Lord777
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We try to be tolerant of people "with serious problems", but when meeting an uncommunicative acquaintance who is only able to mutter something without looking at the other person in the eyes, many are ready to write off his behavior as a bad character, a fool or dislike for humanity. Is it really so difficult to pull yourself together and maintain a simple conversation? In fact, yes. ...
She is real
Psychiatry is traditionally, albeit informally, divided into “big” and “small”. Moreover, people who are far from medicine see the difference between them as much more fundamental than the psychiatrists themselves. It is not customary to ask questions about whether dementia or schizophrenia belong to real diseases - but in any discussion of neurotic disorders, including social phobia, there is always someone who convincingly advises to get rid of the crap out of your head, to get together , not to become limp and take, finally, myself in hand.
It is difficult to blame ordinary people for this approach - it is easy to believe that hallucinations in the head cannot be turned off by an effort of will in the same way as arthritis and migraines cannot be turned off. But it is much more difficult to believe that someone seriously cannot talk to a shop assistant or just go out into a crowded street. The conclusion that social phobia is a convenient excuse for lazy people suggests itself.
But doctors disagree with this point of view. Sociophobia came to the attention of scientists for a long time. The first described case of this disease dates back to the middle of the 19th century. Since then, there have been a lot of studies on the disorder, and, according to the available data, it is quite common. 13% of people have experienced it at least once, and 2.5% live in this state all their lives.
Sociophobia is often confused with introversion and sociopathy, but they are not the same thing. Introversion is a person's tendency to focus on their inner world and recuperate alone. A healthy introvert does not often need society, but does not experience the stress of having to talk to someone. Sociopathy, or dissocial personality disorder, is primarily about antisocial behavior, not fear of other people. A sociopath only observes social norms as long as they benefit him, and he can be both introverted and aspiring to become the king of the parties. And, finally, a social phobia is distinguished by an irrational fear of communication and the attention of others. If we take examples from movies and TV shows, then, say, Walter White and Jon Snow are introverts, Sherlock performed by Cumberbatch is a sociopath.
There are hypotheses according to which social phobia is inherited, but they have not yet been confirmed, and the onset of the disorder is more likely to be explained by psychological reasons.
Parents, being socially phobic themselves, can pass on the appropriate model of behavior to the child. Also, social anxiety is formed in children, whom mothers and fathers are exponentially compared with their "good" peers, especially if the child is reproached precisely for his lack of communication and unwillingness, as it should be, to make friends. Without these noble parenting impulses, children are much more likely to grow up psychologically healthy.
Lectures about the dangers of loneliness do not in any way motivate young introverts to seek company for themselves, but they form a sense of original otherness. In addition to the family, social anxiety can develop in a child at school, due to public and rude attacks by teachers (“Have you forgotten your head?”) And ridicule by peers, as well as at the university, where frustration due to heavy workload and fear becomes a decisive factor. fail, demonstrate their own "inadequacy."
Vicious circle
The fear of looking stupid, publicly making a mistake and being ridiculed, the fear of external evaluations manifests itself in different ways in different people. Often the phobia is very specific - for example, a person is embarrassed to eat in the presence of others or use a public toilet, give presentations or make phone calls, and cope with other tasks normally. However, the thought of any communication can also cause discomfort. Attempts to calm down social phobes with phrases like “look, they all treat you well” do not work - people with social anxiety suffer from “selective blindness” to the emotions of those around them: they see hatred, contempt and condemnation perfectly even when they are not there (feeling of their own insight when this can be very convincing), but they do not see positive emotions in relation to themselves.
At the same time, the need for acceptance from social phobes does not go anywhere, and many of them sincerely try to integrate into society, establish relationships, for example, with colleagues at work. But in order to decide to try, you need to turn off that annoying inner voice that says that others are hostile. This means that social phobes practically do not feel feedback when establishing communication - therefore, they can inadvertently step on other people's borders and face an already quite real negative reaction. Which will further convince them of the need for lifelong isolation - thus, a vicious circle is obtained.
And finally, the constant fear of being judged and judged forms a defensive reaction - social phobes develop a very specific attitude towards the people around them, who seem to be just waiting for the opportunity to laugh at them. Therefore, a social phobia often chooses alienation himself - why try to approach someone who is deliberately hostile to you?
False mirror
Neurophysiologists also give their explanation of the problem. In the 1990s, a group of Italian researchers published the first article on a group of neurons in the human brain that are responsible for mimic behavior in animals. These neurons were called mirror neurons. Mimicking is more than yawning while watching another yawn. It is imitation that lies at the heart of empathy, that is, the ability to understand the emotions of others and empathize with them, at the heart of language and speech. Without it, the development of culture and the emergence of civilization would have been impossible. Serious disturbances in the work of mirror neurons, found, for example, in autists, make people unable not only to empathize, but even to understand how others, in principle, are arranged.
The brains of people with social anxiety also have their own characteristics. For each case of rejection, for ridicule (it does not matter if they are real), the parts of the brain responsible for fear and anxiety immediately react, the nervous system is connected to the process, and sociophobes experience real pain - scientists have already proven that our body perceives psychological discomfort in this way the same as the physical.
