Social Acceptance for Social Anxiety

BY: Ethan Dizerens

What is Social Anxiety Disorder, and how does it differ from nervousness

Social Anxiety Disorder, or more commonly known as social anxiety or social phobia, is the underlying fear of social interactions and situations that develops usually in teenage to adulthood years. It includes the fear and avoidance that interferes with a person’s ability to carry on with their normal tasks of the day, such as going to school and managing interpersonal relationships. Feelings of discomfort and nervousness in situations are not signs of social anxiety disorder. They are normal reactions to stressful events, and usually go away after that event has passed. 

How people affected with Social Anxiety Disorder are perceived by others, and how it contributes to the established stigma of social anxiety

People that experience social anxiety are often seen by those who aren’t as shy, reserved, and are judged for not being as confident. These passive judgments only lessen the number of people who struggle to deal with social anxiety from getting necessary treatment and medical attention. This can be seen in a test similar to that of Feldman and Crandall, where vignettes on patients with specific psychiatric disabilities were placed depending on social distance. The vignette with social anxiety had a greater social distance compared with the others, but was the most avoidable. This proves how the established stigma of social anxiety prevents those from confidently seeking help and being able to work on overcoming their social anxiety, as they are worried about how the general public would respond. 

Overcoming social anxiety, and ways to move forward in society’s thinking

As social anxiety mainly happens in cognitive areas of the body, it is hard to find an easy quick-fix. Instead, we as members of society, should learn what social anxiety actually is and how it affects people on a daily basis. This could happen through public service messages, educational talks in educational institutions, as well as a general rise in awareness for psychiatric disabilities. Treatment for affected individuals can also take the form of psychotherapy, more specifically cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT is a useful way to teach affected individuals social skills, as well as provide them with engagement in frequently avoided activities to help them manage it one step at a time. These solutions combined not only progresses society’s way of thinking, but allows those with social anxiety to be able to overcome their disabilities. 

Citations

Anderson, K. N., Jeon, A. B., Blenner, J. A., Wiener, R. L., & Hope, D. A. (2015). How people evaluate others with social anxiety disorder: A comparison to depression and general mental illness stigma. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 85(2), 131–138. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000046

Lcpc, S. a. M. (2023, March 29). Nervous vs. Anxious: What's the Difference? Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/is-it-normal-anxiety-or-an-anxiety-disorder-2584401

Social anxiety disorder: more than just shyness. (n.d.). National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/social-anxiety-disorder-more-than-just-shyness#:~:text=treatment%20for%20you.-,Psychotherapy,feel%20less%20anxious%20and%20fearful.

Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic. (2021, June 19). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/social-anxiety-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20353561

Website, N. (2023, May 19). Social anxiety (social phobia). nhs.uk. https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/social-anxiety/#:~:text=Social%20anxiety%20disorder%2C%20also%20called,better%20as%20they%20get%20older.