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Social phobia
In
social phobia one experiences anxiety and fear
about being in the focus of other peoples
attention, being judged, scrutinized, humiliated,
embarrassed, and/or seen as a fool in front of
others. One is afraid of behaving in a humiliating
or embarrassing way or to show anxiety symptoms. It
is believed that this leads to rejection, loss of
status/value, or failure in achieving important
personal goals. Because the person sees oneself as
inadequate one can experience difficulties with
establishing and maintaining social relationships.
Since the person is self-absorbed with his/her own
reactions one makes a bad impression on others.
Social phobia also includes an avoidance of social
situations or that one endures them with intense
anxiety or fear. Examples of social phobic
situations are to speak in front of others, eating
in the company of others, going to parties, meeting
with strangers, having a date with the other
gender, work while others are watching etc. Anxiety
and fear can be expressed through blushing,
stuttering, sweating, shaking, palpitations,
dizziness etc.
Safety behaviors prevents the formation of
realistic beliefs about the consequences of being
present in and behaving in various ways in social
situations. Examples of safety behaviors include:
to tense oneself in order to prevent shakings, to
dress oneself brightly in order to hide sweat, to
only drink when others have their attention away
from oneself, to repeat meanings internally before
one expresses them, to chose a table that has a
private location in a restaurant, to use
alcohol/tranquilizers in order to calm oneself, to
hold a glass/cup with both hands, to put up make-up
in order to camouflage blushing, to make others
talk with each other in order to draw attention
away from oneself etc. There are two types of
social phobia. First, specific social phobia which
means that one is afraid of and avoids a specific
social situation. Second, a generalized social
phobia which means that one is afraid of and avoids
several different types of social situations.
© Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) specialist in
Stockholm, 2005-2008, www.kbterapi.se
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