Social phobia is one of the types of phobia for which people go to psychotherapy the most. However, some people are not aware that they are developing it and believe that it is just another characteristic of their way of being, or they refuse to face that they have a problem for which it is necessary to go to professionals.
In this article we will see the ways in which social phobia impacts people’s quality of life, so that it is easier to detect the appearance of this psychological alteration and intervene as soon as possible through psychotherapy. Furthermore, in this way we will review the implications of allowing a disorder of these characteristics to grow in us.
This is a summary of the different ways in which social phobia erodes the quality of life of people who develop it.
1. It complicates daily life due to avoidance routines
People with social phobia They adopt their habits to avoid, as far as possible, contact with people with whom they do not have a certain amount of trust This happens, for example, by trying to buy without leaving home, placing orders online.
2. It makes it almost impossible to meet new people
The implications of this effect of social phobia include that one is not able to expand one’s circle of friends, as well as meet people with whom to start a possible romantic relationship.
Social phobia not only has harmful effects on a person’s mental health; It also has a negative impact on physical health, because promotes social isolation and sedentary lifestyle as well as increased exposure to addictions or anxiety-reducing activities that are not good for the body, such as engaging in compulsions, binge eating, trichotillomania, etc.
4. Generates a constant fear of rejection
Although the social life of people with this disorder is very poor, despite this The fear of being a victim of rejection or ridicule does not cease
How to distinguish it from shyness?
The easiest way to understand the difference between social phobia and shyness is to understand that the latter is a personality characteristic that in some people is expressed consistently over the years, more or less since adolescence.
On the other hand, as we have seen, Social phobia has a very important learned component linked to the context as it is based in part on expectations about the social support available, and may also have been developed based on traumatic experiences that lead the person to feel very vulnerable and emotionally disconnected from the way others They experience life.
Shy people do not have a fairly high probability of presenting psychological disorders, while social phobia is associated with presenting a high risk of developing this type of alterations Specifically, these individuals are more exposed to depression, addictions, other anxiety disorders and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
Finally, the way in which shyness is expressed also differs from that of social phobia. In situations of interaction with unknown or semi-unknown people, people with social phobia suffer symptoms that can never be hidden, and that often seriously hinder communication, such as breathing problems, tachycardia or tremors, while those who are shy reveal this in more subtle ways such as through facial flushing, the tendency to avoid eye contact or cold sweats in cases where there are many nerves.
On the other hand, shyness is expressed primarily in moments of social interaction, while social phobia also expresses its symptoms when no one is around. This is because those who have developed this disorder usually adopt strategies to avoid exposing themselves to others as much as possible.
The importance of seeking help in psychotherapy
Fortunately, social phobia can be addressed through psychotherapy which is effective in reducing symptoms until they are weak enough that the person can enjoy a full social life if other disorders do not come into play.
The professionals of the Psicode Psychology Institute We are trained in treating all types of anxiety disorders, including social phobia and shyness problems that do not constitute a diagnosable psychological disorder. You can find us in our centers in Madrid and Alicante. To contact us or see more information about our services, click this link.
