What is sociophobia and how to deal with it: 8 signs of sociophobe, celebrities suffering from sociophobia, 3 best books to get rid of sociophobia, psychologists' advice to overcome sophiafobia

All phobias themselves are an abnormal state, but if a person has to strain, break himself in order to simply get acquainted or address even a friend with a small request - this is an almost painful manifestation that creates a lot of problems and plunges a person into a stable, uncomfortable state. Naturally, such a location of the spirit is quite capable of provoking problems both in personal relationships and at work, where you have to communicate with many not very familiar and completely strangers.

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It is such a state that is not hatred and dislike of people, as many people think, but rather fear of communication, and are called sociophobia. In addition, in a similar state, a person experiences discomfort, which complicates his life and creates a lot of problems.

What is sociophobia?

Sociophobia is a condition fear of people, the need for social contacts or simply communication. At the same time, the inability to establish such contacts does not come from unwillingness to communicate, but precisely because of the fear experienced to the need to make verbal contact.
Doctors attribute sociophobia to phobic disturbances of anxious nature, And this disease is even classified at the international level. The percentage of people suffering from sociophobia is quite large-almost every tenth woman and the fourth-fifth man on the planet are subject to this phobia. But at the same time, in contrast to similar problems of the psyche, sociophobes understand that their fears are essentially either groundless or have clearly expressed grounds that a person is well aware.

In this way, sociophobe includes a kind of psychological defense. Often this is poured not only in the fear of communicating with strangers, but also to replacement reactions. Clapping the door loudly or breaking into a loved one, to assign responsibility for him for his own misses - typical behavior in sociophobia.

Causes of sociophobia

Depressive state can become not only a sign, But the cause of sociophobia, and, as experts note, such cases are very frequent - about 70%.
Alcohol abuse or drugs - According to doctors, such states cause “departure into themselves” even more often, since people more often condemn such social phenomena than they are trying to help get rid of them.
The failure experienced earlier is capable of instilling fear for the fact that such situations of embarrassment will become constant.
Mental personality traits - So, people with the temperament of a melancholic or chlerik are more susceptible to sociophobia.
A negative example From someone else's experience. This can happen if a child is often prohibited by something, while intimidating. Also, parents who experience any failure in the presence of the baby can emerge their own fears in him that the situation may repeat with him.
Understanding self -esteem, often arising as a result of strict education. If the persecution is added to this in the Pypniki team, or, as it is now customary to say, bullying, the occurrence of sociophobia often becomes a consequence.

Self -esteem in this case is extremely underestimated

Physiological signs of sociophobia

If you are not in a fictional, but in a real environment that frightens the sociophoba (this may be the need to speak to a large audience or moving on a bus or train), then physical malaise may well be added to moral discomfort.
It can manifest itself in increased sweating or sudden stuttering. The person becomes pale, he may lack air. For some The pulse, heartbeat, breathing frequency quickered.
On the eve of events, insomnia is quite possible or, conversely, nightmares in a dream, nausea and disorder of the stomach. A person may well experience muscle pain, a head or stomach can also hurt.
A natural reaction to such manifestations is the desire to avoid the upcoming “horror”, and since this is not always possible, helplessness before the situation can result in aggressive behavior. Therefore, experts believe that sociophobia involves not only the fear of society, but also the situations themselves.

Psychological signs of sociophobia

As a rule, the characteristic behavior of sociophobe is quite noticeable both for others and for the one who suffers from this disease.

The main signs of sociophobia include the following:

Human diligently avoids any contacts.
Experiences fear when it is necessary to enter into a conversation. More often this applies to unfamiliar interlocutors, but, it happens that this behavior also manifests itself with a need for a conversation with a familiar person.
Any criticism or evaluation causes psychological tension in them, and sometimes an obvious panic.
Sociophobe, as a rule, too responsible for the upcoming meetings, The measures are trying to fulfill his duties as thoroughly as possible. He begins to fall into a state of excitement long before the plan should take place.

A detailed analysis of their behavior and replicas during the conversation after it took place. Scrolling of endless options on the topic "should be answered wrong." The same condition is observed before talking or meeting, but in the reverse position: “What will happen if I say this”, “What can answer me”, etc.
Flashes of irritability or a long irritable state caused by internal discomfort.
Pessimistic moods prevailing in daily behavior. A person constantly expects any troubles, and trying to predict the outcome of the upcoming business, he initially tunes in the worst option.
Too much importance is attached to someone else's opinion - it becomes prevailing in value priorities and begins to dominate the point of view of the person himself.
In addition, a person is characteristic of a feeling of constant anxiety, even if he is engaged in the most commonplace matters. Sociofobe is most often fussy and scattered and often experiences deja vu.

8 signs of sociophobe

To understand whether you (or have already become) sociophobes, it is worth objectively determining if the following signs have the following signs in your behavior:

You feel discomfort, when you have to eat, sitting together in someone nearby at the table-be it a snack in a cafe or a family celebration.
To you awkward, if there is a need to make some record, open a book or simply engage in work if people are around you.
You think about what you have to do with horror be in the spotlight.
You treat with the need for new acquaintances and in every possible way try to avoid them.
You they envelop panic and fear, If there is a public performance, even in front of a small audience.
Lack of self-esteem, Passing into inner panic, if necessary, passing exams, tests, certification.
In public places - even public toilets, not to mention saunas or baths - you also feel constrained and uncertain.
Rejection of prolonged conversations on the phone and the absolute reluctance of a “showdown”, even if your rights are violated.

Uncertainty develops into a sense of panic

How to deal with sociophobia: 7 tips for psychologists

Did you find all 8 signs or most of them? Even if you are not inherent in any of them yet, it is better not to wait for the exacerbation of the phobic state, but to start working on it right now. Start with simple exercises that are performed alone with you, without the presence of outsiders.

