Trina’s Story: The Invisible Struggle With Social Anxiety Disorder
The challenges of living with social anxiety disorder.
Trina has been at her current job for about a year. Throughout her life, she has easily made friends and grew up in a nurturing family. Recently, Trina moved in with her long-term partner and has a group of good friends she loves socializing with. However, she avoids attending large parties or delivering work presentations.
Sometimes, before parties, Trina claims she's ill when she isn't. She often starts arguments just beforehand to avoid going. This behavior has strained her relationship, and she feels guilty for not following through. Occasionally, she forces herself to attend, but she sweats, feels nauseous and experiences stomachaches the entire time. She wants to have fun and talk to other people, but instead, she dwells on her thoughts and convinces herself they dislike her, so she stays isolated.
When she leaves, she criticizes herself for being "weird" and worries if she'll ever feel "normal" around strangers. She wasn't always like this. Seven years ago, she worked at a stressful job where her boss criticized her in front of her peers. This embarrassment carried over into her current workplace, and her manager postponed her promotion due to her lack of participation. Trina is physically healthy yet has never sought support from mental health professionals.
What is Social Anxiety Disorder?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, social anxiety involves feelings of intense distress and concerns about being judged by others. They worry about peoples' opinions of themselves and fear they may discover they are flawed, incompetent or don't belong.
Some anxiety is normal and even healthy. Becoming nervous about an upcoming task or meeting new people is common. Sometimes, this anxiety is called optimal anxiety, and it helps us perform better. Optimal anxiety signals we are about to do something impactful, and these feelings fade after the event is over.
Social anxiety disorder causes intense worry regarding any social situation and affects your ability to enjoy these experiences. You might criticize and dwell on your actions long after the event ends.
Often, people with social anxiety disorder have difficulties maintaining relationships. They excessively worry about saying or doing something embarrassing in front of others. Sometimes, social anxiety can be so severe they may avoid any situation where they must interact with others, such as school, work or gatherings. This behavior often leads to isolation and even depression. Without treatment, social anxiety disorder may last for several years or be lifelong.
Causes of Social Anxiety
A specific event doesn't have to occur for social anxiety to develop. Sometimes, it's a combination of physiology, experiences, environment, social norms or a stressful situation. You can also have all of these risk factors yet still not develop social anxiety disorder. About 12.1% of people will experience social anxiety disorder at some point.
Social Anxiety Disorder vs. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
The primary difference between social anxiety and generalized anxiety disorder is social anxiety is specific to social situations. In contrast, generalized anxiety disorder involves intense worrying about many facets of life, including money, work, school and situations out of your control. Those with either disorder fear they're not good enough (impostor syndrome). Depression is also common for those with either condition.
Symptoms of Social Anxiety
Social anxiety disorder is more than just shyness. Symptoms associated with social anxiety disorder include:
Hypersensitivity to criticism
Difficulty being assertive
Low self-esteem and feeling inferior
Physiological changes (sweating, trembling, nausea or rapid heartbeat)
Muscle tension
Difficulty making eye contact
Fear of being embarrassed or offending others
Anxious anticipation and avoidance of social events or activities
You do not have to experience all of these symptoms to be diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. In addition, these symptoms may be short or long-term and range in severity.
Treatment Options for Social Anxiety
Social anxiety disorder is highly treatable. A licensed therapist can assess whether you may have social anxiety disorder or a different condition. If you require treatment, they will use a combination of evidence-based strategies to help you feel better. These may include cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, talk therapy and mindfulness techniques. Group and individual counseling are effective strategies to address social anxiety disorder.
There are many forms of social anxiety, ranging from mild to more significant cases. While typical anxiety can help you perform better before job interviews or performances, social anxiety disorder can be debilitating. If you feel social anxiety is negatively impacting your life, talk to a licensed mental health therapist. They can help you develop the strategies and tools you need to cope so you can live life to the fullest.
