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Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a globally prevalent, chronic, debilitating anxiety disorder affecting the youth at some point in their lives. With co-morbidities including major depression, substance abuse, lower educational and work attainment, and increased suicide risk, it has a significant public health burden.
The pandemic had, at one point, created a physical distance between people. Most meetings and communications were online only. Now that things are nearly back to before, most people are facing difficulties owing to this transition. Many now dislike physical meetings and feel anxious over them.
There are some common manifestation areas of social anxiety. Some of them are:
Social situations
Most adolescents dislike participating in any social functions, specially the ones that involve relatives and close family members. They find it difficult to make conversations and feel awkward when they are forced to attend the same.
WFH culture
Some individuals have stated that they were happier with the work-from-home (WFH) setup and have dropped out of jobs that demand in-person attendance.
School/college attendance
Many youngsters have developed insecurities about their grades and looks, and feel that staying at home and attending lectures online made them feel more secure. Attending college for them implies being judged and, thus, some students have preferred to either bunk college or only attend during the examinations.
Performance-oriented
Performance oriented social anxiety disorder is when you experience intense fear and anxiety during speaking or performing in public but not in other types of more general social situations.
Past history
Social anxiety disorder usually comes on around 13 years of age. It can be linked to a history of abuse, bullying, or teasing. Shy kids are also more likely to become socially anxious adults, as are children with overbearing or controlling parents. If one develops a health condition that draws attention to their appearance or voice, that could trigger social anxiety.
Online socialisation
Most young adults have made friends on social-media platforms. These friends often have only spoken online and never met in person. A person here has the liberty to choose who he/she wants to speak to, based on their likes and dislikes. These online friends provide each other with validation and, thus, a person does not feel the void of not meeting up with people in person.
Trust issues
Most individuals have, at some point, been betrayed by a peer, friend or in a relationship. This leads to them losing faith in any new friendship or association. They prefer staying by themselves and do not wish to attempt to know anyone for the fear of being betrayed again. A bad experience also makes them typecast all individuals as being the same.
Comparison
The fear of comparison, of not being as good as another person, can cause a person to totally avoid a social situation. Often, at a social situation when two individuals of the same age group meet, the tendency to compare who is doing what, is high. Some may dislike this and thus choose to not be a part of a social situation.
COMMON SYMPTOMS
Physical symptoms
The physical symptoms one may experience can range from profuse sweating, tightening of the chest, trembling voice, dry mouth, ringing in the ear, dizziness, nausea, heart racing, headache and shortness of breath.
Emotional symptoms
Intense fear of being negatively judged, based on inadequate social performance, constant worrying, severe awkwardness or inferiority around authority figures, extreme reluctance to express opinions, feelings of shame and inferiority.
Symptoms in children
For children, anxiety about interacting with adults or peers may be shown by crying, having temper tantrums, clinging to parents or refusing to speak in social situations.
Treatments
Various treatment options can help people manage their symptoms, gain confidence, and overcome their anxiety. Without treatment, however, social anxiety disorder may persist throughout life, though it may feel better or worse at certain times. Healthcare professionals will usually recommend treatment with psychotherapy, medication, or both.
Conclusion
Social anxiety disorder is not uncommon. Approximately 5 per cent to 10 per cent of people across the world have social anxiety disorder. It’s the third most common mental health condition, behind substance use disorder and depression.
Social anxiety disorder symptoms can change over time. They may flare up if a person is facing a lot of changes, stress or demands in life. Although avoiding situations that produce anxiety may make a person feel better in the short term, the anxiety is likely to continue over a long term if it is left untreated.
Alisha Lalljee is a psychologist, special educator & psychotherapist practising in Bandra, Mumbai
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