How not to be nervous when communicating with people. Why are people afraid of communicating with others?

Nature has endowed people with the ability to communicate with each other, and this is considered one of the main qualities of a person. The process of communication is carried out by a person every day. We make new acquaintances, talk with loved ones, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and so on. Experts have long proven that a person’s communication skills have a huge impact on his physical health, on his career and on his relationships. However, some people develop anthropophobia - a fear of people.

Despite the fact that we know how to talk from an early age, sometimes it becomes very difficult for a person to express his thoughts or his speech begins to sound confusing. The reasons can be very different, but usually this happens when communicating with the opposite sex, that is, when meeting or when a relationship begins. Any normal person undoubtedly loves to communicate. But the presence of certain complexes causes an internal fear in him, which does not allow him to express himself freely. Gradually, ordinary awkwardness can develop into neurosis and anthropophobia. In this state, the unfortunate person begins to experience a panicky fear of people and communication. We will look at the main causes of fear of people and provide recommendations on how to cope with this phobia.

Symptoms of anthropophobia

Anthropophobia can occur in various variations, differing in severity and the subject of fear. In any case, its characteristic manifestations are isolation and leading a solitary lifestyle.

Symptoms of anthropophobia:

Fear of all people. The person experiences a complete aversion to everyone; he does not want to be looked at, talked to or touched.
Fear of strangers. The patient is protected from communication only with strangers. He feels fine with his family.
Rejection of specific appearance or personality traits - fear of redheads, bearded people, drunk people, fat people, and so on. The cause of a phobia may be trauma caused by a person with these characteristics. Another factor is reminders of past shortcomings. For example, reluctance to see fat people after losing weight.

With anthropophobia, contact with the object of fear leads to episodes of panic attack, which is accompanied by:

rapid heartbeat;
sweating;
feeling of lack of air;
trembling in the limbs;
numbness;
abdominal pain and other symptoms.

Feeling an attack coming on, the patient may try to calm himself through some activity, such as counting houses or passers-by (compulsive behavior).

Anthropophobia is dangerous because it deprives a person of the opportunity to be part of society. He has difficulty fulfilling his work responsibilities, starting a family, and so on. He tries to cope with all the difficulties alone and cannot ask for help even if he has real health problems. And if he is offered any services, he categorically refuses them. It seems to an anthropophobe that upon contact with a person he will become infected with a dangerous infection, and if he is in a crowd, he will be crushed.

Causes of fear of people (anthropophobia)

In order to eradicate fear of people, you need to find the main reason why this feeling arose. If you know the essence of the problem, it will be easier to get rid of fear. After all, anthropophobia does not arise just like that. But many people simply do not realize the reason for this fear.

Your fear of people may have started when you were a child. Think and try to remember, maybe you had some unpleasant conversation or a serious quarrel in childhood, which ultimately led to fear. As a child, you most likely didn't pay much attention to this, but your subconscious reacted differently. It has kept all the traumatic events inside itself and now protects you in every possible way. After all, the subconscious mind believes that since you have had a very negative experience from communicating with people, it means that now you need to avoid them. After all, the subconscious understands everything literally and always acts for your benefit. In his opinion, there are no people, which means there is no danger.

In this case, you can contact a good psychologist who will conduct special training with you. The goal of a psychologist is to help you pull a traumatic situation out of your memory and reconsider your attitude towards it.

Fear of people may be associated not only with negative childhood memories; there may be other reasons. Among them:

ignorance of the principles of proper relationship building;
inability to properly communicate with another person;
inability to understand other people;
very unpretentiousness in communicating with others;
feeling of shyness, timidity;
too low opinion of oneself;
shyness due to external physical characteristics;
lack of ability to listen and understand;
fear of possible condemnation by other people.

To eradicate anthropophobia and fear of other people, you will need to realize that this is difficult work with yourself, requiring diligence and patience, but with a worthy victory

What to do to stop being afraid of people

Any psychologist will tell you that only other people can dispel the anxiety that has settled in your soul. By talking about your fear of people, you will receive not only support, but perhaps also advice. By talking about your worries, you simultaneously get rid of internal discomfort and negativity. Don’t be afraid to speak out, and try to express all your fear and relief will settle in your soul.