It's no surprise that over time, people with social anxiety develop behavioral strategies to avoid those around them. In particular, they have a decrease in the activity of mirror neurons and, consequently, the level of empania in general. And gradually, social phobes quite sincerely begin to think that the people around them are really not particularly interesting.
It should be noted here that the majority, meeting acquaintances on the street, do not try to talk to them about new scientific discoveries and acute social issues. People discuss the weather, gas prices, boss's personality, and other unimportant things. Talking about nonsense is actually much more important than it seems - at these moments, mirror neurons are active, and people, discussing little things, thereby tell each other about their empathic connection, about the ability to empathize and share feelings. They do not need to understand this on a conscious level, they feel it and so.
But sociophobes do not feel. They sincerely believe that talking in the smoking room about children's runny nose and choosing birthday gifts is not worth participating in, and only demonstrates the general stupidity of those who are interested in them.
Of course, chatting about little things can be boring and non-social. But only they see in her a proof of their own dissimilarity from those around them.
Avoiding behavior leads socialophobes to a specific lifestyle - they have difficulties with getting a job, with addictions (and especially cyberdependencies), which ultimately forms the approach described by the classic - "don't leave the room, don't make a mistake. "This is how the Japanese hikikomori movement came about. More than a million Japanese adolescents and young adults have dropped out of school and work in order to lock themselves in their rooms, cut off all real social contact and live primarily at the expense of their parents. According to scientists, the prevalence of the phenomenon in the Land of the Rising Sun is due to two factors: the penchant for hermitism inherent in the mentality of the Japanese, and the traditional upbringing,
With a kind word and a pistol
As a rule, social phobes seek medical help only when social anxiety is accompanied by other neurotic disorders. This is because they tend to look for the cause of their social isolation in their own shortcomings or excessive shyness. Sociophobes who find out (and believe) that their problem is a well-studied disease that can be treated can be called lucky. But readiness to be treated alone is not enough. Psychotherapy for social anxiety is time consuming and can be quite painful. And since people with social anxiety have trained in pain avoidance for years, not all of them successfully complete treatment.
Psychotherapy isn't the only thing that modern medicine has to offer for people with social anxiety, and medication for social anxiety is common practice. Typically, antidepressants and medications are used to relieve symptoms that accompany social anxiety, such as heart palpitations.
None of the above, by the way, does not guarantee the absence of relapses in the future. So, with a high probability, you will have to undergo regular treatment for many years. However, not everyone strives for a cure - after all, you can work at home, and in the absence of developed empathy - what joy is it to discuss the weather and repairs with former classmates?
She is real
Psychiatry is traditionally, albeit informally, divided into “big” and “small”. Moreover, people who are far from medicine see the difference between them as much more fundamental than the psychiatrists themselves. It is not customary to ask questions about whether dementia or schizophrenia belong to real diseases - but in any discussion of neurotic disorders, including social phobia, there is always someone who convincingly advises to get rid of the crap out of your head, to get together , not to become limp and take, finally, myself in hand.
It is difficult to blame ordinary people for this approach - it is easy to believe that hallucinations in the head cannot be turned off by an effort of will in the same way as arthritis and migraines cannot be turned off. But it is much more difficult to believe that someone seriously cannot talk to a shop assistant or just go out into a crowded street. The conclusion that social phobia is a convenient excuse for lazy people suggests itself.
But doctors disagree with this point of view. Sociophobia came to the attention of scientists for a long time. The first described case of this disease dates back to the middle of the 19th century. Since then, there have been a lot of studies on the disorder, and, according to the available data, it is quite common. 13% of people have experienced it at least once, and 2.5% live in this state all their lives.
Sociophobia is often confused with introversion and sociopathy, but they are not the same thing. Introversion is a person's tendency to focus on their inner world and recuperate alone. A healthy introvert does not often need society, but does not experience the stress of having to talk to someone. Sociopathy, or dissocial personality disorder, is primarily about antisocial behavior, not fear of other people. A sociopath only observes social norms as long as they benefit him, and he can be both introverted and aspiring to become the king of the parties. And, finally, a social phobia is distinguished by an irrational fear of communication and the attention of others. If we take examples from movies and TV shows, then, say, Walter White and Jon Snow are introverts, Sherlock performed by Cumberbatch is a sociopath.
There are hypotheses according to which social phobia is inherited, but they have not yet been confirmed, and the onset of the disorder is more likely to be explained by psychological reasons.
Parents, being socially phobic themselves, can pass on the appropriate model of behavior to the child. Also, social anxiety is formed in children, whom mothers and fathers are exponentially compared with their "good" peers, especially if the child is reproached precisely for his lack of communication and unwillingness, as it should be, to make friends. Without these noble parenting impulses, children are much more likely to grow up psychologically healthy.
