Good day, dear questioner. My name is Yu Hengbo, and I am a psychological counselor.
It seems that you have been avoiding, fearful, and anxious about dealing with people, which has unfortunately resulted in some missed opportunities. You have been unnecessarily self-critical and have even experienced suicidal thoughts. Thank you for trusting the Yixinli platform and seeking help from a professional platform. I believe that as long as you find a way to get yourself out of this vicious circle, your inner problems will be resolved, and you will regain the confidence and courage to face your interpersonal relationships.
I hope you will find these perspectives helpful.
If I might make a suggestion, it could be helpful to consider the following factors, which I believe may be relevant in understanding your concerns.
1. First, it would be helpful to understand what exactly you are afraid of behind your fear of interpersonal relationships. Here are some possible factors I know that you might find useful to consider.
1. First, it might be helpful to identify the underlying reasons for your fear of interpersonal relationships. I've listed a few possible factors below, which you can refer to if you'd like. Please take a moment to see if they resonate with you.
(1) Evaluation fear can be defined as the fear and worry about others' evaluations, which are often negative, and the fear of making a fool of oneself. This can result in a tendency to constantly examine one's words and deeds, with the worry that one might make some embarrassing behavior that would make oneself embarrassed, ashamed, and be laughed at by others.
(1) Evaluation fear can be defined as the fear and worry about others' evaluations, which are often negative, and the fear of making a fool of oneself. This can result in a tendency to constantly examine one's words and deeds, worrying that one might make some embarrassing behavior that would make oneself embarrassed, ashamed, and be laughed at by others.
Even positive comments can sometimes give rise to concerns about future performance and whether one will be able to meet the other person's expectations. This can lead to feelings of anxiety about the possibility of disappointing the other person.
(2) Spotlight effect – refers to focusing on one's own flaws, perceiving greater attention from others, interpreting negative comments about oneself more strongly, and underestimating one's own coping abilities. For example, a person who wants to join a club may hesitate to raise their hand for fear of being singled out.
She sensed that no one else had raised their hand, and if she did, it would likely draw attention to her. This was a departure from her previous image of being quiet and reserved, and she was concerned that others might be surprised.
It's important to remember that everyone is ultimately concerned about themselves, including those we perceive as "others." This means that the "changes" we perceive as stressful and even the "mistakes" we think are shameful may not be as noticeable to others as we think.
It is possible that the combination of the spotlight effect and the fear of evaluation may result in people worrying even more about acting in a way that will be ridiculed, which could potentially lead to more severe anxiety responses. Could I just check whether I have understood this correctly?
Perhaps it would be helpful to consider the following:
It might be helpful to consider that avoidance behavior can be a way to relieve anxiety, but in essence, it maintains, and even tends to exacerbate, our social anxiety.
(3) Avoidance behavior - Due to the fear of evaluation and the spotlight effect mentioned above, socializing can be very tiring and far less comfortable than being alone. Therefore, people may avoid socializing, for example, by going out less often for meals, eating alone, or walking around to avoid saying hello to acquaintances when they see them from afar. In fact, avoidance behavior is a way to relieve anxiety, but it may inadvertently maintain and even exacerbate our social anxiety.
Those of us who have less experience dealing with people may find social situations to be more challenging. It's not uncommon to feel a bit nervous about making mistakes or being evaluated by others. This can lead to a cycle where we avoid social situations, which in turn makes it even more difficult to interact with others.
(4) Perfectionism – We often have the expectation that our words and deeds should be perfect and flawless, which can sometimes result in a negative evaluation from others. This can lead us to respond in ways that are either overly prepared or avoidant.
We may find ourselves either repeatedly dwelling on the details (over-preparation) or "not saying anything" or "not doing anything" because we're unsure of the "perfect" response (avoidance). Frequently, our initial thought in these moments is, "I'm not sure what to say."
For instance, when presenting a speech, we may be more concerned with maintaining fluency and avoiding any potential stumbling blocks than with the content itself. This can result in individuals spending considerable time and effort preparing a relatively short introduction to an English movie, only speaking up when they feel confident that they can do so with ease and without making any mistakes.
(5) Lack of social skills – Many people who are afraid of relationships may lack some social skills. And often, the lack of social skills and social phobia can create a vicious circle, where they affect each other in a negative way. At the beginning, we may not have any problems with our social skills, but fear can cause us to avoid a large number of social situations, which reduces the opportunities to practice social skills.
With the passage of time, it is likely that their social skills will become increasingly poor in comparison to their peers.
(6) Other psychological characteristics may also play a role, such as depression, low self-esteem, or high sensitivity. People with high sensitivity may be more prone to social anxiety, as high sensitivity can amplify external stimuli, especially negative ones.
It is therefore important to pay special attention to a frown or shrug from others, as this can be interpreted as impatience or criticism, which may cause fear of evaluation and lead to social anxiety. Additionally, there may be instances of depression or low self-esteem, as we tend to look at ourselves with a critical eye, watching for mistakes. Ultimately, this can lead to a feeling of inadequacy and a lack of self-worth.
Perhaps it would be helpful to consider the following:
Gaining a deeper understanding of the core beliefs behind our worries may be achieved by understanding the specific content of these worries.
Once we gain a deeper understanding of the specific content of our worries, we can gain a deeper understanding of the core beliefs behind them.
2. Gain insight into the underlying reasons for her social anxiety.
2. Gain insight into the underlying reasons for your social anxiety.
It may be helpful to consider that the core beliefs that underlie our fear of social interaction can generally be divided into three categories.
