Social anxiety: The hidden habits that make it worse

Key Points:

• Social anxiety disorder affects up to 12% of people and can severely impact social interactions, academic performance, and mental health, with many university students experiencing symptoms linked to isolation and lower grades.
• Common signs of social anxiety include physical symptoms like blushing and tingling, avoidance behaviors such as staying quiet or sticking to safe topics, and intense self-criticism after social events.
• Experts highlight that social anxiety involves excessive self-monitoring and fear of negative judgment, often worsened by increased smartphone use and remote working, which reduce face-to-face interactions.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the recommended treatment, helping individuals reframe thoughts, reduce safety behaviors, and gradually face feared social situations to test and challenge negative assumptions.
• Recovery is a gradual process involving self-compassion, behavioral experiments, and reducing rumination, as illustrated by Mary’s experience of improving social engagement through therapy and supportive friendships.