Overcoming Social Anxiety: How Hypnotherapy Can Ease Fear of Social Judgment

 

Suddenly it’s September, and the evenings feel very dark very early. Autumn has made an appearance, as the sound leaves blowing from the trees creates a feeling of cosiness inside the home. Snuggling under blankets on the sofa with hot chocolate and – if you’re lucky enough – the fire blazing is how you’ll find me in the coming months. However, it’s not always the season that stimulates a feeling of wanting to hibernate. If you have social anxiety disorder, this is something you may want to do year-round.

 

Some people use the term social phobia, a phobia of socialising. This fear presents itself as avoidance of social situations due to fear of others evaluating you. There is a criterion for official diagnosis that includes

 

• Fear or anxiety about one or more social situations in which you may receive scrutiny by others.
• A fear of acting in a way or showing symptoms of anxiety that will cause others to perceive you negatively.
• Fear or anxiety every time.
• You either avoid the social situation or endure it with intense anxiety and fear.
• Social fear or anxiety is out of proportion to the threat.

 

Social fear or anxiety must last for at least six months, cause significant distress, and not have another cause, such as substance abuse, a medical condition or alternative psychological disorder.

 

However, even a few symptoms are distressing enough to interfere with school, work and social life, as you avoid situations to reduce negative judgement by others.

 

 

What Social Anxiety Feels Like

 

If you’re experiencing social anxiety, you may feel uncomfortable in your own skin. Wherever you go, you feel like everyone is looking at you and judging you. You might experience feelings of paranoia like they want to deliberately get at you. You doubt anyone else feels the same way as you – they certainly don’t appear to.

 

When you find yourself in conversation, people ask lots of questions, and the pressure to perform is immense. You feel like you need to meet their expectations and be responsible for their comfort. At the same time, you worry about what you’re saying in case it’s the wrong thing.

 

When you’re in your own home, you feel safe and comfortable. You don’t feel any external expectation other than the everyday normal pressures of home life. This is the place you want to spend all your time. Whenever possible, you try to find reasons to stay here, rather than putting yourself out into a world of judgment.

 

Why Social Anxiety Happens

 

There are different theories as to why some people experience social anxiety. Temperamental traits such as behavioural inhibition and fear of negative evaluation may cause social anxiety disorder. These traits are generally stable throughout life and shaped by environmental factors and experiences, creating individual variability within genetic predispositions.

 

As with many mental health issues, childhood maltreatment is a risk factor for social anxiety disorder. Primarily, gene-environment interaction influences social anxiety disorder. So, children with high behavioural inhibition are more susceptible to environmental influences, for example parents modelling social anxiety disorder.

 

 

Social Anxiety Disorder Across the World

 

Social anxiety disorder presents differently around the world. For example, in Japan there is a disorder called Taijin Kyofusho. This translates roughly to “the fear of interpersonal relations” and is characterised by an intense fear of offending or embarrassing someone else. Rather than fearing judgment or embarrassment for themselves.

 

People with Taijin Kyofusho worry that their actions, appearance, or even body functions (such as body odour, blushing, or facial expressions) will offend, embarrass, or cause discomfort to others. The focus is on how their own behaviour negatively impacts others.

 

Social Anxiety and Authenticity

 

I see a connection between social anxiety disorder and authenticity. You are more likely to feel comfortable when your behaviour aligns with your authentic self. Most of us have a few friends that allow us to feel brave enough to be our true authentic selves. There is no judgment – in fact, they embrace that version of you. And it feels good. However, if you view your authentic self as awkward, perhaps a little weird, or at least think most other people will perceive you as odd, you’ll try to hide it from others. In the struggle to be “normal” and behave in the way you perceive others expect you’ll move out of alignment with your authentic self. You’ll put on an act that feels strange and uncomfortable. It makes you want to get away from the situation as quickly as possible.

 

To combat social anxiety disorder, you need to find comfort in your own skin. Reduce the pressure you put on yourself to take responsibility for the feelings of others, and find acceptance in the simple truth that some people will like you and feel comfortable in your presence. Others won’t like you and will choose to spend time with someone else. And most people won’t think anything much, because they are too consumed with thinking about themselves. This, of course, is easier said than done!

 

 

Hypnotherapy for Social Anxiety Disorder

 

Hypnotherapy can help you manage social anxiety disorder in several ways. Two of these are:

 

Acceptance of Self: Hypnotherapy can help you find any root causes of social anxiety and process them. Many people suffer negative experiences in school, which leads to discomfort in social situations. Your hypnotherapist can also help you find and embrace your authentic self. If you have struggled with social anxiety for a long time, your authentic self may be hidden so deeply under multiple masks that you don’t know who you are anymore. Together with your hypnotherapist, you can work through this, pulling out all the threads to the real you. You can work on accepting the real you and learn how to be yourself in all situations, without trying to take responsibility for the needs of others and meeting any judgements you’ve decided they may have.

 

Managing the Symptoms: A large part of SAD is fear that others will notice your anxiety. If you notice any symptoms of anxiety, such as a flushed face, it can exasperate the anxiety and make things one hundred times worse. Your hypnotherapist will teach you techniques to reduce the symptoms of anxiety. So whilst you work to embrace your authentic self, you can get out into the world with reduced symptoms of anxiety.

 

Living with social anxiety has a big impact on life. It prevents people from having fun with their friends, taking part in activities they’d otherwise enjoy, and can even hold you back from excelling in your career. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. By seeking support and getting help today, you can enjoy all the things you deserve and reach your potential every day.

 

 

 

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My journey over 16 years has taught me that true knowledge isn’t about the letters after my name or the timeline of my academic pursuits. It’s about the stories shared, the moments of vulnerability, and the human connection that transforms both you and me. It’s holding space, listening intently, and noticing the patterns within your words and emotions.

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