There are several types of social anxiety disorder, which can vary in terms of the specific situations or contexts that trigger anxiety or fear. Here are some of the most common types of social anxiety disorder which are generalized social anxiety disorder, performance anxiety, non-assertive social anxiety, body dysmorphic, and social anxiety related to specific situations or objects. I’ll break down the different types of social anxiety disorders and how I dealt with and their causes..

Types Of Social Anxiety Disorders

Social Media Anxiety

Social media anxiety is a type of anxiety disorder that results from excessive or unhealthy use of social media. This anxiety can be further broken down into , subtitles such as:

Fear Of Missing Out

• First of all, fear of missing out (FOMO) is an important type of social anxiety. Social media platforms can give people a sense of social connectedness. However, when people feel left out of online conversations or events, they can develop anxiety and stress. What’s the first thing you grab when you’re heading out the door, you’re phone. God forbid if you forgot that, even though I’m just as guilty as the next person. Significantly, another anxiety is comparison anxiety. We are a society that has to better than the next person.

Comparison Anxiety

• Comparison anxiety is unfortanitly another type that precipitates social anxiety. Social media can make it easy to compare oneself to others. When people see images and posts of people living what appears to be picture-perfect lives, they may feel pressure to have their life measure up. Especially now, when more people are becoming wealthy from the internet. Most of us want to jump on the band wagon and then get scammed for it. Likewise, children are being cyberbullied through social media.

Cyberbullying

• Cyberbullying is on the rise. Being targeted by online bullies can cause feelings of fear, anxiety, and depression. Kids that were being bullied at school, are now experiencing it on their computers. Meanwhile, more younger individuals are becoming addicted to social media.

Addiction

• Addiction is one more contributating factor. Social media can be addictive, and the fear of not being able to put it aside can be a source of anxiety. More and more individuals are becoming addicted to Facebook, X, Instagram and TicTok, just to name a few of the more popular ones. We, as a society, forgot how to communicate with each other through face to face communication. In addition, privacy concerns is another important factor in social anxiety.

Privacy Concerns

• Lastly, privacy concerns is the final factor of SAD. The sharing of personal information on social media can lead to fears of identity theft, data breaches, and loss of privacy, which can result in anxiety. This is a big problem because you have younger and younger children going on these sites and they don’t know about privacy matters. Subsequently, all they know is that they reached out and are in contact with someone on the other end.

Social media anxiety can develop from a range of factors, such as fear of missing out (FOMO), comparrison, cuberbullying , addictions and last but not least. privacy concerns. It has become more prevalent today than in the past. More and more people (including children) are using social media to reach out to other individuals and they don’t really know who they’re communicating with. Here are some examples of social anxiety disorders:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized social anxiety disorder is one type of social anxiety which involves fear or discomfort in a wide range of social situations, including public speaking, meeting new people, attending social events, and engaging in everyday interactions such as making phone calls or eating in public. This is probably the most well known form of social anxiety. I hate making phone calls because I’m afraid of saying something dumb to the person on the other end. It’s kind of funny when you’re worried about something like that, it stops you from living your life. There are substantially more important thins to worry about. I’m not diminishing it, because I go through it every day. I guess what I’m saying is it’s funny how in different ways the brain interprets fear. Because that’s what it is, just pure fear.

Performance Social Anxiety

Nevertheless, performance anxiety is another type of social anxiety which involves fear or anxiety related to performing to a crowd, such as giving a speech or performing in a musical or theatrical production. After I was singled out by my first grade teacher in front of the class multiple times, I was extremely shy. Now, if I go into a store, I avoid looking at or talking to other people if I don’t have to. I don’t like to cause attention to myself. The less eyes on me the better off I am. I’m afraid to take a walk in my neighborhood because I can feel them standing in their house, glaring at me. It’s kind of funny how a few years back, I never worried about stuff like that. I don’t know what makes me feel that they would take time out of their day just to stare at a person walking down the street. I have definitely let performance anxiety ruin my quality of life! Following performance anxiety is non-assertive anxiety.

Non-Assertive Social Anxiety

Non-assertive social anxiety is another type of anxiety. This type of social anxiety is characterized by difficulty asserting oneself in social situations, often due to fear of being judged or rejected. Individuals with this type of social anxiety may struggle to express their own opinions or preferences, or may have difficulty saying “no” to requests or invitations. Not so much now, but when I was growing up, I was bullied a lot. I would always expect what few friends I had to defend me because I wouldn’t defend myself. Therefore, I never really had that many friends in school. Also, I always had a hard time saying ‘no’ to other people. I didn’t say no for the fact that I didn’t want them to be mad at me. God forbid, somebody would be mad at me. Yep, I was a people pleaser! Notice I said was. After I graduated high school, my persona of being in the public eye, changed. I became a rebel and didn’t care what anybody thought of me. Although, part of the anxiety started to creep back into my life and that’s where I am today dealing with it. Being non-assertive can effect your social anxiety.

