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Social anxiety refers to anxiety characterized by emotional distress and fear in social situations, interactions with others, and when being evaluated, scrutinized, or closely observed by people.

A Few Words About Social Anxiety

Social anxiety may be associated with shyness, anxiety disorders, or other emotional and temperamental factors, but its exact nature remains a subject of research. In addition to the dominant feeling of shame, there is also the presence of intense anxiety and depression, a tendency to withdraw, and low self-esteem.

Behavior in Social Anxiety

People experiencing shame or fear in social situations typically avoid scenarios where they might expose aspects of themselves they consider inadequate or flawed. These situations include:

• Introducing themselves to strangers
• Speaking to authority figures
• Undergoing oral examinations or interviews
• Dining with others
• Giving presentations or speaking in front of groups

In some cases, this avoidance extends to a wide range of social activities and interactions. Over time, this can prevent individuals from developing the skills necessary for social integration.

While avoiding anxiety-inducing situations may provide short-term relief, it ultimately perpetuates the problem. By consistently evading these scenarios, individuals deprive themselves of opportunities to learn and practice effective socialization skills.

The consequences of avoidance in social anxiety

People with social anxiety often believe that others are more adept at social interactions, which further hinders their ability to socialize. They live in constant fear of making significant mistakes that others will notice, and are perpetually afraid of ridicule. At their core, these individuals seek reassurance that others will accept them without judgment, rejection, or abandonment.

Common thoughts include:

• “I won’t know what to say”
• “My voice will start trembling and I’ll embarrass myself”
• “I’ll appear boring”

These thoughts frequently lead to intense anxiety or distressing physical symptoms. As a result, individuals often avoid social situations they might otherwise enjoy, such as parties or events. If they do attend, they endure these gatherings with extreme anxiety and discomfort.

Consequently, many people with social anxiety have few friends and struggle to form relationships or find partners. They may also gravitate towards jobs that minimize social interactions and exposure. This can lead to social isolation, significantly impacting crucial areas of life such as interpersonal relationships, work, and leisure activities.

Based on DSM-IV-TR

Social phobia, also known as social anxiety disorder, is the clinical form of social anxiety. It can significantly reduce one’s quality of life. The terms “social anxiety” and “social phobia” are often used interchangeably.

Unlike normal worry, social anxiety involves an intense fear, particularly in unfamiliar situations where one might be observed or evaluated by others.

Key aspects of social anxiety

According to the DSM-IV-TR, individuals with social anxiety disorder recognize their fears as excessive or irrational but feel unable to control their anxiety. They dread potential scrutiny, negative evaluation, and criticism from others, especially strangers.

Anxiety-inducing situations may include:

• Public speaking
• Performing in front of others
• Engaging in small talk
• Flirting

People with social anxiety fear displaying symptoms of anxiety (e.g., sweating, blushing, trembling) or behaving in ways they perceive as awkward, embarrassing, humiliating, or demeaning, thus inviting negative judgment.

For instance:

• Someone fearing perspiration in public might avoid handshakes.
• An individual worried about saying something foolish or stuttering might avoid group conversations or initiating dialogue.

This fear can be so intense that merely thinking about social interaction provokes anxiety, leading to avoidance behaviors. When these situations can’t be avoided, they’re endured with extreme discomfort.

The avoidance, anxious anticipation, or distress associated with fear-inducing social situations significantly disrupts one’s daily life, affecting:

• Occupational or academic performance
• Social activities
• Interpersonal relationships
• Overall well-being due to the distress caused by the phobia itself

Psychological Causal Factors for Social Anxiety

Research indicates a strong link between traumatic experiences and the development of social phobia. Two studies found that 56% to 58% of individuals with social phobia identified direct traumatic experiences as the origin of their condition (Ost & Hugdahl, 1981; Townsley et al., 1995). Moreover, 92% of adults with social phobia reported experiencing severe childhood teasing or bullying.

A study by Hackmann et al. (2000) revealed that 96% of participants with social phobia could recall specific traumatic social experiences that shaped their current self-image in fear-inducing situations. These memories often involved being criticized for displaying anxiety symptoms—such as blushing or sweating—or feeling awkward, insecure, and uncomfortable in public. Such experiences frequently stemmed from bullying or being belittled to the point of feeling worthless or incapable.

Family dynamics also play a crucial role. Individuals with generalized social phobia often report growing up with emotionally distant, socially isolated, and avoidant parents. These parents typically undervalued social interactions and discouraged their children from participating in social events.

Additionally, many individuals with social phobia trace the onset of their condition to periods of peer-related difficulties, such as struggling to fit in with their social group.

However, it’s important to note that:

• Not everyone who experiences stressful social situations, directly or indirectly, develops social phobia.
• Growing up with socially avoidant parents or experiencing peer problems doesn’t guarantee the development of social anxiety.
• Individual differences in experiences significantly influence who develops social anxiety or phobia.

Social Fears and Phobias in an Evolutionary Context:

Ohman and his colleagues proposed that social fears and phobias evolved as a byproduct of dominance hierarchies, which are a common social arrangement among animals such as primates (Diemberg & Ohman, 1996; Ohman et al., 1985). If social phobias evolved as a byproduct of dominance hierarchies, it’s not surprising that humans are evolutionarily predisposed to acquire fears of social stimuli that signal dominance, hostility, and aggression from other people.

These social stimuli include:

• facial expressions of anger or contempt
• or generally a hostile or aggressive attitude from someone else

On average, all people seem to process angry or hostile expressions more quickly and easily, in contrast to happy or neutral facial expressions.

This is likely because such expressions, even fleeting or unconscious ones, activate the amygdala – the central brain structure involved in fear learning (Ohman et al., 2007). Relatively recent results have also shown that individuals with social phobia exhibit greater activation of the amygdala. This occurs in response to negative facial expressions (such as angry faces).

Such results may help explain the seemingly irrational quality of social phobia. That is, angry or hostile faces are processed very quickly. So that an emotional reaction can be triggered without a person’s awareness of any threat. The hyperactivity in response to negative facial expressions is paralleled by increased neural reactions (from neurons) to criticism. (Blair et al., 2008)

Perceptions of Lack of Control and Unpredictability

Exposure to uncontrollable and unpredictable stressful events can significantly contribute to the development of social phobia. Such events may include parental separation and divorce, family conflicts, or sexual abuse.

These perceptions of uncontrollability and unpredictability often result in submissive and non-assertive behavior, typical of socially anxious or phobic individuals. This behavior is especially likely when the perceptions stem from a real social “defeat” the individual has experienced. As a result, people with social phobia often have a reduced sense of personal control over life events.

This diminished expectation of personal control may develop, at least partly, from growing up in families with somewhat overprotective (and sometimes rejecting) parents (Lieb et al., 2008).

Cognitive Errors in Social Anxiety

Cognitive factors play a crucial role in the onset and maintenance of social phobia. Beck and Emery (1985) proposed that:

• Individuals with social phobia expect others to reject or negatively evaluate them. This expectation leads to a sense of vulnerability when they’re near potentially “threatening” individuals.
• Clark and Wells (1995; 1997) later suggested that these mental schemas of danger lead socially anxious individuals to anticipate behaving awkwardly and unacceptably, resulting in rejection and loss of social status.
• These negative expectations cause:
  • Preoccupation with physical reactions and responses
  • Stereotypical, negative self-images in social situations
  • Overestimation of how easily others detect their anxiety
  • Misinterpretation of how others perceive and understand them
• This intense self-focus during social interactions, sometimes extending to monitoring their own heart rate, impairs their ability to interact skillfully.
• Another cognitive error in social phobia is the tendency to interpret ambiguous social cues negatively. For instance, when someone smiles, a socially anxious person might wonder, “Do they like me, or do they think I’m foolish?” Moreover, these individuals tend to primarily remember their negatively biased interpretations.

The Vicious Cycle of Social Anxiety

A vicious cycle often develops: The internal social fears and awkward behavior of individuals with social anxiety may lead others to react less warmly, thus confirming their negative expectations about themselves and others.

These biased cognitive processes not only maintain social phobia but may also contribute to its development.

Conclusion

Social anxiety can significantly impact our quality of life. By hindering the development of our social skills, it directly affects our interpersonal relationships and communication style.

It’s normal to feel some apprehension about social situations, whether it’s giving a public speech, making a presentation, or introducing ourselves at a social event. Similarly, occasionally wanting to isolate ourselves from others is natural and even necessary.

The problem arises when avoiding social situations becomes habitual. This “tactic” may provide short-term relief from the anxiety of stressful events. However, in the long run, it can have profoundly negative consequences, alienating us and preventing us from living our lives and nurturing relationships as we’d like.

Βιβλιογραφία

• APA. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed., Vol. 37). 1000 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA 22209-3901: American Psychiatric Association.

• Bennett, P. (2010). Κλινική ψυχολογία και ψυχοπαθολογία. Αθήνα: Πεδίο.

• Pittman, C. M., & Karle, E. M. (2015). Rewire your anxious brain – how to use the neuroscience of fear to end anxiety, panic & worry. Oakland: New Harbinger Publication, Inc.

• Daviu, N., Bruchas, M. R., Moghaddam, B., Sandi, C., & Beyeler, A. (2019). Neurobiological links between stress and anxiety. Neurobiology of stress, 11, 100191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ynstr.2019.100191