Anyone can have some level of shyness and difficulty dealing with unknown people. But when this difficulty prevents the individual from forming relationships in various environments, it may be a sign of social phobia. This phobia can also be known as social anxiety disorder and can be confused with symptoms of anxiety attacks, insomnia, and even panic syndrome.

Therefore, we will help you better understand what social phobia is, explaining its causes, symptoms, and how to identify the problem. Remember that a diagnosis can only be made by a professional: Psychologist or Psychiatrist. In the end, we will also show how hypnosis can be a way to help patients suffering from this problem. So, read until the end!

What is social phobia?

According to the NIH (National Institute of Mental Health), social anxiety disorder (social phobia) is a chronic mental condition where the individual feels high discomfort with any social interaction, especially when it involves a large number of people. Generally, this discomfort can vary depending on how the person deals with life experiences, but it is common for the discomforts to manifest with an intense feeling of anxiety and fear.

Due to this heightened anxiety, this phobia can be considered one of the types of disorders that anxiety causes. People who have this phobia, in almost all social situations, feel this discomfort so intensely that they can no longer have full control over their emotions. This explains why the most common reaction of these people is to try to remain quiet and withdrawn.

People with this phobia do not like to attract attention from others because they think they might do something embarrassing or be judged and belittled. Because of this, individuals suffering from this phobia avoid speaking publicly and attending events in person as much as possible, which ends up disrupting their entire cycle of relationships in any environment.

Common everyday experiences that can be difficult for the patient include, for example:

• Interacting with unknown people or strangers;
• Attending parties or social gatherings;
• Going to work or school;
• Initiating conversations;
• Making eye contact;
• Dating;
• Entering a room where people are already seated;
• Returning items to a store;
• Eating in front of other people;
• Using a public restroom;

Below is a shared account by the NIH of a person suffering from this phobia:

“At school, I was always afraid of being called on, even when I knew the answers. I didn’t want people to think I was stupid or boring. My heart raced, and I felt dizzy and nauseous. When I got a job, I hated meeting with my boss or speaking in a meeting. I couldn’t attend my best friend’s wedding reception because I was afraid of having to meet new people. I tried to calm myself by drinking several glasses of wine before an event and then started drinking every day to try to cope with what I had to do.”

Now that you have a better understanding of what this phobia is, we have organized a complete list of symptoms below. Continue reading to find out what they are.

Symptoms

We have separated the symptoms into emotional and physical categories to facilitate identification. See below the emotional and behavioral symptoms that may sometimes arise in the patient:

• Fear of situations in which they may be judged;
• Worrying about embarrassing or humiliating oneself;
• Intense fear of interacting or speaking with strangers;
• Fear that others will notice they appear anxious;
• Fear of physical symptoms that may cause embarrassment, such as blushing, sweating, trembling, or shaky voice;
• Avoiding doing things or speaking with people for fear of embarrassment;
• Avoiding situations where they might be the center of attention;
• Having anxiety in anticipation of a feared activity or event;
• Enduring a social situation with intense fear or anxiety;
• Spending time after a social situation analyzing their performance and identifying flaws in their interactions;
• Expecting the worst possible consequences from a negative experience during a social situation;
• For children, anxiety in interacting with adults or peers may be demonstrated by crying, tantrums, clinging to parents, or refusing to speak in social situations.

Physical signs and symptoms may sometimes accompany social anxiety disorder and may include:

• Blushing;
• Rapid heartbeat;
• Trembling;
• Excessive sweating;
• Upset stomach or nausea;
• Trouble catching breath;
• Dizziness or lightheadedness;
• Feeling that their mind has gone blank;
• Muscle tension;

According to NIH, children can also suffer from this problem. Symptoms of social phobia in a child include:

• Crying or getting upset more often than usual;
• Becoming very aggressive;
• Avoiding interaction with other children and adults;
• Fear of going to school or participating in classroom activities, school presentations, and social events;
• Not asking for help at school;
• Being very dependent on their parents or guardians.

We have already understood all the possible symptoms, now let’s explore a little the causes of this problem. Check it out!

Causes

Like many other mental health conditions, social phobia likely arises from a complex interaction of biological and environmental factors. According to the Mayo Clinic, possible causes include:

• Inherited traits. Anxiety disorders tend to run in families. However, it is not entirely clear how much of this is due to genetics and how much is due to learned behavior.
• Brain structure. A structure in the brain called the amygdala may play a role in controlling the fear response. People with an overactive amygdala may have an intensified fear response, causing increased anxiety in social situations.
• Environment. Social anxiety disorder may be a learned behavior—some people may develop the condition after an unpleasant or embarrassing social situation. Additionally, there may be an association between social anxiety disorder and parents who model anxious behavior in social situations or are more controlling or overprotective of their children.

Treatments

According to Healthline, the most common treatments involve individual or group therapeutic care to help the patient deal with the specific causes of the problem and propose practical solutions that they can implement during certain situations, achieving a greater tolerance process to their discomfort. It is also recommended to control foods that can cause anxiety, such as coffee consumption, or drugs and intoxicants. 

Now, could hypnosis be a way to treat this disorder or at least help combat social phobia? See the answer to this question below!

How Does Hypnosis Work for Social Phobia?

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), with small considerations from the Brazilian Society of Hypnosis (SBH), hypnosis can be defined as a state of consciousness [intentionally induced] involving focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness, characterized by an enhanced response to suggestion. In this state, the subject is led to experience changes in sensations, perceptions, thoughts, or behavior [goal-oriented].

In the case of social phobia, the therapist can use hypnosis on the patient to create environments of systematic desensitization and re-signification of traumatic events through suggestions. The goal is for the therapist to simulate these situations so that the patient can rework their core beliefs and build successful experiences necessary to deal with these emotions in real situations.

During the sessions, the therapist can also use hypnosis for relaxation and reduction of negative emotions.

In other words, if the patient has traumas or problems speaking in public, the therapist will use hypnosis to re-signify precisely these environments, reminding the patient of these situations or simulating other similar ones. This way, the subject will learn to deal with these sensations during the sessions.

Corroborating the above description, there is scientific evidence of using hypnosis to help combat social phobia. According to a case study published in the NIH, it shows that a person underwent 10 hypnosis sessions, and the results indicated that this patient was able to engage in social and professional matters that were impossible before treatment with hypnosis. 

Therefore, hypnosis can be an alternative way to combat social phobia, sometimes being a natural way without the need for medication.

The important thing is that the patient does not fail to consult a trusted doctor to have a more complete diagnosis of their situation.

Did you enjoy learning about social phobia? Then, you will also enjoy reading our article on Imposter Syndrome: How Hypnosis Can Help?