It is completely normal for people to experience mild social anxiety in social situations like meeting new people, talking to strangers on a bus, or giving a speech. This might be a slight discomfort, but when that discomfort or fear goes from slight to severe, it might be a social anxiety disorder or social phobia.
There is a strong link between social anxiety and alcoholism, as those with social anxiety disorder often report using alcohol to help them feel temporarily more comfortable. In this blog, we’ll explore this link and offer ways to find help.
What is Social Anxiety Disorder?
Social anxiety disorder is when an individual has excessive fear pertaining to social situations, even the thought of social situations. This fear centers on the fear of being humiliated or made fun of. It often manifests with physical symptoms like excessive sweating, blushing, and hyperventilating.
For some people with social anxiety disorder, the situations they fear most are things like talking to strangers or being in a social setting (like a party) where they are with people they don’t know.
For others, the situations they fear most are things like speaking in public.
No matter the situation, the fears are often unreasonable or excessive, and they can happen regardless of being in that physical circumstance; the mere thought of having to speak in front of people or an invitation to go to a party with people who are unfamiliar can be enough to provoke anxiety symptoms and even a panic attack.
From there, people with social anxiety disorder will go to great lengths to avoid these symptoms, doing things like never speaking in front of people and never going to parties. It can be so extreme that it interferes with an individual’s routine, job performance, and relationships.
The Connection Between Social Anxiety and Alcoholism
Many individuals who have social anxiety report that they use alcohol as a means of coping with their fears and stress. One of the main theories behind this action is called the tension reduction hypothesis.
Negative Reinforcer
For people with social anxiety disorder, alcohol works as what is called a negative reinforcer. This means it helps eliminate negative feelings, namely stress and anxiety.
This creates a harmful cycle whereby individuals experience stress relief when consuming alcohol, so they are more likely to turn to alcohol on a regular basis for ongoing relief from anxiety and stress-related symptoms.
Placebos
While the science behind the efficacy of alcohol in reducing actual levels of anxiety and stress is debatable, the way in which alcohol slows down the prefrontal cortex and reduces inhibition has been shown to create a strong connection between social anxiety and alcoholism.
For people with social anxiety disorder, the relationship between social anxiety and alcoholism is based on perception. Even though alcohol doesn’t necessarily do anything to change their social anxiety, individuals expect it to do so, and that placebo effect means that they are more likely to continue using alcohol, operating under the belief that it will help quell social anxiety symptoms.
Acute Social Anxiety
People can also use alcohol to self-medicate social anxiety in certain situations. In college students, for example, there’s a strong relationship between social anxiety and alcoholism as individuals who are experiencing regular social anxiety but don’t necessarily have a disorder turn to alcohol to release some of their stress and feel more relaxed in new social settings where they regularly interact with new people.
Getting Help for Social Anxiety and Alcoholism
If you have noticed developing issues with social anxiety and alcoholism, there is help available. At The Differents, our drug detox center can provide withdrawal management services to help you with your alcohol detox. After that, we can help transition you into a partial hospitalization program or intensive outpatient program for ongoing outpatient care.
We specialize in dual diagnosis treatment where you can get help for social anxiety disorder or any other anxiety disorder at the same time as alcoholism. With a one-to-three staff-to-client ratio, we focus on holistic care in our luxury addiction treatment center. That holistic care includes things like IV infusions, massage, yoga, meditation, outdoor therapy, and recreational therapy.
Overall, there is a strong link between social anxiety and alcoholism for those who have acute social anxiety all the way through a severe disorder. If you are struggling with alcoholism or social anxiety, you can get help for both with the right dual-diagnosis drug detox center.
Contact us today to learn more about rehab reimagined and your personalized treatment plan.
