Social Anxiety Disorder: How individuals with social anxiety are always misunderstood

written by Sougata Das

What is social anxiety disorder?

Social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia, is a feeling of anxiety, typically in social situations. It is characterized by a fear of being judged or considered disappointing by others. It's a common problem that usually starts during the teenage years. People with social anxiety often have a difficult time being around other people. This can include feeling embarrassed, ostracized, or embarrassed by simple things like an odd look from someone. Social anxiety can often make it difficult to even leave the house.

Signs and symptoms as well as reasons of social anxiety disorder can include constant:

• Anxiety and fear of social situations. 
• Restlessness and feeling on edge. 
• Extremely worried about making mistakes or seem awkward. 
• A constant sense of being on "high alert" and feeling like everyone is watching. 
• A reluctance to speak in public or participate in group activities.
• A strong fear of humiliation or being ridiculed. 
• A strong fear of experiencing strong emotions, such as anger or love. 
• A strong sense of detachment from others. 
• Intensely FIXATED on thoughts of humiliation or failure. 
• Extremely low self-esteem.

Solutions of social anxiety disorder:

1. Make Sure You're Comfortable Speaking in Public: Social anxiety disorder can be caused by an overwhelming fear of speaking in public, which can manifest as an intense feeling of self-consciousness and anxiety. 

2. Practice Relaxation Techniques: One of the most effective ways to combat social anxiety is to learn relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing exercises or guided visualization. 

3. Seek Professional Counseling: A therapist can help you identify and address any underlying causes of social anxiety, and can offer coping strategies to reduce fear and anxiety.

4.Avoid Situations Where You're Likely to Feel anxious: If avoidance is proving to be ineffective, try seeking out environments where social anxiety is likely to be less of a problem. This could include avoiding large crowds or going out in public for the first time after a long period of abstinence.

5.Train Your Brain to Face Anxiety: one of the most important things you can do to combat social anxiety is to train your brain to face anxiety head on. This can be done by practicing relaxation techniques and challenging your thoughts and assumptions

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How individuals with social anxiety are always misunderstood:

When it comes to social anxiety, people always seem to misunderstand it. They think that all social anxiety sufferers are required to be withdrawn and timid, when this is hardly the case. It's often assumed that social anxiety is a character flaw, when it's actually a very common and legitimate fear. 


Some people with social anxiety may experience intense anxiety in one or two social settings, but that's not the only way to experience the condition. In fact, there's a vast range of social anxiety, and everyone experiences it differently. While it's true that some people with social anxiety struggle to enjoy socializing, that doesn't mean that all social anxiety is bad. In fact, many people with social anxiety find that they have a much stronger connection with friends and family when they're able to participate in social activities without feeling anxious


Social Anxiety Disorder, known as SAD, stems from a fear of rejection and harsh scrutiny. People who have SAD overthink how they’re being perceived by others. They liken other people’s perspective to a mirror that’s supposed reflect back their self-worth. Socially anxious people feel a heightened pressure to maintain an unfazed appearance and have intense fear of goofing up. This can cause them to shrink back further into their bubble.







Unfortunately, their inability to smoothly communicate is often misunderstood as antipathy for socialization. Their reticence at forming distant social relationships can get misinterpreted as a lack of effort and absence of initiative.


In school, my social phobia slowly made me shy away even from familiar settings. I gave up on stage performances and extracurricular activities (ECAs) as a drastic measure to avoid human interaction. When I forced myself into participating, my knee-jerk aloofness and impaired communication skills made my efforts appear half-hearted during performance assessments.


Unlike popular belief, people can be comfortable in the spotlight, crave close-knit relationships and still struggle with crippling social anxiety.


There are a few reasons why people with social anxiety are misunderstood. First, social anxiety can be emotional and difficult to understand. Many people with social anxiety feel like they're constantly under pressure, and they have a hard time expressing themselves clearly. It can be hard to understand why someone would feel anxious in a social setting, when the experience is typically fairly mild for most people. 


Second, social anxiety can be associated with a number of negative stereotypes. People with social anxiety are often assumed to be shy and insecure, when in reality, that's not always the case. Finally, social anxiety can be difficult to detect and diagnose, which can lead to wrong assumptions about the condition and how it should be treated.


It’s very apparent that most adults in our country brush off social anxiety as shyness that can be easily triumphed. However, social anxiety is not something that one can overcome with just sheer willpower. The problem lies in the fact that our teachers, families and acquaintances point out what we’re doing wrong during social interactions, but they do not attempt to understand our social anxiety and why we require them to be kinder towards us.


Bangladeshi societal culture is very collectivist at heart and therefore people tend to assume the worst of those who cannot integrate seamlessly into a cohesive community ought to fear of socialization.


French philosopher Sartre once said, “Hell is other people.” As long as social anxiety is trivialized and ignored as a phantom issue, the quote shall continue to ring true for every socially anxious person out there.


Despite all of these challenges, there are plenty of people out there who are able to live successful and fulfilling lives with social anxiety. Most people with social anxiety experience mild to moderate anxiety, and it should never be viewed as a character flaw. Rather, it's a legitimate fear that should be treated in the same way that any other fear is treated. There are plenty of ways to manage and overcome social anxiety, and it should never be viewed as a insurmountable obstacle. If you're experiencing symptoms of social anxiety, don't hesitate to seek help. There are plenty of resources available to help you get the help you need.



































Sougata Das


Sougata Das is currently an Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) student at Brac University. He completed his higher secondary education at Notre Dame College (session 2020–2021). During the COVID-19 pandemic, he started web design and programming skills and gradually started working in his organization founded by him and his friends "Expand Humanity". There he works for mental issues for teenagers.  He always try to collect books on politics and history as he has great interests in it. He is a good acrylic painter passionately. He has achieved many prizes in extra curricular field.