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These Avoidance Techniques Are Making Your Social Anxiety Worse
Escape the Trap: How These Avoidance Techniques Fuel Social Anxiety and What to Do Instead
As someone who suffered from Social Anxiety for many years, I was very good at avoidance and safety behaviors. Even the smallest, most straightforward everyday tasks, like grocery shopping, seemed impossible. Facing a meeting or a party felt completely overwhelming. Avoidance is a natural reaction to something that feels bad, and I did whatever it took to avoid those situations. Unwittingly I was reinforcing my anxiety and even making it worse.
Look at the common avoidance behaviors, and see if you're feeding the beast in trying to minimize exposure.
1. Avoidance
Some experts say that avoidance is one of the biggest obstacles people with social anxiety face. True avoidance means doing anything not to have to face the feared social situation. That can range from just not turning up to parties and refusing invitations to changing jobs so as not to have to give presentations or even dropping out of college.
