Anyone with social anxiety disorder can experience it in different ways. But here are some common situations that people tend to have trouble with:
- Talking to strangers
- Speaking in public
- Dating
- Making eye contact
- Entering rooms
- Using public restrooms
- Going to parties
- Eating in front of other people
- Going to school or work
- Starting conversations.
Some of these situations might not cause a problem for you. For example, giving a speech may be easy, but going to a party might be a nightmare. Or you could be great at one-on-one conversations but not at stepping into a crowded classroom.
All socially anxious people have different reasons for dreading certain situations. But in general, it’s an overwhelming fear of:
- Being judged by others in social situations.
- Being embarrassed or humiliated — and showing it by blushing, sweating, or shaking.
- Accidentally offending someone.
- Being the center of attention.
What Does It Feel Like?
Again, the experience may be different for everyone, but if you have social anxiety and you’re in a stressful situation, you might have physical symptoms like:
- Rapid heartbeat
- Muscle tension
- Dizziness and lightheadedness
- Stomach trouble and diarrhea
- Inability to catch breath
- “Out-of-body” sensation.
You may start having symptoms and getting anxious immediately before an event, or you might spend weeks worrying about it. Afterward, you could spend a lot of time and mental energy worrying about how you acted.
According to one estimate, 75% of people experience some degree of anxiety or nervousness when public speaking, and 10% of people are terrified. Speaking in public is one of the most common fears, ranking among heights, death and snakes.
How It Affects Your Life.
Social anxiety disorder prevents you from living your life. You’ll avoid situations that most people consider “normal.” You might even have a hard time understanding how others can handle them so easily.
When you avoid all or most social situations, it affects your personal relationships. It can also lead to:
- Low self-esteem
- Negative thoughts
- Depression
- Sensitivity to criticism
- Poor social skills that don’t improve.
Consequences of suffering from Glossophobia:
If you want to be successful in your career, chances are you’ll need to be able to communicate your ideas effectively and lead teams. From job interviews to team meetings to running your own business, many activities in life require speaking in public to groups of people. Not being able to do this could cause you to lose out on many opportunities because speech anxiety takes control of your life.
However, all is not lost if you want to avoid verbal communication in your career. There are jobs which require very little of it, with most communication being accomplished through email, Slack or other online, non-verbal forms. Having worked with many developers and engineers, some of these roles require almost no verbal communication, as long as you deliver projects on time.
So how do we get you, to start living the life you’ve always wanted: