{"id":30998,"date":"2016-03-31T08:00:04","date_gmt":"2016-03-31T15:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=30998"},"modified":"2017-07-24T13:51:44","modified_gmt":"2017-07-24T20:51:44","slug":"what-social-anxiety-feels-like-and-where-it-comes-from","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/what-social-anxiety-feels-like-where-it-comes-from-0331165","title":{"rendered":"What Social Anxiety Feels Like and Where It Comes From"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>\"Girl<\/a>Do you often dread parties, anxiously fearing awkward conversations that expose the contents of your mind for all to see?<\/p>\n

Do you cringe at the thought of meeting people?<\/p>\n

Around others, do you find yourself spinning with worry about what they think of you or how you measure up?<\/p>\n

These are just a few of the manifestations of social anxiety<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Social anxiety can be a paralyzing, frustrating, and chaotic experience. It\u2019s a very out-of-control feeling that can leave you very torn: torn between the human need to be social and connected to others and the feeling of wanting to run away and hide from what feels like an oppressive, all-consuming monster. It can feel as though you have no clothes and no skin\u2014as if people can see right inside you.<\/p>\n

\n\t

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>\n

And when you\u2019re alone again, away from the social scene, you may notice your immediate relief being slowly replaced by feelings of isolation<\/a>, disappointment with yourself, and hopelessness<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Social anxiety can derive from many sources: early traumatic experiences<\/a>, generalized anxiety<\/a> expressing itself in particular ways, and a more sensitive disposition interacting with a highly stimulating world, among others.<\/p>\n

In the paragraphs that follow, I want to address one aspect of social anxiety and offer some tips for how to think about and work with it. Specifically, I want to discuss how social anxiety can be a reflection of what is happening for you on the inside.<\/p>\n

Social Anxiety as an Internal Mirror Image<\/h2>\n

If you struggle with social anxiety, you may be projecting onto the outside world what you feel inside, perhaps partially or entirely unconsciously<\/a>. Inside, you may feel the (self-fulfilling) constellation of thoughts and feelings you notice in social settings:<\/p>\n

Social anxiety can derive from many sources: early traumatic experiences, generalized anxiety expressing itself in particular ways, and a more sensitive disposition interacting with a highly stimulating world, among others.<\/span><\/p>\n