Self-image and Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is a fear of being negatively judged by other people in situations involving social interactions. When you experience social anxiety, you tend to underestimate how well you function socially and overestimate how others perceive you. This is exacerbated by a negative self-image.

Negative Self-Image

Your self-image is activated every time you interact with others and contributes to maintaining social anxiety. If you believe that no one likes you, you are likely to behave accordingly. You project this perception onto your surroundings, and they respond by giving you little attention. These elements reinforce each other because the smaller you make yourself, the less others engage with you.

Positive Self-Image

The opposite of this is a positive self-image. When your self-image becomes more positive, and you are more confident in your good qualities and positive attributes, your social anxiety decreases. It means you believe in yourself more, have a more realistic and therefore positive view of yourself, and behave accordingly. Through interaction with your environment, you will also receive more positive attention.

The Vicious Cycle

If you see yourself as someone who can’t tell an interesting story, you are unlikely to start one. This creates a vicious cycle: if you never initiate to tell a story, you will also never discover whether you can tell something interesting. To break this vicious cycle, it is important to determine whether your self-image is accurate. A good self-image means it is realistic, not overly positive, but also not overly negative. You are aware of your shortcomings, but you also give sufficient attention and appreciation to your strengths. It means that you not only know everything about yourself as facts but also feel and behave accordingly.

Source:

Keijsers, G. P. J., Van Minnen, A., Verbraak, M., Hoogduin, C. A. L. & Emmelkamp, P., (2017). Protocollaire behandelingen voor volwassenen met psychische klachten.