Introduction

Social anxiety disorder (SAD), also known as social phobia, is a type of anxiety disorder that is characterized by extreme fear of social situations. A person affected by this disorder has difficulty interacting with other people, meeting new people, and attending social events. Social anxiety disorder sufferers fear being judged or scrutinized. Even though they realize their fears are unreasonable or irrational, they feel powerless to overcome them.

About 15 million American adults experienced Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) in the year 2020, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA).

How to cope up with social anxiety…….!!

Is being judged by others one of your greatest fears?

Many of us are familiar with the feeling of being uncomfortable or nervous in a social situation. You can get nervous meeting new people or get sweaty palms before giving a big presentation. It is not easy to face a room full of strangers or give a speech in public, but most people can handle these situations with some ease.

Social Anxiety and I have been friends for a while. Anxiety (She) stands in front of me in social situations, making it harder for people to see the real me. She blocks out the good parts of me and silently screams and yells so no one can actually hear the real me. In short, she silences me. The anxiety in me stops me from speaking in social situations.

The worst thing about having social anxiety is how it makes me appear to other people. Considering how important social cues and verbal communication are when forming new friendships, I sometimes come across as cold, uninterested, or even mean because of her. At times, I’ve had people think that I’m rude or that I have anger management issues, or even that I find everyone irritating. During social situations, I often experience a sense of dread or worry and spend hours ruminating over worst case scenarios that can get in the way of my social interactions. This is not just the case of social interactions; I feel this way in professional life and personal relationships as well.

One thing people don’t realize is having her make you lonely. Even though I suffer from social anxiety, I still do want to have friends. I want to be understood and accepted for who I am. As much as I desire connection, many a time, I also wish to be alone at times. I wish to attain better emotional stability where I can better manage feelings, thoughts, emotions, and understand what triggers my social anxiety.

I used to hate her, but now I have grown used to her and accepted her presence in my life. She makes my life so much more difficult, yet we remain close.

Sometimes I get the better of her. I am able to overcome her dominant presence. An example of a recent success in overcoming my social anxiety is from my workplace. With the help of my leader, who encourages and believes in me.

He / She persuaded me to look into the Doctorite app. I was hesitant at first, then tried the app thinking what am I going to lose. This app changed everything for me. This app allows people suffering with social anxiety disorder a unique way to recover by guiding and helping you to accomplish incremental goals designed to teach you how to better cope with your anxiety and, ultimately, lower its severity. Doctorite app provided me with self-assessment tools, deep breathing, muscle relaxation exercises, and stress management opportunities that guided me on the path of recovery. One feature that helped me most on the recovery path was the journal tool, that allowed me to record and track my fears, concerns, and worries that take place on a daily basis.

Furthermore, with the help of my leader and adopting coping techniques like taking a deep breath before a presentation, I am able to perform better when speaking in front of an audience, conducting presentations, and initiating group discussions. The ability to actively engage and lead discussions in a team setting helped me to cope with my social anxiety. No one knows how hard it was in the beginning and how much energy it took each time for me to overcome my social anxiety, but with time and consistent effort, I was able to overcome my social anxiety, and gain confidence.

By accepting and acknowledging my anxiety, I feel like I am able to gain better control each time, and this is a major accomplishment in my life. I learned to look for my own feelings of self-worth and validation instead of looking for approval from others. Then I noticed that what other people thought of me no longer seemed to matter that much. I believe, that if I am able to overcome my social anxiety, others can too.

If you or your loved one is facing social anxiety, then seek help. If talking to friends and family is not helping, then download our Doctorite app, talk to an On Demand Empanion, access our self-help content to read related personal journeys, and if you need professional counseling, reach out to us to talk to a counselor. Click here to connect with our “On Demand Empanion” and be heard by our empathic listener, who understands the root cause of your social anxiety. Help you make real connections and bring a sense of purpose back into your life. Doctorite offers you customized self-help modules to be with you anytime, anywhere.