Lectures about the dangers of loneliness do not in any way motivate young introverts to seek company for themselves, but they form a sense of original otherness. In addition to the family, social anxiety can develop in a child at school, due to public and rude attacks by teachers (“Have you forgotten your head?”) And ridicule by peers, as well as at the university, where frustration due to heavy workload and fear becomes a decisive factor. fail, demonstrate their own "inadequacy."
Vicious circle
The fear of looking stupid, publicly making a mistake and being ridiculed, the fear of external evaluations manifests itself in different ways in different people. Often the phobia is very specific - for example, a person is embarrassed to eat in the presence of others or use a public toilet, give presentations or make phone calls, and cope with other tasks normally. However, the thought of any communication can also cause discomfort. Attempts to calm down social phobes with phrases like “look, they all treat you well” do not work - people with social anxiety suffer from “selective blindness” to the emotions of those around them: they see hatred, contempt and condemnation perfectly even when they are not there (feeling of their own insight when this can be very convincing), but they do not see positive emotions in relation to themselves.
At the same time, the need for acceptance from social phobes does not go anywhere, and many of them sincerely try to integrate into society, establish relationships, for example, with colleagues at work. But in order to decide to try, you need to turn off that annoying inner voice that says that others are hostile. This means that social phobes practically do not feel feedback when establishing communication - therefore, they can inadvertently step on other people's borders and face an already quite real negative reaction. Which will further convince them of the need for lifelong isolation - thus, a vicious circle is obtained.
And finally, the constant fear of being judged and judged forms a defensive reaction - social phobes develop a very specific attitude towards the people around them, who seem to be just waiting for the opportunity to laugh at them. Therefore, a social phobia often chooses alienation himself - why try to approach someone who is deliberately hostile to you?
False mirror
Neurophysiologists also give their explanation of the problem. In the 1990s, a group of Italian researchers published the first article on a group of neurons in the human brain that are responsible for mimic behavior in animals. These neurons were called mirror neurons. Mimicking is more than yawning while watching another yawn. It is imitation that lies at the heart of empathy, that is, the ability to understand the emotions of others and empathize with them, at the heart of language and speech. Without it, the development of culture and the emergence of civilization would have been impossible. Serious disturbances in the work of mirror neurons, found, for example, in autists, make people unable not only to empathize, but even to understand how others, in principle, are arranged.
The brains of people with social anxiety also have their own characteristics. For each case of rejection, for ridicule (it does not matter if they are real), the parts of the brain responsible for fear and anxiety immediately react, the nervous system is connected to the process, and sociophobes experience real pain - scientists have already proven that our body perceives psychological discomfort in this way the same as the physical.
It's no surprise that over time, people with social anxiety develop behavioral strategies to avoid those around them. In particular, they have a decrease in the activity of mirror neurons and, consequently, the level of empania in general. And gradually, social phobes quite sincerely begin to think that the people around them are really not particularly interesting.
It should be noted here that the majority, meeting acquaintances on the street, do not try to talk to them about new scientific discoveries and acute social issues. People discuss the weather, gas prices, boss's personality, and other unimportant things. Talking about nonsense is actually much more important than it seems - at these moments, mirror neurons are active, and people, discussing little things, thereby tell each other about their empathic connection, about the ability to empathize and share feelings. They do not need to understand this on a conscious level, they feel it and so.
But sociophobes do not feel. They sincerely believe that talking in the smoking room about children's runny nose and choosing birthday gifts is not worth participating in, and only demonstrates the general stupidity of those who are interested in them.
Of course, chatting about little things can be boring and non-social. But only they see in her a proof of their own dissimilarity from those around them.
Avoiding behavior leads socialophobes to a specific lifestyle - they have difficulties with getting a job, with addictions (and especially cyberdependencies), which ultimately forms the approach described by the classic - "don't leave the room, don't make a mistake. "This is how the Japanese hikikomori movement came about. More than a million Japanese adolescents and young adults have dropped out of school and work in order to lock themselves in their rooms, cut off all real social contact and live primarily at the expense of their parents. According to scientists, the prevalence of the phenomenon in the Land of the Rising Sun is due to two factors: the penchant for hermitism inherent in the mentality of the Japanese, and the traditional upbringing,
With a kind word and a pistol
As a rule, social phobes seek medical help only when social anxiety is accompanied by other neurotic disorders. This is because they tend to look for the cause of their social isolation in their own shortcomings or excessive shyness. Sociophobes who find out (and believe) that their problem is a well-studied disease that can be treated can be called lucky. But readiness to be treated alone is not enough. Psychotherapy for social anxiety is time consuming and can be quite painful. And since people with social anxiety have trained in pain avoidance for years, not all of them successfully complete treatment.
Psychotherapy isn't the only thing that modern medicine has to offer for people with social anxiety, and medication for social anxiety is common practice. Typically, antidepressants and medications are used to relieve symptoms that accompany social anxiety, such as heart palpitations.
None of the above, by the way, does not guarantee the absence of relapses in the future. So, with a high probability, you will have to undergo regular treatment for many years. However, not everyone strives for a cure - after all, you can work at home, and in the absence of developed empathy - what joy is it to discuss the weather and repairs with former classmates?
