Bence Juhász｜Psychologist

06/02/2023

Social anxiety and safety behaviours😱

First researchers thought that socially anxious people
feel anxious due to the lack of social skills.

New research shows that it may be untrue, socially anxious people do have the social skills, and they do not show signs of maladaptive behaviour in social situations, but rather...

🗡️They use safety behaviours to cope with the anxiety-inducing situation and to prevent feelings of fear to come up.

🛡️What is safety behaviour?

It can be a bunch of behaviours that help the anxious person avoid somehow the feared outcomes.

For example

🟠Avoiding eye contact
🟠Camouflaging anxiety symptoms
🟠Intense rehearsal before socializing
🟠Less social interaction, communication

30/01/2023

Anxiety is an emotion we experience in a stressful situation,
we experience uncertainty in the given situation.

Fight-or-flight response

When we perceive a situation as dangerous, an area of ​​the brain called the amygdala is activated, which activates other areas of the brain to protect us from threats.

The stimuli from the amygdala are sent to the rest of the body by the hypothalamus and the stress response is formed: our blood pressure rises, we breathe faster, our muscles tighten, and a tight focus of attention develops.

That's why the fight-or-flight response doesn't just happen by itself, because some brain areas can control the course of bodily reactions.

For example, the hippocampus helps reduce the stress response
by reviving our memories.

Safety of our memories

If we see a dog that scares us, it will make us aware of our own memories of dogs. We remember how cute our dog is; she barks too but has never bitten us before.

If we see a big dog that barks and we start to get scared, the fight-or-flight reaction is triggered. But the v.-prefrontal cortex turns on, which helps with cognitive evaluation and we can realize that the dog is behind the fence, so we are safe.

23/01/2023

Social anxiety and ANGER🤬

🔸Socially anxious people experience more anger than non-anxious people.

People with social anxiety feel anger more often and in more situations.
If they are criticized or receive a negative evaluation, they respond with anger.

Interestingly researchers found that the ability to express anger is lower for people with social anxiety. They prefer to suppress or turn their anger inward.

🔸So, are they suppressing it or acting out of anger?

Both!

Researchers distinguish 2 types of social anxiety groups: some people are prone to anger, and hostile responses, while others are characterized by avoidance and a submissive response style.

19/01/2023

🟠7 most IMPORTANT FACTS about anxiety🟠

1, Many anxious people avoid socializing, which can lead to serious mental illness in the long run. People who suffer from an anxiety disorder feel anxious in situations in which others move with ease. Many times, /anxious people avoid social events and environments that may cause them additional stress.

of these stressors can lead to serious disorders in the long term.

2, 40-50% of the population experience symptoms of anxiety at least once
across their lifespan.

3, WHO states that anxiety disorders are the 2nd leading cause of decreased functioning and incapacity.

4, High anxiety needs treatment. Medical treatment can help decrease symptoms, but therapy can change cognitive distortions. A combination of medical and psychological therapy is the gold standard.

5, Anxiety is very treatable. There are many effective treatments available like psychotherapy, medical therapy, and lifestyle change. Types of therapy include behaviour therapy, behaviour therapy, , and acceptance and commitment ( ) therapy.

A doctor or can prescribe medication to relieve symptoms and prevent a recurrence. Commonly prescribed anti-anxiety medications include antidepressants, benzodiazepines, buspirone, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), etc.

6, Anxiety can also result in physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, sweat, and shortness of breath.

7, If left untreated, anxiety can lead to depression, substance use, and su***de.

If you have read the text, ADD an 😻emoji in the comment!

07/01/2023

28/12/2022

24/12/2022

19/12/2022

30-day Kindness Challenge

💟Similar to the Kindness Challenge found on viacharacters.org,
you can also choose a small act of kindness for each day
with which you can make your world better.

💟Why is it good to practice kindness?

Based on research, practising increases our
happiness and reduces anxiety and
depressive symptoms.

Join the challenge and be to others,
because it costs you little energy and you get back a lot.

🕵Which act of kindness have you tried?

05/12/2022

💁Motivations behind prejudice💁

Prejudices are motivated by preferring and valuing our own group over other groups, which is meant to define our social identity and social life. Because social status brings material and symbolic gains, we are motivated to prioritize the successes of our own group, thus fueling competition and conflict between groups.

The positive perception and identity of one's own group can be maintained if one evaluates one's own group more positively when compared to another group. Thus, the in-group is valued and the out-group is devalued.

Competitors can be envied by their own group if they have a higher status, and despised if they have a lower status. Furthermore, allied groups can be viewed with admiration if they have a higher status, but if they have a lower status, paternalistic embrace and patronage will be characteristic of the other group.

What is very interesting is that the status of previously despised groups can change and they can be envied, or they can turn from allies to competitors, such as housewives and successful career women.

Source:

Sherif and Sherif, 1969
Tajfel, 1973
Brewer, 1999
Fiske et al., 2002

🕵Why do you think people are judgmental? Write it in a comment!