Social phobia is the disorder in which the person is afraid that he will be subject to observation and criticism by those around him. The person who suffers from social phobia feels that his/her social encounters will be the focus of attention and that those around him observe and comment negatively hisher words, actions and generally his presence, which creates anxiety and shame.

Almost all people have been concerned with the above emotions and thoughts from time to time. However, social phobia is observed when these thoughts and feelings are intense and when the individual is involved in situations where he/she thinks that he/she is being criticized and observed, while others face the same situations with less stress.

The main symptoms of social phobia include:

• Strong stress in one or more social circumstances or where the person needs to do something in front of others
• Feeling sorrow, loneliness and isolation
• Impression that everyone else does better in communicating with other people
• Recognizing in some cases that his/her anxiety and fears are excessive
• Degrading the experiences in which the individual is doing just as well as others and is persistence in the same non-functional and stressful thoughts

At the same time, physical symptoms may occur such as:

Social phobia can be a specific social phobia, when the individual is afraid to go about certain activities, because he/she is observed (e.g. avoid talking to the public) and generalized social phobia when the person feels criticism from other people in all cases.

Social phobia is tackled with both by pharmacological treatment and cognitive behavioral therapies such as cognitive reconstruction, live exposure to fearful activities and social skills training.

All Programs of “Veresies” Clinic are approved and supervised by the Cyprus National Addictions Authority (CNAA).

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