HomeAnswersPsychiatrysocial phobiaI am sensitive and fear socializing. Can medications help?

I am sensitive and fear socializing with people. Is there any effective medication?

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I am sensitive and fear socializing with people. Is there any effective medication?

The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Answered by

Youness Tanani

Medically reviewed by

iCliniq medical review team

Published At April 4, 2018
Reviewed AtFebruary 18, 2024

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I am realizing that I am an extremely sensitive person. I fear socializing with people. I think too much about what people think about me. There is a lot of fear within me. When people scold me, I take it too deeply and even my mouth vibrates. It is conspicuously visible. I have a lot of social fear mixing with people. While greeting people in my sister's engagement ceremony, while smiling at a woman, all of a sudden mouth started to vibrate in fear. Overall, I am extremely sensitive to what people think about me. I feel depressed because of my embarrassment in front of them. I am sensitive even to sound and noise. Because of this, I find it difficult to go around and play or work in a group. If someone asks me something I fear before answering. I want to be calm and tough enough to face the society. Is there any effective medication? I am a law graduate as well. This problem is affecting my career and relationship. I am too shy and absent-minded. My first and final query is what is the disorder I am having? Please explain my disorder.

Answered by Youness Tanani

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com. What you have is social phobia, anxiety and mostly is a result of a hard or strict education in childhood. Here are some ways you can build your confidence in life in general and help you rid yourself of social anxiety: Accept who you are. We are all different. Some of us are extroverts and some are introverts. In our society, it seems as though being an extrovert is more desirable, but in reality, both introverts and extroverts are necessary. One is not better than the other. They are simply different. As an introvert, you are keeping company with the likes of Bill Gate, Albert Einstein, JK Rowling, Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Audrey Hepburn and countless others. Being an introvert does not mean you have a disadvantage in life. If you do not have a lot to say in a conversation, that is fine. Most people really want to have listened too anyway, and you can be a very good listener. Challenge yourself. Like I said before we need to learn and grow to be happy. Try new experiences. Learn about a new subject. Challenge your fears. I was very much afraid of speaking in public so I decided to join a Toastmasters group. The first speech I made was terrifying, but it has gotten easier with time. Now I feel much more confident about my ability to speak in front of others. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Yes, sometimes we have good reasons to feel afraid, but social situations are not usually one of them. Putting myself in a situation where I was speaking in front of a group on a regular basis helped me tremendously. I cannot say that I am no longer afraid of speaking in public, but I am a lot more comfortable with that nervous feeling that speaking in public gives me. I know it well and am able to ride it out. Be mindful and present. Pay attention to what is going on around you. A lot of the times anxiety consists of worrying about things that have not happened yet and may never happen. Pay attention to the moment and let the future happen. Being present in the moment will help you interact much more effectively with others. Dress the part. Wearing clothes that make you feel good actually gives you a boost in confidence. Wear clothes that you really like. I used to have a closet of clothes I did not like. Then I realized that dressing differently naturally made me stand up a bit straighter and feel better about myself. Visualize. When you are feeling anxious about a social situation normally you sit about thinking about how it could go horribly wrong before the event. Stop that. Start doing just the opposite. Visualize how it could go incredibly well. Realize you are not the only one. There are lots of people who feel a bit anxious in social situations. I am sure you are not the only one in the room. You can also contact your local psychologist for a CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) with medication combination. Anything else? Feel free to ask me again. Have a good day.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Youness Tanani
Youness Tanani

Psychologist/ Counselor

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