his life has experienced constant negative social situations such as teasing, rejection, intimidation, marginalization, etc., is more likely to become a shy person, which if he is not corrected in time, more ahead can be triggered in extreme shyness. On the other hand, the lack of social contact prevents the person from properly developing their social skills. As for the raising style, it has been found that children of overprotective parents, too demanding and nothing affectionate, have more possibilities of developing extreme shyness or social phobia.
Irrational beliefs: When throughout his life the person has developed a series of negative and irrational beliefs about herself and the way of perceiving the world. For example, thinking that everyone always has to please everyone, that in order to fit into society, it has to be almost perfect, that it is better not to say anything to be wrong, that you have no right to make mistakes, etc.
When an adult suffers from extreme shyness or social phobia, Limited Limited And it is impossible for him to have a meaningful life due to the negative consequences that this type of disorder brings.
By avoiding feared social situations, the problem only manages to increase more and more, so the person runs the risk of be isolated totally from others. All this can bring major problems such as depression and other disorders that are not attended to time can increase their severity. So it is worth making an effort to start a treatment, to solve this situation and not allow this problem to become even more limiting.
Treatment for extreme shyness in adult
Extreme shyness in adults or social phobia must be treated by a professional of mental health. The person who suffers it must be valued to apply the treatment that further adjusts to their individual needs.
In most cases, only only the psychotherapyHowever, sometimes it can be combined with the use of drugs As antidepressants or anxiolytics, which are only to relieve symptoms, by themselves do not solve the problem.
The therapy that has proven to be very effective in overcoming extreme shyness in adults is cognitive-behavioral therapy. The main objective of this therapy is to inform the patient through psychoeducation all about this type of phobia, modify their irrational beliefs and thoughts that are preventing them from relating to the way in which you want it with others and achieve your personal goals , changing them for more positive and adaptive ones. As well as eliminating those behaviors of avoidance and escape that presents in the aforementioned social situations and gradually accustoming it through relaxation techniques and exposure to this type of social encounters. To do this, you are also taught a series of skills so that you can feel safer when interacting with other people.
You may also be interested in reading our article on how to help a shy and insecure child.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology For we have no power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Extreme shyness in adults: symptoms and treatment we recommend that you enter our category of social psychology.
I’m Emily Williams Jones, a psychologist specializing in mental health with a focus on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness. With a Ph.D. in Psychology, my career has spanned research, clinical practice and private counseling. I’m dedicated to helping individuals overcome anxiety, depression and trauma by offering a personalized, evidence-based approach that combines the latest research with compassionate care.
