Social Anxiety
Social Phobia (also called Social Anxiety Disorder) is an intense, persistent fear of social situations in which a person fears being judged, criticized, embarrassed, or rejected. The fear response in social anxiety is disproportionate to the actual threat posed by everyday interactions. Unlike ordinary shyness, social anxiety disorder leads to significant distress and avoidance that interferes with daily activities, work, school, and relationships. Those with social anxiety can experience severe physical symptoms like blushing, sweating, trembling, a pounding heart, or feeling sick and may go to great lengths to avoid social gatherings, speaking in public, or even routine conversations. Social anxiety disorder affects millions, often starting in the teenage years, and may persist without treatment.
Individuals with phobia often recognize that their fear is excessive. This awareness alone does not make phobia something that can be 'toughed' out. Phobia is a disorder that requires thoughtful, intentional treatment in order to reduce safety and avoidance behaviors and replace them with new behaviors.
Social anxiety is the fear of being judged, criticized, or embarrassed in social situations. It shows up as avoidance (declining invitations, hiding in meetings), safety behaviors (over-preparing, rehearsing every sentence, avoiding eye contact), and intense post-event rumination: "what did they think of me?". The clinical fix is graduated social exposure combined with dropping safety behaviors: speaking up without rehearsing, making eye contact during conversations, attending events without an exit plan. Bia structures these as a ladder of social risks, paced by you, with behavioral experiments to test what actually happens when you stop hiding.
Common signs of social anxiety
- Fear of being judged, criticized, or embarrassed
- Blushing, sweating, or trembling in social situations
- Avoidance of speaking up, parties, dating, or new groups
- Over-preparation and rehearsing conversations
- Post-event rumination, replaying conversations for hours
- Fear of looking anxious (the meta-anxiety)
Our clinical approach: graduated social exposure with behavioral experiments
Recovery
Research shows, you can take your life back from phobia. The same mental process that causes phobia can be used to unlearn it. You deserve a life free of phobia.
Research shows phobia can be overcome in small, incremental steps.
Recovery with Bia
Bia's mission is to make phobia recovery accessible to all by lowering the barrier to getting started and encouraging follow through. You are in full control of the pace and order of your journey, from the comfort of you own home. With Bia, you will learn essential concepts - why phobias form and how they can be unlearned, and practice new skills in a safe environment.
If you are currently in therapy, Bia can be a great tool to help you apply your skills and track your progress. If you are not in therapy, Bia is an easy way to start on your journey and explore what is possible.
Common questions about social anxiety
Will I have to do public speaking?
Only if and when you choose. Bia's exposures start small: speaking up once in a meeting, calling instead of texting, attending one event. Public speaking is for those who want to go there.
Is shyness the same as social anxiety?
No. Shyness is a temperament. Social anxiety is a specific fear of negative evaluation that drives avoidance and safety behaviors. If shyness is dictating your decisions, it might be social anxiety.
What if I'm anxious because I actually am socially awkward?
Social skills are learned through social contact. Avoidance keeps both the anxiety and the awkwardness in place. Bia includes both exposure work and practical scripts for common situations.
Resources
Here are some other resources that might be helpful:
