do you find yourself avoiding Crowds Are
you more comfortable alone or in a small
group do you typically cancel plans to
get some you time if you answered yes to
any of these questions you might think
you're an introvert you might be wrong
if the thought of social interaction
makes your heart race and your palms
sweat this could be a sign of social
anxiety disorder according to the UK's
National collaborating Center for Mental
Health social anxiety is
the persistent fear of one or more
social situations where embarrassment
may occur and the fear or anxiety is out
of proportion to the actual threat posed
by the social situation as determined by
the person's cultural norms how can you
tell if you're an introvert or if you're
socially anxious here are five signs it
might be social anxiety
it's ego dystonic do you actually enjoy
being alone in a 2020 interview clinical
psychologist Dr Romani durvasula points
out that introversion is ego synthonic
this means introverts enjoy being alone
and recharge this way rather than going
out to blow off some steam
social anxiety on the other hand is
egotistonic meaning it's out of touch
with your preferences many people with
social anxiety are actually extroverts
who love the company of others but they
isolate themselves out of fear which
makes them miserable Dr durvasulo
summarizes the differences with this
beautiful quote
introversion is your way social phobia
is in your way
let's say your friends invite you to
hang out at the mall if you're an
introvert you might decline because you
truly prefer to relax alone after you
decline you also don't worry about what
they think of that
if you have social anxiety you might
feel compelled to decline even though
you want to go out being around your
friends makes you feel like Piglet from
Winnie the Pooh your anxiety may have
you convinced they secretly hate you or
that you need to watch your every move
so that your fear outweighs your desire
to hang out
now you're home wishing you could be
outside with closed blinds and a phone
on airplane mode this is not
introversion
all eyes are on you
do you worry that others talk about you
behind your back a lot according to the
National collaborating Center for mental
health people with social anxiety are
constantly on the lookout for negative
judgment embarrassment or humiliation
it's natural to wonder what others might
think about you but not if it's a
constant and overwhelming worry
these worries aren't just small doubts
but often full-blown anxiety attacks a
study by Temple University investigated
the causes of social anxiety and found
that the distress was as intense as
post-traumatic stress syndrome let's say
you're stuck in a dinner party
conversation if you're an introvert this
might be your own personal torture your
inner monologue might sound like how can
anyone enjoy these boring conversations
how long do I have to smile and Nod when
can I leave and go home to do something
enjoyable
but if it's social anxiety you might
feel like you're being buried under an
avalanche and your inner monologue might
sound more like am I sweating can
everyone tell how nervous I am do I look
stupid did I say something dumb over and
over again your inner monologue can be a
great clue as to whether you're
introverted or have social anxiety
thinking at light speed contrary to
popular belief social anxiety is not
just about large events like
performances or public speaking these
things would make most people anxious
social anxiety therapist Arlen kuncik
notes that social anxiety torments
people during smaller events like
answering the phone buying groceries or
getting a haircut it's not just about
how large the interaction is it happens
anytime others are around let's say you
got some lunch at the food court and you
need to walk across the room to get to
an empty table as you walk you might be
wondering if everyone is staring
chanting not to trip in your head
questioning if you look cool or asking
yourself if they can tell you're nervous
all the while you feel your brain has
been hijacked by fear from inside out
you suspect it's not normal to be shaken
by such a small thing and you're right a
neuroimaging study by the West China
Hospital of Sichuan University showed
that the amygdala the part of the brain
that regulates stress as an overactive
and debilitating fear response in those
with social anxiety so next time you're
overthinking thank your amygdala
think think and think some more how much
preparation do you put into social
interactions do you rehearse it like a
performance do you wonder about all the
ways that you could fail before it
happens
studies published in the Journal of
abnormal psychology and the
Transylvanian Journal of Psychology
showed that social anxiety traps you in
an inescapable Whirlwind of anxious
thoughts for weeks before an anticipated
event in even weeks afterward let's say
you want to call to order a pizza
instead of just calling you rehearse for
half an hour practicing every word to
make sure you don't mess up
after you finally muster the courage and
make the call you reflect on the entire
conversation over and over in your mind
you stay up at night wondering if you
made any mistake with thoughts like
why did the other person pause after I
spoke did they think my question was
stupid did they cough or were they
quietly laughing at me and so on these
types of thoughts can mean you're
dealing with social anxiety
sugar we're going down like we mentioned
before social anxiety can last for weeks
but how long can it last a long-term
study published in the American Journal
of Psychiatry showed that the average
patient has symptoms for 9
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if gone untreated the isolation created
by social anxiety can swallow your whole
life
let's say you get invited to a vacation
and opt out because you think the others
will laugh at where you
were when you succumb to this fear this
can create a domino effect that can
cause you to drop out of everything else
in your life school work day trips
Gatherings eating out and anything
involving other people
even when withdrawing from social life
impacts your daily life you still
continue until it's no longer healthy
research by Harvard Medical School
Professor Ronald C Kessler showed that
patients suffering from social anxiety
have significantly lower rates of
getting and keeping friends graduating
school getting and keeping a job getting
married and having children don't fret
now that you're aware this doesn't have
to be you if your social avoidance is
out of touch with your inner desires is
driven by intense fear prevents you from
basic functions triggers many anxious
thoughts or causes total withdrawal you
might have social phobia and not
introversion luckily there is help there
are many effective treatments like
role-playing social situations gradual
exposure to real life social situations
eliminating safety behaviors learning
how to relax on cue and reframing
anxious thoughts if you suffer from
social anxiety please seek professional
help we had psych to go believe in you
we've been there if you made it to the
end drop a blue heart emoji in the
comments below and let us know if you
think you have social anxiety or are
introverted until next time