Be prepared for the fact that anthropophobia will not disappear within one day. It is impossible to indicate exact terms, since each person is individual, but the result is directly proportional to the efforts you put in. Daily classes will not take long to arrive.

Try to let go of your fear, don’t think about it. Just enjoy life, the less you think about your fear, the faster you will free yourself from it.

How to get rid of anthropophobia yourself

Challenge your fear, that is, go towards it. You have a fear of people, which means try to communicate with people as much as possible. Talk to the saleswoman in the store, at the market, make contact with people in other places where possible. Be friendly, positive and everything will work out for you. Develop your communication skills day by day, communicate with others in an even, calm tone, learn to have your own opinion, your own view of a given situation. If you only read what needs to be done, but do not act, the result will be appropriate. The more communication practice you have, the more confident and calm you will feel during dialogue. Fight with yourself, be sure to believe in yourself, do not give up, even if you encounter rudeness, because only ill-mannered and uncultured people are rude. For every positive communication, praise yourself, be happy for yourself, and you can also find someone close to you who will also support you.

If fear prevails over your desire to stop being afraid of people, start communicating with a telephone conversation. Most likely, you have some questions that you have been wanting to get answers to for a long time, which means you can call a person who can give you the necessary information.

To simplify the task, write down on a piece of paper the questions you are going to ask. On the day when you feel that there is no internal trembling, that your voice sounds absolutely calm and impartial, your knees do not knock and your hands do not tremble, you can move on to a real conversation outside the home. While in any place, do not hesitate to ask what interests you, for example, how to get to this or that part of the city, ask the store for advice on a particular product, etc.

In your free time, be sure to enrich your knowledge and vocabulary with the help of books. Expand your horizons every day, learn about the latest fashion news, business news, news related to different countries and events that interest you. And most importantly, talk as much as possible until you feel that fear has completely left you.

How to overcome the fear of people when they don’t want to talk to us

Sometimes it happens that it’s very difficult to join a new team, or when you find yourself in an unfamiliar company, you can’t start communicating with anyone, you feel like they’re avoiding you, they don’t want to talk to you. This situation arises due to the fact that you may lack passion, energy, common interests with those present, and you probably do not have your own opinion.

If you are not a complex person, but a confident person, then be yourself and be sure to maintain inner harmony. In no case do not exaggerate what is happening, however, and do not sit in one place, take the initiative into your own hands. Meet people, take part in discussions, if you can help people with something, feel free to offer your help.

How to overcome fear of communicating with men

If you are a girl and there is a dialogue between you and a man, then it is worth remembering that a prolonged pause will mean that your interlocutor is beginning to lose interest in you. To avoid such an awkward situation, try to ask the man as much as possible about his interests and hobbies. All this will let you understand what kind of person is in front of you and what you should talk to him about, how to interest him.

To please a man, you need to be cheerful and positive, since a girl who is serious and gloomy all the time is unlikely to attract the attention of men. A woman’s smile acts like a magnet on men; it makes them distracted from their problems; a smile lifts their spirits and energizes them. When communicating with a man, a girl should not cross her arms over her chest, because this action is subconsciously perceived as a defensive reaction, secrecy, reluctance to communicate; also, you should not give your arms an unnatural shape, that is, you should not wring them. Try to be natural, do not try to impersonate someone else, and be internally calm and balanced.

It is advisable to communicate with a man on topics in which he is well versed, show maximum interest, ask questions, and then you can even praise him. Men love to be praised. If a man’s hobbies are completely unfamiliar to you, then don’t be afraid to tell him about it, so the man will understand that you are not trying to impose yourself on him. If a man wants you to tell as much as possible about yourself, then remember that a few minor facts from your biography will be enough. When talking to a man, try to get him to tell you more about himself.

The first acquaintance does not imply intimate details from your life and, in no case, any vulgar jokes. Also, don’t discuss other people, especially your girlfriends or friends, men don’t like that. The conversation should be light and cheerful, so you can leave a good impression.

How to overcome fear in communicating with women

Every man has a moment when he realizes that he has an interest in a certain girl and he wants to meet her. To start a conversation, first simply smile in a friendly and warm way, this will incline the girl to communicate with you. Build a dialogue with the girl you like in such a way that she does not answer in monosyllables, but gives detailed answers. Do not hesitate to ask questions, this way you will get a general idea about the girl, and you will understand whether you should continue to get acquainted with her further. Be also interesting to women, because when you manage to interest a girl, then, most likely, she will be able to love you.

