The Tapped feeling of Social Anxiety

By: Jocelyn Espinosa

You're at a social gathering and you start fearing people are watching or judging you. It’s a feeling that doesn’t go away, it's persistent and intense, hearing your heartbeat get louder and feeling your face heat up that combines with your sweat.

Social anxiety affects as many as 20 million people and is the second most common anxiety disorder. It isn’t something that is genetic but rather based on the environment that someone has grown in. It gives those who have it a hard time meeting new people, job interviews, small talk, etc.

Social anxiety is basically shyness on steroids, everything is more intense.

Sometimes social anxiety can be confused with being shy since both are very similar when it comes to symptoms. Both get nervous in social situations, fear they will receive negative judgement, or humiliated by what they do.

Personally, I’m a shy person and when put in a social situation I try to avoid anything that will make me talk to people I don't know. I turn red and start sweating when I talk to any adult, have to present in front of people, so really any situation where attention is on me, I panic.

I could be struggling on a problem at school or not understand the instructions, and I would be sitting there rather than asking for help.

Remembering a time where I got really bad anxiety would have to be freshman year when we had to present something I don’t even remember. On the day prior to having to present, I convinced my mom to let me stay home. Not presenting had brought my grade to an F.

The difference is that social anxiety can lead to other anxiety disorders and depression.

According to When Young People Suffer Social Anxiety disorder: What parents can do, social anxiety can cause them to develop depression by the age of 15 and is called a silent disorder because it can affect children for years before it’s diagnosed.

This would make them interact less with people and leave the house. This isn't good because this would play a factor in the person getting depression which can really take a toll on them.

When I asked Marlen how she thought social anxiety would affect a person's life she said “them not being able to fully go and enjoy life like how someone without social anxiety can.”

This is true because they will most likely spend their time worrying if they are being judged and won’t enjoy the time they are out.

Marlen herself told me that when she starts to get anxiety in an open setting, she tries to calm herself down.

“I try to get distracted before I start to panic. For example, touch 5 things, look for 5 different things, smell 5 things, take deep breaths” she said.

Even families fail to recognize that their child(ren) has social anxiety and just believe they are shy.

The person themselves might not even bother to tell an adult what they are feeling.

According to the article “U.S. FDA Grants VistaGen Therapeutics Fast Track Designation for PH94B for Treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder,” those with social anxiety are afraid they will be humiliated, judged, or rejected.

“No trust, the feeling of judgment” Marlen replied when I asked her why she thought the person doesn’t tell an adult how they feel.

Social anxiety can mess with someone’s life. Unless they are willing to talk to someone or get help, they will have opportunities ruined and might even end up getting other disorders that will proceed to make their life more difficult.