{"id":28977,"date":"2015-08-11T09:07:01","date_gmt":"2015-08-11T16:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?page_id=28977"},"modified":"2015-12-14T16:15:25","modified_gmt":"2015-12-15T00:15:25","slug":"embarrassment","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/embarrassment\/","title":{"rendered":"Embarrassment"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"BusinessmanEmbarrassment<\/strong>\u00a0can be described as an\u00a0uncomfortable\u00a0and\u00a0often intense public emotion that may be characterized by feelings of exposure, awkwardness, or regret<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What Is\u00a0Embarrassment?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Embarrassment typically occurs following an accidental failure to meet accepted social standards. Forgetting a person\u2019s name, accidental exposure of one’s private thoughts, and falling down in public might all lead a person to become\u00a0embarrassed. These social \u201cfailures\u201d can lead to\u00a0negative self-evaluation and may have the effect of\u00a0causing those who have experienced embarrassment to believe that others no longer regard them as highly.<\/p>\n

Linked to self-consciousness, embarrassment is a sense of internal discomfort that can develop from both negative and positive situations.\u00a0For example, an individual who is told he or she is attractive may\u00a0become self-conscious or feel publicly exposed, which can lead to embarrassment.<\/p>\n

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Find a Therapist<\/a><\/h2>\n\t
\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\tAdvanced Search<\/a>\n\t<\/form>\n<\/div>Embarrassment can\u00a0have an adverse effect on a person’s thoughts and behaviors. In cases of extreme embarrassment, a person may\u00a0come to experience anxiety<\/a> or panic<\/a> when thinking of the incident. Some experts believe embarrassment can contribute\u00a0to social order, as it can serve as a form\u00a0of public acknowledgement that one\u00a0is aware of a social error and may help one avoid making the same mistake in the future.<\/p>\n

Though some may consider shame<\/a> and embarrassment to be similar, feelings of shame are often more intense, likely to be linked with moral issues, and are\u00a0commonly experienced in solitude.\u00a0Embarrassment is not often experienced outside of a social context and may fade more easily than shame. Research also shows that individuals who do not try to hide their embarrassment or who are able to laugh at their own mistakes tend to be more liked, trusted, and socially accepted.<\/p>\n

Embarrassment and Mental Health<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A single embarrassing event may detract from a person’s confidence<\/a> and self-worth.\u00a0Some people\u00a0who experience public humiliation<\/a>\u00a0may mentally replay\u00a0the event over and over, feeling a renewed sense of\u00a0embarrassment each time. The “spotlight effect,” or an overestimation of the extent to which one’s error was noticed by others, may also\u00a0increase one’s\u00a0sense of embarrassment or prevent it from fading.<\/p>\n

Significant or repeated instances of embarrassment may be a contributing factor in the development of\u00a0health concerns such as anxiety or depression<\/a>. Chronic negative thought patterns and a lowered sense of self-worth could also potentially lead to concerns\u00a0such as disordered\u00a0eating, social isolation, acts of self-harm<\/a>, and in some cases, thoughts of suicide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mental Health Stigma and Embarrassment<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A person facing a mental health challenge, or the relatives of a person who is facing a mental health challenge, may be embarrassed by the\u00a0condition. This embarrassment may stem from the fact that those who seek treatment for mental health concerns are often stigmatized by those who believe they are violent<\/a> or dangerous, incapable of self-care<\/a>, or to blame for their condition.<\/p>\n

A recent global study (2013) revealed that family members tend to be more embarrassed of\u00a0a relative’s mental health challenges than they are of challenges to a relative’s physical health<\/a>. Thus, social support\u00a0for people\u00a0with mental health challenges\u2014often crucial to the recovery process\u2014may be lacking, even among family members.<\/p>\n

Embarrassment can easily become a barrier to mental health treatment. People\u00a0with mental health challenges may isolate themselves socially out of fear of embarrassment rather than let others know about the issues they are coping with. Embarrassment and fear of disclosing one’s concerns\u00a0may also prevent some from seeking treatment,\u00a0and this can often cause\u00a0a mental health condition to worsen.<\/p>\n

Therapy for Embarrassment<\/strong><\/h2>\n

People\u00a0who have a strong fear of being embarrassed or who find it difficult to stop revisiting previous embarrassing incidents may find these feelings interfere with everyday activities and normal functioning. Therapy can often help address these issues and help individuals get past their fear of embarrassment.<\/p>\n

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)<\/a>\u00a0can be an effective way for some to explore and adjust thought patterns or behaviors that lead to embarrassment or prevent them from overcoming\u00a0embarrassment. This type of therapy can also help one modify one’s reactions to embarrassing situations.\u00a0Social skills training and practice, which can also take place in therapy, may help some individuals cope with embarrassment and its effects.<\/p>\n

Though it may be difficult for some to move past embarrassment, realizing all people make mistakes in public at some time or another can be helpful. Realizing a particular incident\u00a0is likely not as significant, or noticed by as many people, as one imagines it to be may also help some to overcome any embarrassment felt after a social mistake. Looking back at an incident with humor can also be beneficial, as this outlook can often lessen the negative feelings resulting from\u00a0an event.<\/p>\n

References:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Ahmedani, B. K., Alonso, J., Anthony, J. C., Bruffaerts, R., de Girolama, G., de Graaf, R., \u2026 Zarkov, Z.\u00a0(2013). Embarrassment when illness strikes a close relative: A world mental health survey consortium multi-site study.<\/em> Psychological Medicine, 43(10), 2191-2202. DOI: 10.1017\/S003329171200298X.<\/li>\n
  2. Gilovich, T., Medvec, V., & Savitsky, K. (2000). The spotlight effect in social judgment: An egocentric\u00a0<\/em>bias\u00a0in estimates of the salience of one’s own actions and appearance.<\/em>\u00a0Journal of<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>Personality<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>and Social Psychology<\/em>, 78(2), 211-222.<\/li>\n
  3. Anderson, C., & Keltner, D.\u00a0(2000). Saving face for Darwin:\u00a0The functions and uses of embarrassment<\/em>.\u00a0Current directions in psychological science<\/em>, 9(6), 187-192.<\/li>\n
  4. The National Institute of Mental Health. (2013). Social phobia (social anxiety disorder): Always embarrassed<\/em>. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/health\/publications\/social-phobia-social-anxiety-disorder-always-embarrassed\/index.shtml<\/li>\n
  5. Weir, K. (2012). A complex emotion. Monitor on Psychology,<\/i> 43<\/i>(10), 64.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Embarrassment\u00a0can be described as an\u00a0uncomfortable\u00a0and\u00a0often intense public emotion that may be characterized by feelings of exposure, awkwardness, or regret. What Is\u00a0Embarrassment? Embarrassment typically occurs following an accidental failure to meet accepted social standards. Forgetting a person\u2019s name, accidental exposure of one’s private thoughts, and falling down in public might all lead a person to become\u00a0embarrassed. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2924,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"psychpedia.php","meta":{"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-28977","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/28977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2924"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28977"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/28977\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}