It is possible to eradicate the fear of people in yourself only with your great desire to do this, with your faith in yourself and with daily work on yourself. To cope with anthropophobia faster, you should seek help from a psychologist or psychotherapist.

Communication is life. Wherever a person is, no matter what state he is in, he tends to communicate with family, friends, colleagues and even strangers. But some people experience psychological discomfort from any contact with others. This is how the fear of communicating with people manifests itself.

Social phobia - fear of communicating with people

In psychology, the fear of communication is called social phobia. It has a large number of varieties, knowledge of which will help overcome the signs of phobia.

Why are people afraid of communicating with others?

Social phobia is the fear of communicative influence. The contact itself, which causes the patient to feel panic and anxiety, can be of a different nature. Some patients find it difficult to talk with unfamiliar people, while others find it difficult to meet girls (guys). Some people completely avoid any contact with relatives, friends and colleagues. They experience fear of everyone around them, close themselves off and become prisoners of their own home, which they consider the safest place.

Depending on the type of social phobia, fear of communication may have various reasons for its occurrence. According to psychologists, the most common causes of social phobia lie in childhood experiences and grievances. Self-doubt and shyness are direct signs indicating the presence of a phobia. Fear may arise from the desire to communicate with peers who do not want to let a new person into their social circle. It may also be due to excessive criticism from parents.

The appearance of the problem in adulthood is also possible. More often, such a phobia is experienced by individuals who have experienced certain traumatic events or by those people who, due to some circumstances, are forced to have little communication with others. Both women and men can become hostage to social phobia. Signs of fear are found in young mothers on maternity leave, housewives, pensioners, etc. Patients experience a lack of communicative interaction, which is why a fear of communication develops.

Types of fear

An obsessive desire not to communicate with others is the first sign that a person suffers from social phobia. But the very contact with people that a person is so afraid of can be different. Fear of communication can have the following varieties:

Fear of contact with strangers. Such people can talk for hours with their loved ones, friends and colleagues, but feel insecure and uncomfortable when talking to strangers.
Fear of contact with the opposite sex. This phobia is based on a complex personality. Boys and girls are embarrassed to meet and communicate with representatives of the opposite sex, often because of failures experienced on the “love front”.
Fear of communicating with peers. Such fear is rarely encountered in a sociable child or teenager. Patients are often shy, which is why they can become outcasts in the team.
Fear of speaking. Public speaking is the most common type of phobia. This problem can arise at school due to failures to perform at the blackboard, at concerts, etc.
Fear of telephone conversations. Without making eye contact with people, but hearing their voice, some individuals experience an obsessive feeling of anxiety.

A phobia can also be expressed as a fear of communicating with high-ranking people in society. Those people who have a certain authority in a social group become the main psychological enemy of a person. This phobia is one of the most common.

Performance anxiety is the most common form of social phobia.

Signs of social phobia

Fear of communication is expressed by a variety of physical, psychological and behavioral symptoms. Depending on the strength of the fear, a person may experience anxiety or suffer a panic attack. In addition, the following symptoms of phobia are common:

increased heart rate;
feeling of a lump in the throat;
problems with speech (tremor in the voice, stuttering, etc.);
muscle tension;
increased sweating;
dizziness and headache.

And often the patient experiences problems with the gastrointestinal tract. He may experience nausea or intestinal cramps.

Depending on the degree of fear, the patient may experience one or several symptoms at the same time. The more pronounced the signs, the more difficult it is for the individual to contact people.

In adults

The manifestation of social phobia in adulthood can have a different character. Often the patient avoids unwanted contacts with friends, relatives, colleagues or strangers. When coming face to face with people, the patient experiences fear, which predetermines the appearance of physical, behavioral and psychological symptoms.

An individual may fearfully escape from a conversation, finding a safe place at home, at a workplace, etc. But if it is not possible to escape from fear, nor to overcome it, the patient is consumed by a feeling of panic. Due to the start of a conversation with an opponent, his consciousness becomes clouded. The patient cannot think rationally and conduct a dialogue correctly. Such events can cause misunderstandings among the interlocutor.

