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Have you ever felt nervous or anxious when presenting a project in front of your coworkers or classmates? Have you ever felt nervous when talking to someone you like?
Feeling nervous or anxious in social situations is normal.
While it is true that this is a more typical characteristic of introverted people, practically everyone has felt this way at some point.
Shyness vs. Social Anxiety
Shyness is the feeling of apprehension, lack of comfort or discomfort. that a person may experience in social situations, especially when meeting new people and interacting with others. It is a typical trait of introverted people and reflects their style of relating to others.
On the other hand, social anxiety refers to a intense and persistent feeling of fear of being judged negatively, humiliated or embarrassed in front of other people.
Social situations that generate the most anxiety may include interacting with others (meeting new people, starting or maintaining a conversation, asking someone out, going to a party, or talking on the phone), which is known as interpersonal situations; or be the center of attention (public speaking, giving a concert, performing on stage, reading aloud in front of others, or participating in a meeting), known as performance situations.
Therefore, we could say that the main difference between shyness and social anxiety would be in the intensity of the discomfort, its frequency and the number of situations in which it usually appears.
Social anxiety is the most debilitating extreme. Experiencing anxiety in certain situations is normal and even healthy. It's important to keep in mind that the intensity and range of fear in social situations can vary greatly among individuals.
Anxiety is what motivates us to work focused, prepares us for challenges, and protects us from potential threats.
However, this same anxiety becomes a problem when it significantly interferes with our lives and causes us discomfort.
Treatment of social anxiety
When addressing social anxiety or shyness in a consultation, we usually begin with a psychological evaluation.
In this assessment, information about the problem is collected through an interview, questionnaires, tests, and/or a daily record of thoughts and/or behaviors.
This helps us establish a baseline for the problem, understand how the symptoms affect the person, understand the characteristics of the problem, and guide us in choosing the most effective treatment for each case.
There are many ways to address this symptomatology in therapy, however, the treatment that has proven to be most effective is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
This therapy includes cognitive and behavioral strategies, such as:
- Social skills training
- Relaxation techniques
- Exposure
- Cognitive restructuring
There are different CBT-based protocols aimed at treating social anxiety and shyness.
Several of them usually involve group treatment to promote exposure to feared situations.
However, the choice of protocol and techniques to be used in consultation will be decided by the health or clinical psychologist based on the characteristics of each case.
Do you need help?
If you feel that social anxiety is interfering with your daily tasks or relationships, at Catalina Calafat's clinic we can help you.
Early intervention is essential to achieving a better quality of life and emotional well-being.
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