Bitter in front of the mirror, wringing funny faces. So you will understand what it really is funny, and you will become less to complex about this. Reclam the verses aloud or read the book-even if someone accidentally hears, it will only be a terrible knowledge of literature in this. And make speeches simply to yourself - this will help you get used to the role of the "speaker".
It’s easier to communicate with loved ones than with outsiders, so “hone” their communication skills on them: tell family members about how they spent the day that you remember in it, etc.
Take a rule that with those people with whom you have to make contact as necessary (cashiers, public transport drivers, taxi drivers, waiters, etc.), The conversation should be started with greeting. This is a simple manifestation of politeness and a good training of communicative skills.
Design your fears of communication on sports loads, Why sign up for any section or fitness. During training, you do not need to communicate especially intensively, all efforts are focused on performing exercises, achieving the result.
Sociofobu is much easier to communicate on social networks, Where there is an opportunity and time to think about every word that you address to the interlocutor. Choose the one who is closest to you with your views, character, and meet him in real life.
Try to smile at a completely stranger. You do not risk anything - he does not know who you are, and most likely, will smile at you in response. If it shrugs in surprise - it doesn’t matter either, you see each other for the first time and, it is likely that the last time.
Smile people
Try to imagine yourself a completely different person, best of all - known. Stay for some time in the image of a popular artist, a literary hero - behave as it is characteristic of them, and not you. This peculiar game psychologically helps you even in the case of unsuccessful experience - after all, it is not you that you fail, but your invented image.

5 celebrities suffering from sociophobia

Robed, smiling, not suffering from complexes - this is how we see stars from TV screens. But not all of them are really such - many celebrities had to overcome sociophobia in themselves in order to climb to the top of glory and success.

Such personalities who have shown sociophobia include:

Hollywood superstar Barbara Streisand I used to be very afraid to speak to the public. And she was afraid to such an extent that in the late 60s of the last century, not managing to overcome her excitement, she realized right during the concert that she did not remember the words of all the songs that were declared in the program. For some time after this incident, the actress completely abandoned public speaking-she could only be seen on the screens.
Twilight star Englishman Robert Pattinson He felt extremely uncertain, especially in communicating with girls. This recognized handsome man could not even explain in his feelings a girl, which he really liked. As the actor himself admits, only in order to be noticed by her, he became an actor. And the girl later admitted that she did not even know about the interest that Pattinson shows in her.
Another fatal beauty Kim Bessinger And she was completely prone to panic attacks, and so much so that after attacks for several months she could not force herself to go out. It seems that she failed to fully cope with her phobias, since she could not thank her Oscar during the Oscar for such a high award of either the jury or spectators, despite the fact that she had formed her speech by heart.
Swedish singer Lynn Berggren, who salted in the popular group of the end of the last century under the name Ace of Base, was remembered for always striving to be in the shade, which she repeatedly stated. She avoided interviews and press conferences, on the stage she tried either to stand where the least light, or hid behind the speakers, curtains, decorations, etc. In the photographs and in the clips, the singer’s face is usually blurred. And this desire to go into the shadow, apparently, won, because, having finished his career in 2003, the Lynn does not appear in public.
The most famous "mask" in the world Jim carrey, it would seem - liberation itself! But at the same time, the actor recalls that shyness and even timidity were his distinctive features at a young age. Because of this, he practically had no friends and was listed in outsiders. According to Kerry, the perseverance and perseverance with which he worked on his own problems helped him to cope with the problem.

How to overcome sociophobia: books

In order to better understand the cause of sociophobia and unwillingness to contact a large number of people, and most importantly, to defeat their fears, psychologists recommend, among other things, and several books that will give the necessary clues and tips.

"Training to overcoming sociophobia"which is a practical guide for self -help, author of John Biik. The book sets out several effective techniques, which are essentially behavioral trainings for sociophobes. They help objective analysis of various situations in which difficulties usually arise, and teach contact skills with others.
"The main secrets of absolute self -confidence" Robert Anthony is designed for a mass reader who is not a specialist in psychological problems. The main idea of \u200b\u200bthe book is only daily work on oneself, a lot of efforts, setting the right goals and the introduction of useful habits will help to cope with their own psychological barriers.
"Overcoming sociophobia and shyness: step by step" Thomas Richards, who is a practicing specialist in overcoming sociophobia, also contains techniques that help overcome shyness. The author advises not only to “persuade” his brain and consciousness, but to embody these persuasion. The help of a psychologist is very important, but a person must take the main step himself - this is the main idea of \u200b\u200bthe book.

Additionally read the following literature

How to deal with sociophobia yourself?

Of course, the help of psychotherapists should not be rejected. But there are things that a person suffering from sociophobia is able to do it independently, and thereby achieve significant progress in his “stretched” relations with society, make them more free, overcome internal fears.
It's easier to do it if sociophobia is a consequence of the socio-psychological basis of its occurrence, those. formed in the process of personal development, most often originating in childhood. The main thing in this case is to realize what causes the problem is generated, and having understood them, a person may already figure out what should be done in order to overcome them or simply discard.
Wherein it is important to communicate as much as possible, Let at first a little, and with familiar people - you can gradually expand the circle of communication, theme, duration. Very contribute to overcoming the barrier New acquaintances that just need to be made.

In the case when sociophobia is generated by the innate features of the psyche, it will be more difficult to resist your own “I” is extremely difficult. Autotraining will help here, which are addictive to others and to the inevitability of being in society. And, of course, in both cases you should work on increasing your own self -esteem.

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