I may come across as unlovable to others, and they may not stick around.
The world is seen as being beyond our control.
In some cases, individuals may perceive themselves as being incompetent.
It is often the case that core beliefs are formed due to our upbringing. To illustrate this, we might consider the example of a girl.
The visitor grew up in a family environment with high expectations, with an outstanding younger brother, and parents who favored the younger brother over her. This may have led to the visitor developing the core belief that she was "unlovable" and that she was not worthy of love because she was not liked by others.
This also led her to develop a series of intermediate beliefs, such as: "I must be well prepared before I can speak or say hello." "I am only loved if everyone approves of me." "If I am loved by others, I should do my best in everything I do and not make any mistakes."
Let's consider another situation: meeting a friend for dinner. The automatic thought might be that one will behave badly and be rejected. Emotions could include embarrassment, worry, and nervousness. The behavior might be to repeatedly consider one's words and choose the "perfect" time and scene to invite the other person. The core belief might be that one is not lovable.
3. How might one overcome the social anxiety dilemma?
First, it would be helpful to accept our own characteristics, appreciate the positive aspects of our characteristics, and realize that the fear that we are not good or lovable is a common psychological problem that everyone has. Because we tend to avoid socializing, we may be better at completing tasks independently. We can choose careers that suit our characteristics, such as scientific research and programming.
I would like to suggest a few minor changes that you might find helpful in addressing the specific concerns that were raised in the first part. I hope you will be open to considering them.
(1) It may be helpful to consider evaluating comments with a degree of objectivity, particularly in the context of social interactions. Through self-awareness and feedback from others, we can gain insight into whether our actions are perceived negatively. For instance, it's worth asking ourselves, "When you observe a classmate being nervous, do you find yourself laughing inside?"
He was concerned that when someone saw him make a mistake, they might not accept him as they might have otherwise.
(2) Decentralization (against the spotlight effect): It's possible that we may not be the focus of attention, and not every move will be scrutinized. One friend initially expressed concern that the other person might be surprised when she showed different behavior from before, which led her to be reluctant to initiate greetings.
After mustering the courage to say hello, she discovered that other people were not concerned about her change. Instead, they greeted her when they saw her afterwards, which made her feel that her social relationships had improved significantly.
(3) Consider approaching social situations with courage and determination, confronting your fears directly until you gradually become more comfortable with the experience and it becomes second nature. You might choose to engage with the social situation that initially causes you the most apprehension, which is often public speaking. Once you have overcome your fear of public speaking, other social situations will become much more straightforward.
You might also consider breaking through from the simple to the difficult step by step, starting by filling in a few social scenarios that you fear, in order of decreasing difficulty. Perhaps we could first experience the low-level fear scenarios, adapt to them, and then practice adapting to higher-level fear scenarios, until we reach the most feared social scenarios.
Perhaps it would be helpful to consider the following:
(4) A growth mindset and a focus on the task at hand (for those who are perfectionists)
(4) A growth mindset and focusing on the task itself (for those who are perfectionists)
Perfectionism can lead to a belief that making a mistake is a personal failure and that showing impatience is a sign of dislike. This can result in perfectionists over-preparing in an attempt to do everything perfectly or engaging in avoidance behaviors to maintain their best image in front of others.
A growth mindset, on the other hand, views life as an ongoing journey of growth and improvement. It focuses on the process of becoming better, even if only a little, and less on the outcome.
Additionally, since perfectionists tend to focus on details, such as the fluency of a speech or the beauty of a written sentence, the result is that perfectionists rarely produce results. This is because every speech and every piece of writing requires a lot of energy, and they are unwilling to publicly display their work if it is not perfect. However, when we shift our focus to the task itself, both speech and writing become more about content than details, and the output is greatly increased because the result is achieved first and then perfected.
(5) Role-playing and reading books (for those lacking in social skills)
Role-playing is a useful technique for those who find social situations challenging. It involves simulating social scenarios in a safe, familiar environment. This allows us to observe and learn from others' communication and social skills. Additionally, books and courses on the subject can be beneficial for those looking to develop their social abilities.
It could be said that courage and motivation are the two most important things a person needs to change. Those who are determined to change can always do so, while those who are unwilling to bear the pain may find it more difficult to change. It seems that you are also ready to face situations that make you uncomfortable and that you are willing to get to know and make friends with better people, try to get involved with the opposite sex, and explore intimate relationships in order to live a better life. When you change, you will reap more and more of what you expect to be like.
Of course, if you're not ready to break through and don't plan to change, that's perfectly fine. As long as you're good at living your life to your strengths, you can also live a good life. We all have a hard time living in this world, so it's important to be kind to ourselves.
So, what is your choice? Whatever you decide, it's important to remember that you have to like yourself. And, if you take small steps in the direction you like, you'll likely become more confident.
I wish you the best of luck!
Comments
I can relate to feeling stuck in a cycle of hesitation and selfdoubt. It's hard when we want to reach out but fear holds us back, leaving us more isolated and unhappy.
It sounds like you're carrying a lot of pain from missed connections and opportunities. Acknowledging that it's the fear holding you back is already a big step towards changing this pattern.
The weight of regret can be crushing, especially when it comes to relationships. But remember, everyone has moments of weakness; it doesn't define your worth or potential for change.
Feeling trapped by past choices can be overwhelming. Yet, every new day brings fresh chances to act differently. Maybe starting small with one brave step could lead to more growth.
It's heartbreaking to feel like you've let yourself down repeatedly. Please know that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. There are people who can support you through this.