Female University Student Faces Social Anxiety, Prefers Solitude and Avoids Interactions
Translated from Column Sharing, Decoding Mental Health, Hong Kong Economic Times |Date: 30/07/2019|
Ah Yee, 22 years old, has just entered her first year of university.Due to Ah Yee’s less-than-ideal academic performance in high school, she faced several twists and turns,including repeating a year and self-study, ultimately gaining admission to university.Ah Yee perceives herself as an “older student” due to her age compared to her first-year peers.
Being naturally introverted and reserved since childhood, Ah Yee also dealt with weight issues, being somewhat overweight and less agile in her movements since primary school. This made her a target for ridicule and exclusion by classmates, and even in the early years of high school, she lacked close friends. These experiences severely impacted Ah Yee’s self-esteem and confidence. Despite losing some weight now and having one or two friends, she still feels inadequate compared to others.
After entering university, Ah Yee developed a fear of interacting with classmates. In the early days of the new semester, she worried about being perceived as “strange” when in contact with other students. As a result, Ah Yee often wandered alone on campus and refrained from initiating conversations with anyone. During class discussions, her nervousness manifested as trembling hands, a blank mind, and the ability to respond only with simple sentences. These situations left Ah Yee feeling extremely embarrassed.
Gradually, Ah Yee began avoiding situations that required interaction with others. Each time a class involved discussions, she would use the excuse of “leaving the classroom” to skip it. Eventually, she stopped speaking to anyone during her daily commute to school. Feeling that the issue was becoming more severe and concerned about its impact on her academic performance, Ah Yee sought help from the student counseling center. It was then that she learned about her diagnosis of “social anxiety disorder.”
During counseling sessions, the counselor encouraged Ah Yee to appreciate herself more and rebuild her self-confidence. The counselor also advised her to evaluate her social situations with more positive and rational thoughts to reduce anxiety. Ah Yee was encouraged to gradually engage in short interactions with others, step by step, to regain her confidence. After a period of counseling, Ah Yee slowly gained the courage to communicate with her fellow students.
What is Social Anxiety Disorder?
Social anxiety disorder is an emotional condition characterized by persistent fear of social situations. Patients fear making mistakes or causing embarrassment in public, hindering them from engaging in normal social activities, severely impacting their confidence and daily lives. Psychological counseling and medication are commonly used methods to treat Social Anxiety Disorder.
In terms of psychological counseling, “Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy” can systematically help patients reduce their fear of social situations.
In medication treatment, serotonin and anti-anxiety medications have shown significant efficacy in treating social anxiety disorder.
Authored by Dr. Chiang Kuan Hiong, Registered Clinical Psychologist, The Mental Health Association of Hong Kong