Anxiety is a physical and emotional response to stress, where the body alerts you of potential danger. Everyone experiences a certain amount of anxiety in their life, such as having a final exam the next day that makes you anxious or the pressure and anxiety you feel before making a life-changing decision. While occasional anxiety is natural, anxiety disorders are not quite the same.
Anxiety disorders are mental illnesses that cause persistent and intense worry and fear. This excessive anxiety can elude work, family functions, school, and other social situations that may trigger or aggravate your symptoms.
Social anxiety disorders are classic examples of one of the many anxiety disorders. Social anxiety disorder refers to when you experience excessive worry and self-consciousness about quotidian social situations. Furthermore, people with this disorder find it difficult to talk to people, meet new people, and attend social gatherings. Since they are often afraid of being judged, they feel powerless in experiencing their fears.
It’s a shame to see the amount of stigma and misconceptions attached to anxiety. People are highly misinformed about mental health, and due to the high levels of stigma attached to it, most people are quick to believe myths about disorders. The first step to destigmatising social anxiety disorder is to separate myths and facts.
Firstly, social anxiety is not the same as being shy. Unlike simply shy people, people with social anxiety worry continuously about social situations for several hours, days or weeks in advance. It’s a feeling of trepidation and phobia of what’s to come. These often result in panic attacks, bolting or “freezing up,” and others are forced into uncomfortable situations.
Secondly, social anxiety can hurt you. It can cause reduced productivity at work, diminish familial and romantic relationships, reduce health-related quality of life, and even increase the chances of suicidal thoughts. It must be taken seriously because leaving it undiagnosed or uncured may have several adverse effects in the long term.
Moreover, people with social anxiety disorder cannot “just get over it.” Social anxiety disorder is nearly always a chronic condition for those who remain undiagnosed and untreated. Some would believe that going to public speaking classes, pushing themselves to change, or merely trying to avoid their symptoms would cure them, but this is not the answer! Even though there is sufficient and effective social anxiety therapy available, people who force themselves into these triggering public situations like classes or self-challenge could possibly harm themselves in the long term with their current denial.
Social anxiety disorder is not the lack of public speaking skills or confidence. It is a state of complete chaos in the mind when put in everyday social situations. Since most people are still unaware of it, schools, institutions, families, and society overall have to make consistent efforts towards helping individuals with this disorder. As a society, let’s be more understanding, educated, and compassionate to those facing an anxiety disorder because they fight their own battles daily, and it’s hard even to imagine being in their place.
