Using Social Media
To Fight
Social Anxiety
Did you
Know?
An estimated 7.1% of U.S. adults had social anxiety disorder in the past year
Past year prevalence of social anxiety disorder among adults was higher for females 8.0% than for males 6.1%.
An estimated 12.1% of U.S. adults experience social anxiety disorder at some time in their lives
See Their Stories
The Story Behind It
As a medical student suffering from Social Anxiety disorder (SAD), I was constantly surrounded by doctors, nurses, and other medical students all day in hospitals. Developing Red Face symptoms (bright red facial blushing and profuse sweating) nearly every day was really embarrassing and difficult to deal with. Symptoms got even worse when doctors would draw attention to my red, moist face. Snarky, discouraging comments were consistently being made about me amongst the doctors and students. It was depressing being talked about and humiliated like that.
Mean comments about me were never any fun, but more discouraging than that was the fact that not even one of those doctors recognized I was suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder. Even the psychiatrists during my psychiatry rotation couldn’t recognize it on me. You believe that? Medical and mental health professionals could not recognize a mental health disorder in one of their own students!
This is when I realized how little is known about SAD and how easy it is to
overlook it as a legitimate disorder. They all thought that I was “just a nervous person”,
when
in reality, SAD conquered me in almost all social settings. This experience is what led to the
creation of Social Anxiety Pixels.
The ultimate goal of Social Anxiety Pixels is to create awareness of SAD by building a beautiful collage of social media profiles, each one linking to its own unique social anxiety story. While suffering from a mental health disorder, it becomes very helpful to know that you’re not alone. Although not everyone has SAD, we’ve all had SAD-like moments. If you’ve had an embarrassing social moment in your life, post your story to your social media and upload it to the pixel board. This beautiful collage of people coming together and sharing their stories will help empower SAD sufferers to get through their tough times.
Read More
Facts About SAD
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) causes the most uncomfortable, humiliating, and embarrassing feelings that a person can experience in a social environment. I’m not referring to times when you waived back at someone from a distance when they were really waving at the person behind you, nor am I talking about the time you said goodbye to someone and you both ended up walking away in the same direction (maybe try speed walking in that case). And although funny as hell, the time you struggled to push doors open that are really meant to be pulled still isn’t too bad when compared to SAD. Simply put, Social Anxiety Disorder is really the severe feeling of fear and anxiety in social situations all complicated by very noticeable and embarrassing symptoms.
What is SAD?
What is SAD?
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is the intense feeling of severe anxiety and fear of being judged
by others. Whether you’re talking to a coworker, classmate, or even your own friends, SAD can
strike at any time or situation.
Job interviews, speaking out during a meeting, answering
questions in class, going on a date, meeting new people, or even talking to the cashier at the
grocery store (thank heavens for self-checkout) can all easily trigger an SAD event. In fact,
the fear of being judged and humiliated in social situations is so strong that it leads to both
behavioral and physical symptoms.
Behavioral Symptoms of SAD
Behavioral Symptoms of SAD
Intense fear of starting a conversation
Avoiding social situations, especially one in which you are the center of attention
Major anxiety from upcoming social events, like going to work, school, or even shopping
Fear that people will notice your red, sweaty face and trembling hands
Avoiding speaking to someone out of fear of embarrassment
Critiquing yourself harshly after a social event: “they probably don’t like me”
Physical Symptoms
Physical Symptoms of SAD
Intense facial blushing
Heavy, profuse sweating
Trembling/shaky hands
Rapid heart rate
Muscle Tension
Shaky voice
Difficulty speaking
Difficulty catching your breath
Feeling of Lightheadedness/Dizziness
Nausea or upset stomach
Social situations that are frequently avoided by people with SAD
Social situations that are frequently avoided by people with SAD
Dating
Entering a room in which people are already seated
Interacting with unfamiliar people
Returning purchased items to the store
Attending social gatherings
Making eye contact
Eating in front of others
Using a public restroom
Complications of SAD
Complications of SAD
Isolating oneself
Decline in social skills
Becoming hypersensitive to criticism
Low self-esteem
Negative self-talk
Facts About SAD
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) causes the most uncomfortable, humiliating, and embarrassing feelings that a person can experience in a social environment. I’m not referring to times when you waived back at someone from a distance when they were really waving at the person behind you, nor am I talking about the time you said goodbye to someone and you both ended up walking away in the same direction (maybe try speed walking in that case). And although funny as hell, the time you struggled to push doors open that are really meant to be pulled still isn’t too bad when compared to SAD. Simply put, Social Anxiety Disorder is really the severe feeling of fear and anxiety in social situations all complicated by very noticeable and embarrassing symptoms.
What is SAD?
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is the intense feeling of severe anxiety and fear of
being judged by others. Whether you’re talking to a coworker, classmate, or even
your own friends, SAD can strike at any time or situation.
Job interviews,
speaking out during a meeting, answering questions in class, going on a date,
meeting new people, or even talking to the cashier at the grocery store (thank
heavens for self-checkout) can all easily trigger an SAD event. In fact, the fear of
being judged and humiliated in social situations is so strong that it leads to both
behavioral and physical symptoms.
Behavioral Symptoms of SAD
Intense fear of starting a conversation
Avoiding social situations, especially one in which you are the center of attention
Major anxiety from upcoming social events, like going to work, school, or even shopping
Fear that people will notice your red, sweaty face and trembling hands
Avoiding speaking to someone out of fear of embarrassment
Critiquing yourself harshly after a social event: “they probably don’t like me”
Physical Symptoms of SAD
Intense facial blushing
Heavy, profuse sweating
Trembling/shaky hands
Rapid heart rate
Muscle Tension
Shaky voice
Difficulty speaking
Difficulty catching your breath
Feeling of Lightheadedness/Dizziness
Nausea or upset stomach
Social situations that are frequently avoided by people with SAD
Dating
Entering a room in which people are already seated
Interacting with unfamiliar people
Returning purchased items to the store
Attending social gatherings
Making eye contact
Eating in front of others
Using a public restroom
Complications of SAD
Isolating oneself
Decline in social skills
Becoming hypersensitive to criticism
Low self-esteem
Negative self-talk
Resources
