16th Jul 2021
Social Anxiety is a condition that exists for many, yet for many of us, is one that is equally being ignored or dismissed. For someone who has, or is currently suffering from, the impact of bullying, it can all too often become a side effect that then causes further impact upon our emotional well-being.
Social Anxiety Disorder is a term that is becoming used more frequently as awareness grows, but without many understanding it, is something they may well suffer from themselves.
Social anxiety is ‘an overwhelming fear of social situations, like meeting or speaking to people.’ More than just ‘shyness’, it is a condition that can affect everyday life, relationships and our mental health.
Post lockdown, more and more of us have felt more empowered to say we are struggling with the re-emergence into society. Admitting, where we may not have previously, that we are finding it hard to let the world back in and make plans and socialise again. In the past many of us may well have been guilty of passing Social Anxiety off as ‘being anti-social’ or ‘an introvert’ but actually it is a condition that affects many of us, some of us without us even realising it is.
Does Social Anxiety affect you?
If you have answered yes to these then you may be experiencing social anxiety.
What can you do if you are experiencing it?
Most importantly, make sure you reach out to someone for support. The world really is an easier place to navigate when we feel supported. That support can be confidential, anonymous, and even online if required. The main thing is to access it if you feel overwhelmed or anxious.
Lucy Howard, BulliesOut Digital Communications Officer
Would you like to Guest Blog for BulliesOut?
If you have exceptional writing skills and would like to share your expertise with our large audience we’d love to hear from you.
Please submit your article details, with a covering letter or email which should include:
Before submission, please take some time to review our Guest Blogger Guidelines – they should answer any questions you may have about what kind of content we’re looking for and how the submission process works. Submissions that do not meet these requirements will not be considered.
Due to the high number of requests, we are not able to respond to every contributor. Content is reviewed on a weekly basis. If your content is chosen for publication, we will contact you with more details.