Surely we know someone or we ourselves have some type of repulsion or fear of some bug or animal considered unpleasant, such as spiders or rats, or perhaps this feeling of anguish appears in some type of specific situation such as climbing a very tall building. . However, phobias go beyond a simple feeling of repulsion, fear or anxiety.
It is defined as a phobia to the intense and debilitating fear that is experienced in front of something regardless of whether it is an object, situation or thing. As we said, Phobias are not just a feeling of fear and they differ from this in their intensity, becoming paralyzing, and in their persistence, they always occur.
People who suffer from phobias usually do so for a long period of time; normally the feelings of anxiety and all the anxious symptoms that the phobia produces are present throughout the person’s life, if they are not treated. Although there are common phobias, phobias can develop towards any object, place, situation, feeling or animal. Some people may experience more than one phobia.
Social phobia is a type of anxiety disorder. People who suffer from social phobia suffer from extreme and persistent fear of social situations. It does not always manifest itself in the same way, some people with social phobia will avoid social events, while others feel great anxiety in certain situations, not always the same. In this article we will first see what social phobia is and what types of social phobias exist to end with a precise description of its symptoms.
A phobia is, by its definition, an anxiety disorder that develops when a person has a persistent, exaggerated or unreal feeling of panic about a situation or object. In the case of social phobia, it appears in situations that involve other people. Social phobia is also known as social anxiety or social anxiety disorder.
It is natural and common that speaking in public or sitting at a table full of strangers causes some feelings of anxiety or anguish. Furthermore, many people, due to their more introverted nature, may have difficulty facing some social situations, since they feel uncomfortable or speak less than the rest, and appear shy and insecure in front of others; These types of feelings and sensations are completely normal and do not indicate any type of social phobia.
However, people who suffer from a social phobia They express real panic in these types of situations that involve other people directly or an audience. They may worry about an event long before it occurs and continue to worry days after it has occurred. People with social phobia hide a fear of being judged, criticized, ridiculed or humiliated by others. This leads them to experience anxiety in situations where they feel watched or have to be the center of attention.
The main types of social phobia
As we have seen, we can speak of social phobia when a persistent fear of one or more social situations occurs in a person. The person with social phobia fears acting in front of others in a way that causes shame or humiliation but this fear is not rational.
Phobias can be classified into two main groups. Specific phobias are, as the word says, phobias suffered from a specific object or situation, such as the phobia of animals, the phobia of flying or the environment (water, darkness, storms, etc.). They usually begin in childhood or adolescence and symptoms may decrease as we age.
The second type of phobias are complex phobias, they usually have a greater impact on people’s lives and normally develop in adulthood. Two of the most common complex phobias are agoraphobia and complex social phobia.
Within social phobia, two subtypes have been identified: a social phobia that is characterized by the fear of specific public situations, known as specific social phobia, which, like other specific phobias, occurs in relation to specific activities, which in its case involve other people. And complex social phobia, which is characterized by the pathological fear of facing multiple different social situations.
In the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), specific social phobias of public speaking correspond to “non-generalized social phobia,” while complex social phobia is diagnosed as “generalized social phobia.”
Specific social phobias or non-generalized social phobia
Within specific social phobias, they can usually be triggers of an anxious condition situations like:
Complex social phobia or generalized social phobia
In complex social phobia, The person may experience anxiety in a multitude of different social situations. People with social phobia may experience anxiety even before the event has taken place. After the event, the person can replay their conversation infinitely to see where they went wrong, or what went wrong, turning the repetition into a kind of infinite torture. The constant reflection that arises from social failure can cause a multitude of negative feelings to appear, and contribute to strengthening the problem of avoiding social situations in the future.
Unlike specific social phobia, the complex form is usually more disabling, occurs more frequently, and its symptoms are more persistent over time. Besides, the complex form has a lower probability of natural recovery over the course of life and carries a higher risk of comorbidity and deterioration. Effective treatments are needed that can manage not only complex social phobia, but also the conditions that can appear with it.
Prevalence and origin of social phobias
Social phobias tend to be underdiagnosed and undertreated, since sometimes the line between fear of something and phobia is fine. But as we have said, phobia is a real disorder.
According to the MSD manual (widely recognized medical guide), Around 13% of people may suffer from some type of social phobia throughout their lives. The prevalence of the disorder is 7% in men and 9% in the female population.
Social phobia is usually related to feelings of discomfort when being with others in childhood and becomes more evident in adolescence. But its onset as such usually does not occur until after puberty, between 10 and 14 years of age in girls and between 12 and 16 in boys.
When exposed to an intimidating social situation, people with social phobia may face extreme anxiety.
Therefore, the person with social phobia will avoid situations or, if forced to face them, will suffer great anxiety beyond acceptable limits, accompanied by a great feeling of anguish. People who suffer from this type of disorder are aware of the irrationality of their reaction and their exaggerated response to the situation, but they feel unable to change or control the associated feelings or behavior. The phobia, like other types of anxiety disorders, significantly interferes with the development of the person’s normal life, including the work, educational, family and social spheres.
The fear or avoidance felt by social phobia is not due to another type of general medical condition or the avoidance mechanism that derives from an addiction, as in the case of alcohol, where it is seen as a universal solution and means that we do not face problems. In the case of substance abuse, this type of avoidance would rather have an adaptive explanation in which the human being tries to avoid unpleasant situations or emotions.
Symptoms of social phobias
There are a series of symptoms of psychological origin, such as repetitive negative thoughts, worrying about sweating, blushing, vomiting or showing other symptoms that make their anxiety visible. They are also assailed by feelings of doubt and uncertainty; when faced with situations, they worry about not being able to express themselves in an adequate way because they do not know what words to use or continue with the thread of their speech and get lost.
The most common physical symptoms that people with social phobia experience within intense anxiety are: nausea, sweaty palms, stomach pain, dry throat, fast heart rate. In some cases, these symptoms turn into a real panic attack.
During the feared social situation, people with social phobia show great difficulty concentrating on anything other than the physical sensations of anxiety and negative thoughts, even anticipating negative comments from the public. They feel an overwhelming urge to flee the situation. As we have said before, people are aware that these reactions and feelings are irrational and disproportionate.
Social phobia can greatly affect the daily lives of people who suffer from it, it can:
Cause self-esteem problems and affect self-confidence.
Making people feel extremely isolated or separated from others.
Due to avoidant behavior, making it difficult to develop and maintain social and intimate relationships.
Interfere with work life or other aspects of daily life, such as shopping or dining.
If left untreated, social phobia can seriously affect quality of life. Some of the most common complications may be abuse of alcohol or other substances to cope with anxiety during social events, misuse of prescription or over-the-counter medications, reduced educational or employment opportunities, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
