Editorial Vere Álvarez N
Our psychologist at Dr. Mosqueira Clinic, Estefanía Villanueva, differentiates between the problems and symptoms of people suffering from this type of emotional disorder and those who are shy. The former group took isolation well to avoid social interactions, while the mask has left the latter with "empty face syndrome."
Until last June 26, every person in Spain had to wearing a mask is mandatory both outdoors and indoors. From that day on, the country's government determined the end of that imposition when walking down the street. Many were overjoyed, others were indifferent, and a small percentage were reluctant to take the measure. The health crisis has led to changes in social behaviors, in lifestyle and in the way we relate to each other. In short, they have grown psychological problems.
Taking advantage of the different phases of the pandemic, where we have gone from a State of Alarm with quarantine included to taking off the mask, the Psychology area of Clínica Dr. Mosqueira wants to make a differentiation of people who suffer social phobia, who found their best ally in confinement, and timidity, they found it in the mask. The Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) defines these concepts as follows:
Definition of Social Phobia: Anxious and uncontrollable fear of social situations in which the subject is exposed to negative evaluation of his or her image.
definition of shyness: A feeling of insecurity or shame that a person feels in new social situations and that prevents or makes it difficult to engage in conversations and relate to others.
Estefanía Villanueva talks about the timidity as a personality trait that is associated with temperament and refers to the feeling that one has since childhood. That feeling of shame and/or insecurity in the face of new scenarios or social situations inhibit and make it difficult to have conversations or to talk to people outside of the family and friendship environment. “These people seem afraid, they are afraid and sometimes their self-esteem is low, they don't dare to talk to strangers or look directly in the face," explains the psychologist.
In such a demanding society where human beings require expression and continuous contact with others, very shy people have difficulties in these social relationships. Villanueva states that this leads to seem unsociable or that they don't have feelings when that's not the case, what happens is that This constant fear prevents him from having relationships with others.This is when cold sweats, blushing, a trembling voice, and stuttering appear, among other symptoms. Thanks to training in social skills such as assertiveness, public speaking, and nonverbal communication, this gradually improves, as the patient learns to overcome it.
The shy person does not want to be isolated like the social phobic person.
The main difference with social phobia is that a shy person, which is genetic, wants to be in contact with other people even though they don't know how to deal with these situations, and they avoid isolation at all costs. Phobia involves a fear of being with others and it is a social anxiety, it becomes a problem of obsessions. “People with this anxiety disorder in itself know how to interact in social situations, but they suffer a lot anxiety that makes it impossible to perform any public act"They think they're not going to be up to anything; it's a problem that's getting worse and worse and requires psychological treatment," Estefanía explains.
Symptoms in these profiles are stiffness, being reluctant to attend meeting places, escape behavior, they may experience nausea, vomiting, tingling, tachycardia, sweating, a blank mind, etc. Despite training them in social ideas and assertiveness, they must also learn to deal with anxiety; this is the difference with shyness. The psychologist at Dr. Mosqueira Clinic states that, as a phobic problem of recurrent thinking, on numerous occasions They need pharmacological help to reduce negative thoughts and thus make the therapy much more effective.
How does the mask affect all of this?
People with social phobia have had the same behavior since they both avoid and flee from behaviors or situations where there are people, whether they are wearing a mask or not. The shy ones, however, they have felt much more comfortable because their facial features are not visible: They appear invisible behind the mask. Therefore, after the end of the medication, a rebound effect has occurred: those who have been comfortable with it may develop new anxiety symptoms when it is removed.
El confinement was the best ally of people who suffer from this type of emotional disorder. It must be taken into account that people who suffer from social phobia were comfortable being isolated; it was the perfect excuse not to go out and thus increase their fears of communicating with others. "When the mask is removed, they are more exposed and more insecure. They quickly mentally process the idea that we are facing an ambiguous situation and the phobic gets the worst of the phobiaAt first they were embarrassed to go with, and now they go without. The shy ones, on the other hand, are afraid to go with their faces uncovered, it is said of the empty face syndrome“,” Estefanía declares.
The news from Saturday, June 26th, is a challenge for people who are afraid of being seen due to their own insecurities. People who are prone to this are those with underlying anxiety and those who are excessively shy. As a recommendation, masks will have to gradually disappear from your lives. Estefanía Villanueva is at your disposal to help in the treatment of these types of problems. At Dr. Mosqueira Clinic, we put all possible means at your disposal. We always like to inform our patients and friends, and also help them in any way possible. If you would like information about any medical topic or need a consultation with us, do not hesitate to contact us at 951 00 66 38, we will be happy to assist you with whatever you need.
