Tag

Social Anxiety

All articles tagged with #social anxiety

mental-health5 days ago•25 min saved

Rhythmic Brain Stimulation Improves Emotion Control in Social Anxiety

A small study found that an in-phase pattern of dual-site transcranial alternating current stimulation, applied during a task that required overriding automatic emotional responses, strengthened the connection between the lateral prefrontal and sensorimotor cortices and reduced amygdala influence in socially anxious adults. Participants with stronger neural responses showed greater improvement, while anti-phase stimulation offered no consistent benefit. The findings suggest rhythm-based brain stimulation could augment exposure therapy for social anxiety, but results varied across individuals and require larger, more personalized studies.

via PsyPost|

#amygdala #brain-stimulation #mental-health

health18 days ago•15 min saved

Gen Z shifts from alcohol to prescription meds, sparking health concerns

Young adults, especially in Generation Z, are increasingly using prescription medications and other online-sold substances as alcohol substitutes, a trend fueled by social anxiety and social media. Experts warn that unsupervised use can lead to dependence, mental health issues, and serious health risks, reshaping how this generation socializes and manages anxiety.

via BBC|

#alcohol-alternatives #generation-z #health

health3 months ago•10 min saved

Avoidant Personality Disorder: When Fear of Rejection Shapes One’s Social World

AVPD is a long-standing pattern of extreme fear of rejection and social inhibition that leads people to avoid social situations and relationships. It differs from general social anxiety in its pervasiveness across most life areas, not just specific scenarios. Signs include deep self-doubt, feelings of inadequacy, and sensitivity to criticism, which reinforce avoidance. Causes likely involve a mix of low self-esteem, childhood experiences, and genetics. Treatment focuses on psychotherapy (such as CBT or psychodynamic therapy) to challenge negative beliefs, build self-esteem, and gradually reduce avoidance, with medications for anxiety or depression as needed.

via HuffPost|

#avoidant-personality-disorder #avpd #health

anxiety6 months ago•24 min saved

Stable impressions ease social anxiety, study finds

New research shows that framing first impressions as stable—a fixed mindset—can reduce the cognitive load of social interactions and improve performance in high-stress social tasks among socially anxious individuals, though effects vary and long-term benefits are uncertain.

via PsyPost|

#anxiety #cognitive-load #fixed-mindset

mental-health7 months ago•14 min saved

Teens with Social Anxiety May Act Out, Study Finds

New research shows that social anxiety in some adolescents can manifest as aggression and impulsivity rather than withdrawal. In a study of 298 teens, latent profile analysis revealed three groups: a well-adjusted majority, a prototypical high-anxiety group with vulnerable narcissism, and an atypical aggressive-impulsive group with high vulnerable and grandiose narcissism (more common in boys). The findings emphasize heterogeneity in social anxiety and suggest the need for longitudinal studies and tailored interventions beyond the usual shy-withdrawal model.

via PsyPost|

#adolescents #aggression #impulsivity

health8 months ago•9 min saved

Gut microbiome linked to social anxiety, scientists find

New research suggests that the gut microbiome may play a role in social anxiety disorder, with transplant experiments in rats showing that bacteria from adolescents with social anxiety induce anxiety-like behaviors and brain changes, highlighting a potential biological link via the gut-brain axis.

via PsyPost|

#adolescents #behavioral-study #gut-brain-axis

health1 year ago•3 min saved

Insecure Attachment Linked to Social Anxiety

A meta-analysis found that individuals with insecure affective attachment are more likely to experience social anxiety, highlighting the importance of attachment patterns in mental health.

via PsyPost|

#affective-attachment #health #insecure-attachment

psychology1 year ago•7 min saved

8 Psychological Reasons People Avoid Eye Contact

The article explains that when someone avoids eye contact, it is often due to psychological reasons such as social anxiety, deception, shame, cultural differences, emotional overwhelm, distraction, need for mental processing, or emotional boundaries, rather than disinterest or rudeness, encouraging more understanding and compassion in interactions.