Body Dysmorphic Social Anxiety

As well as non-assertive social anxiety, body dysmorphic social anxiety is another type of anxiety disorder. Individuals with this type of social anxiety have a preoccupation with perceived flaws or imperfections in their appearance, and may avoid social situations or interactions due to feelings of shame or embarrassment. Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), which is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) characterized by a preoccupation with perceived flaws or defects in one’s physical appearance. Individuals may experience a distorted perception of their own appearance, leading them to see themselves as unattractive or flawed even if others do not share this perception. When I was growing up, I never once thought of myself as being pretty. Basically, I was (in my eyes), the ugly duckling. Despite the pictures I had taken in my senior year were fairly good, I really didn’t think that was me. I never thought much of myself, either physically or intellectually. By comparison, SAD related to specific situations or objects is another factor in this disorder.

Specific Situations/Objects

As I have noted before, social anxiety can be related to specific situations or to objects, Some individuals may experience social anxiety related to specific situations or objects, such as using public restrooms, writing in public, or using elevators. To this day, when I use a public bathroom, I make sure no one else is in there, so they don’t hear me peeing or God forbid, anything else. Consequently, that’s why you won’t see me using a public restroom unless I have to really go. Likewise, I hate it when I get into an elevator and there is another person in there. I feel very conscientious about everything. It doesn’t help that I do not like being confined in small spaces.

Causes Of Social Anxiety Disorder

The exact causes of social anxiety disorder are not fully understood, but there are several factors that may contribute to its development. Here are some of the potential causes of social anxiety disorder:

Genetics

First of all, genetics can be a contributor in social anxiety. Research has shown that people with a family history of anxiety disorders are more likely to develop SAD than those without such a history. Researchers have identified several genes that may be linked to SAD, including those that regulate the production and uptake of neurotransmitters. Likewise, children with a genetic predisposition to anxiety disorders may be more likely to develop SAD if they experience early-life stress or trauma. It’s important to note, however, that genetics is just one of many factors that contribute to the development of SAD. Environmental factors, such as life experiences, upbringing, and cultural influences, can also play a significant role. Therefore, it’s likely that SAD arises from a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors.

Environmental

At the same time, environmental factors can parcipitate in social anxiety. Traumatic or negative experiences such as bullying, teasing, or humiliation in social situations can contribute to the development of social anxiety disorder. Bullying back when I was in school, probably didn’t help the social anxiety that I’m experiencing in the present. It was consistently traumatic all throughout school because I was humiliated in front of my classmates. Additionally, imbalances in the brain can signal one of the inceptions social anxiety disorder developed.

Brain Chemistry

Subsequently, brain chemistry can be a promenent factor for imbalances in certain neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. They are thought to be associated with the development of social anxiety disorder. These neurotransmitters are particularly important in the brain’s response to anxiety and stress. Therefore, they are associated with feelings of well-being and happiness. A deficiency in serotonin levels can lead to a depressed mood and decreased function in brain circuits related to anxiety. This next one, is one that I experienced because my mother was very overprotective of my brother and I.

Overprotective Parents

Comparitively, overprotective parents is the next contributator. Children who are raised by overprotective parents or who are not given the opportunity to develop social skills may be more likely to develop social anxiety disorder. My mother was very controlling. She tried to control every aspect of my life even after I moved out of the house. I swore to myself that if I ever became a parent, I would not be a controlling parent. As can be seen throughout history, cultural factors played and to this day, continues to play an important role in social anxiety.

Cultural

Next in line, is cultural factors. Social anxiety disorder may be more common in cultures that place a higher emphasis on social status and achievement. Social status is at an all time high today. The U.S. government is changing along with individuals becoming wealthy form the internet. Eventually, those that are not making the money will be left behind in poverty.

Conclusion

It’s worth saying that social anxiety disorder can manifest differently in different individuals, and that some people may experience symptoms that don’t fit neatly into one of these categories. As times are consistently changing, so is social media. One can argue whether it is for the best or not. More individuals are becoming wealthy, yet others are heading in the other direction. Overcoming social anxiety may be difficult now and in the future, because of how heavy we depend on social media. As the saying goes, “only time will tell!”

Articles

-“How To Help Someone With Trauma”

https://psychcentral.com/health/how-to-help-someone-with-trauma

-“What Are The Symptoms Of Social Anxiety?”

https://psychcentral.com/anxiety/social-anxiety-disorder-symptoms

-“Understanding Anxiety: Stress”

https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/additional-disorders/stress

Have A Good One,

Cindee, One Voice – Unstoppable

“You’re not alone!”