If someone you are close to comes up to you and tells you he or she has Social Anxiety, what do you think of?
Do you think of shyness? Some may think that Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is not a real disorder and people with SAD will just ‘get over it’.
These are not true.
SAD is a mental disorder as it is pervasive (it affects many aspects of one’s life since we need to interact with other people on a daily basis), does not go away by itself and the fear people with social anxiety feel are intense, persistent and usually irrational (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], n.d.; Richards, n.d.).
It is a real disorder and many people are affected by it.
SAD is rarely talked about in Singapore but it is a pretty common mental health condition around the world. Approximately 7% of Americans are affected by social anxiety disorder (NIMH, n.d.).
To define, SAD is the fear of being watched or judged negatively by other people (NIMH, n.d.; Richards, n.d.). People with SAD are afraid of social situations where they need to interact with others (NIMH, n.d.; Richards, n.d.).
Here is a video by Millennials of Singapore which shows the account of someone with SAD in Singapore.
Some possible emotional and behavioural symptoms of SAD are (Mayo Clinic, 2017; NIMH, n.d.):
Persistent fear of being judged
Intense fear of speaking with and interacting with strangers
Feel embarrassed and awkward in front of others and may thus avoid engaging in activities or interacting with people
Avoiding social situations (such as going to parties, school or work)
Some possible physical symptoms include (Mayo Clinic, 2017; NIMH, n.d.):
Blushing, trembling or sweating
Heart beats rapidly
Feeling nauseous or having an upset stomach
Mind goes ‘blank’
Tense muscles and having rigid body posture
Coping with SAD can be difficult and should you suspect that you may have SAD, it is best for you to see a doctor and get help early. Cognitive-behavioural therapy, support groups and medication could help you to cope with and get rid of SAD (NIMH, n.d.).
Here are some strategies that you can apply to help you deal with SAD emotionally (Cuncic, 2019).
Deep breathing – Focus on your breathing. Inhale for 3 seconds and exhale for 3 seconds, drawing deep breaths from your diaphragm. Relax as you exhale and continue this for 5 minutes. Practice the breathing technique every day when you are relaxed. When you get anxious, apply this technique that you’d practiced.
Reduce negative thoughts – Be aware of the negative thoughts that you may have before, during and after situations that made you anxious. These thoughts are automatic and thus you might not even be aware of them. Challenge these thoughts by asking yourself questions and coming up with alternatives.
Face your fears – Make a list of the top few social situations that you avoid. For every situation, come up with a series of steps that are increasing in difficulty to expose yourself gradually to that social situation. Practice each step until you are ready to move on to the next one. Use the previous 2 strategies to help to cope with negative thoughts and your anxiety.
Hopefully, with this, you now have a better idea of what SAD is and understand that it is way more than being shy or introverted. As usual, if you have anything to share with us, please do! We would love to hear from you!
This Saturday, another common anxiety disorder, Panic Disorder, will be discussed.
For a list of helplines, click here.
References
Cuncic, A. (2019, June 24). The best self-help strategies for social anxiety disorder. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/coping-with-social-anxiety-disorder-3024836#emotional-coping.
Mayo Clinic. (2017, August 29). Social anxiety disorder (social phobia). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/social-anxiety-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20353561.
National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Social anxiety disorder: More than just shyness. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/social-anxiety-disorder-more-than-just-shyness/index.shtml.
Richards, T. A. (n.d.). What is social anxiety disorder? Symptoms, treatment, prevalence, medications, insight, prognosis. Retrieved from https://socialphobia.org/social-anxiety-disorder-definition-symptoms-treatment-therapy-medications-insight-prognosis.
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