Social Phobia

Social phobia is excessive fear of embarrassment in social situations that is extremely intrusive. Many people think that social phobia is fear of socializing, but in actual fact, fear of public speaking (glossophobia) or eating in public is also associated with social phobia. In even more worst cases, some people are even afraid to walk down a street or go shopping in case people look at them. Experts say, “giving an oral presentation in front of an entire class, maybe mingling with a bunch of new friends at University – can be intimidating situations, and a few butterflies and dryness in the mouth are perfectly normal. But it goes beyond shyness when the terror is so great that you avoid raising your hand in class. You don’t go to parties. These types of behaviour indicate a social phobia.” Most social phobia sufferers are invariably loners and are very lonely and they often fail to develop intimate relationships. According to B.Stewart, people with social phobia are often misunderstood by friends, family and co-workers. This is because; they are always uncomfortable with other people. Students with social phobia often avoid situations where they might be included in a group.

There are many ways for an individual to overcome phobia. One of the ways is behaviour therapy. This is considered one of the most successful treatment, but the road would not be an eady one for the client. If people prefer the simpler method of overcoming social phobia, they can opt to try the relaxation method. This is because, relaxation helps to quieten our physical and psychological internal worlds and, therefore, aids in reducing the anxiety level. This method can be done at home, but in a quiet environment. Firstly, breathe slowly and deeply. This helps to relax our bodies immediately and quickly. According to Stewart.W, another common method of combating phobias is to listen to music. Individuals can make a special tape entitled “My Relaxing Music”. Repetitive listening to relaxing music can help a person to drown in their thoughts and relax. In order to make this work, one should get into a comfortable position and close their eyes. This will allow them to flow with the music and learn to live in peace with their imagination.

by Jillian Cheong Ping Ling