via VegOut|

#communication #cultural-norms #emotional-regulation

health1 year ago•5 min saved

Social Anxiety Enhances Detection of Hidden Anger Signs

A study finds that socially anxious individuals are better at detecting subtle signs of anger in dynamic facial expressions, with increased brain activity during later processing stages, highlighting their heightened sensitivity to social threats.

via PsyPost|

#anger-detection #brain-activity #dynamic-expressions

health-and-wellness1 year ago•3 min saved

Social Anxiety Memes That Might Make You Skip the Party

The article discusses social anxiety, its symptoms, and effective coping strategies, emphasizing the role of humor and memes in helping individuals feel less alone and manage their condition better. It features insights from Arlin Cuncic and highlights the benefits of laughter and support groups in alleviating social anxiety.

via Bored Panda|

#coping-strategies #health-and-wellness #humor

mental-health2 years ago•2 min saved

Coping with Loneliness During Long Summer Weekends

Long summer weekends can exacerbate feelings of loneliness, especially for those without plans. Experts suggest mapping out your weekend with activities that genuinely make you happy, rather than succumbing to societal pressures. Creating new traditions and focusing on self-care can help alleviate the anxiety and sadness associated with these holidays.

via Self|

#loneliness #mental-health #mental-health-tips

psychology2 years ago•2 min saved

"Mobile Phone Dependence and Social Anxiety Increase Celebrity Worship Risk"

A study on college students reveals a significant link between social anxiety and celebrity worship, with mobile phone addiction and socioeconomic status playing nuanced roles. The findings suggest that celebrities may serve as emotional refuge for those experiencing social anxiety, with mobile phones mediating the relationship. Individuals from higher socioeconomic backgrounds are less likely to develop mobile phone addiction and intense celebrity worship. The study's cross-sectional design leaves open the question of causality, highlighting the need for future longitudinal research.

via PsyPost|

#celebrity-worship #mobile-phone-dependence #parasocial-relationships

health2 years ago•4 min saved

"Gut Microbiota's Role in Social Anxiety Transmission and Management"

Scientists at Ireland's University College Cork found that social anxiety may be linked to the gut microbiome, as evidenced by a study where gut microbes from individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) were transplanted into mice, leading to social phobia behaviors and altered hormone levels. The findings suggest a potential target for novel therapeutics to improve symptoms of social anxiety disorder by addressing gut-brain axis issues. This research adds to the growing understanding of the complex link between the gut and the brain, potentially paving the way for new treatments for conditions such as anxiety and depression.

via Daily Mail|

#gut-brain-axis #gut-microbiome #health

lifestyle2 years ago•3 min saved

"Menu Anxiety: Gen Z and Millennials Scale Back on Eating Out, Too Nervous to Order"

Gen Z, who have experienced social anxiety due to COVID and lockdowns, are now facing "menu anxiety" when eating out. A study conducted by Prezzo found that 34% of 18 to 24 year olds ask others to speak to waiters on their behalf because they are too nervous to talk. Younger diners also prefer to check the menu before going out, with almost 40% saying they wouldn't go out for dinner if they couldn't check the menu first. Inflation and the fear of high bills are also contributing to Gen Z's hesitation to eat out, with nearly a third of 16 to 24 year olds expressing nervousness about the cost. As a result, many Gen Zers are spending more time cooking at home and cutting down on dining out.

via Yahoo Finance|

#eating-out #gen-z #inflation

psychology2 years ago•4 min saved

The Impact of Emotional Context on Face Perception in Social Anxiety

A study conducted in China has found that individuals with social anxiety disorder process facial expressions differently depending on the emotional context. The research, which focused on the early stages of facial expression processing, revealed that people with social anxiety exhibit distinct patterns in event-related alpha power when exposed to negative contextual cues paired with angry facial expressions and positive contexts paired with neutral expressions. The study highlights the importance of accurate emotional interpretation in social interactions and suggests that understanding the interplay between social anxiety, language context, and facial expression processing could lead to targeted therapeutic strategies. However, the study's findings may be limited to a specific population and static facial expressions, and further research is needed to explore dynamic expressions and cross-cultural differences.

via PsyPost|

#emotional-context #emotional-processing #facial-expressions