Social anxiety: Hidden habits that worsen it and how to stop

Dealing with apprehension in social scenarios is a common hurdle, particularly for young adults transitioning into university life where expectations to build friendships immediately run high. For a student named Mary, distress during her teenage years escalated into clinical depression and forced her into taking time off school, eventually leading her to avoid group gatherings entirely by the time she reached higher education.

According to a BBC Health report, social anxiety disorder impacts up to 12 percent of individuals at some point throughout their lives. Meanwhile, research conducted by the University of Chichester indicates that more than a fifth of university students encounter some form of social anxiety during their academic journey, which directly correlates with lower grades, deteriorated relationships, and social isolation.

Neil Greening, chair of the Social Anxiety Alliance UK, points out that individuals dealing with this condition typically view their struggles as personal flaws rather than recognizing them as identifiable medical conditions that require professional assistance. Beyond avoiding social contact, many individuals attempt to conceal their discomfort by resorting to specific safety behaviors, such as fiddling with mobile phones to bypass interaction, lingering at the edges of groups, or sticking exclusively to safe conversational topics like work.

Greening notes that evidence suggests social anxiety is intensifying, driven partly by escalated smartphone usage and remote working environments that diminish interpersonal interactions. Fortunately, Mary transitioned into postgraduate studies after receiving support from the National Health Service (NHS) through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which is widely regarded as the gold standard treatment for managing the condition.