社交焦虑详解

Most of us feel awkward in at least some social situations, especially when we’re going to be in the spotlight or meeting new people. It’s also very normal to feel shy, nervous, or uncomfortable in situations where we might be judged, like an interview, meeting your partner’s family, or starting a new job.

Most of the time, this kind of anxiety settles with time, and it doesn’t often stop us from doing fun and important things. For some people however, anxiety about social situations can be debilitating and can impact their work, relationships, and quality of life. This is generally called social anxiety.

If you feel very stressed in social situations, or if you often feel very worried about other people judging you, then you might benefit from learning more about social anxiety disorder.

Social anxiety is excessive and persistent fear of being judged by other people. People with social anxiety worry about embarrassing or humiliating themselves. They tend to see themselves as strange, ugly, stupid, or flawed in some way. They also tend to worry a lot about being judged for showing physical signs of anxiety, like sweating, blushing, or trembling.

Unsurprisingly, people with social anxiety feel very stressed in situations where they might be judged by other people, like parties, job interviews, meeting new people, public speaking, getting a haircut, eating in public, or going shopping. As a result, they tend to avoid these situations as much as they can.

This means that people with social anxiety often miss out on important events or opportunities. They can also struggle to communicate their needs, say ‘no’ to people, and maintain friendships. As a result, social anxiety can have a significant impact on people’s confidence, self-esteem, and psychological wellbeing.