In children

Fear of communication in children is an even more common problem. The fact is that improper upbringing of a child can cause problems to appear in adolescence, during puberty. Boys and girls who change in appearance create complexes for themselves that turn out to be very difficult to overcome on their own in the future.

But, most often, social phobia arises at school, when a child enters a new social group that is unfamiliar to him. Problems with psychological adaptation occur in more than 50% of all students, but only a few turn to a psychologist for help. The result of inaction by the child himself, his parents and teachers can be:

student's reluctance to go to school;
lack of desire to communicate with peers;
fear of contact with the teacher;
refusal to speak publicly (at the blackboard).

Such a phobia arises from the fear of strangers, communication with them and a certain creation of a new social role.

Problems in communication with peers, answers at the board, conversations with the teacher, etc., are a reaction to the student’s poor adaptation, his fear of doing something that he will later regret, experiencing a feeling of shame.

A student may be afraid of a change in his social role or a decline in his authority among classmates.

Fear of the teacher and reluctance to go to school are consequences of an untreated disorder

Treatment of fear of communicating with people

It is important to get rid of the obsessive fear of communicating with others, because such a problem prevents the patient from living a normal life. It is impossible to live in fear all the time. Therefore, it is important to figure out how to overcome the fear of communicating with people. Psychologists advise:

During a conversation, you should focus not on the interlocutor and the fear of him, but on the dialogue itself.
Learn to listen to your interlocutor, avoiding your own eloquence. Besides, you don't need to do anything. A grateful listener is a value of modern society.
Practice your own communication skills with strangers every day. A simple question from a saleswoman in a store, a person standing in line, etc. is enough.
Learn to make eye contact when speaking.
Stop taking any statements from others to heart. All fears are formed in the mental activity of the patient.

You can make your first attempts by telephone or Internet connection. You can get rid of fear by correspondence. But the voice conversation itself should be the next step towards overcoming the phobia.

Conclusion

Not all people are sociable. Some people feel afraid of their interlocutor. It is important to learn to get rid of the signs of such a problem, to control yourself in order to experience all the delights of life in society.

How to overcome the fear of communication? There is only one way out - you need to rationalize your thoughts and gradually develop live communication skills.

There should be no problems with such methods, since we live in the era of Internet technologies that can be used for the benefit of our mental health.

Symptoms and causes of fear of people. Recommendations for the treatment of mental problems.

Phobia is a mental disorder that causes unreasonable fear and panic. The most unpleasant thing in this situation is that a person, even with a strong desire, cannot control his emotions and begins to behave inappropriately.

As a rule, people who have this problem, when confronted with their fear, begin to speak confusedly, lose orientation in space, or simply try to distance themselves as quickly as possible from the source that evokes fear and panic in them.

What is the name of a phobia - fear of people?

Anthropophobia: reasons

Anthropophobia is a type of social phobia, which is expressed by fear of people. Moreover, in this case, the sick person is terribly afraid not of the enemy or some evil person, but of absolutely all those who are trying to get closer to him. Most often, men and women suffering from this pathology have no friends and do not fit well into the team. They prefer to spend their time alone and even go out for food and medicine only as a last resort. Of course, this does not mean that such people do not go out into the streets at all.

They may go to work or sometimes go for walks in the park. But at the same time, they will do everything to prevent other individuals from encroaching on their personal space. That is, at the bus stop they will stand apart from everyone else, and when they come to work, they will immediately sit down in their place and will stop all attempts to communicate. Many psychologists believe that this phobia most often develops in childhood. The reason for its appearance is not entirely pleasant circumstances. This could be severe psychological trauma, violence, resentment towards someone, or even fear.

Having experienced all these unpleasant emotions and not receiving support from adults, the child simply withdraws into himself and begins to think that he cannot trust anyone in this life. If parents do not notice the appearance of such psychological problems in their child, then as an adult, he will definitely try to distance himself from people. With this behavior he will try to avoid stressful situations.

Fear of communicating with people, fear of talking - gomilophobia: symptoms and treatment

Homilophobia: symptoms and treatment

Homilophobia is a phobia that manifests itself as a fear of communicating with people. In this case, a person does not want to talk to unfamiliar men, women and even children, because he is afraid to formulate his thought incorrectly and be ridiculed by the interlocutor. This psychological disease can develop for many reasons.

This could be unfounded criticism from parents or grandparents, ridicule from classmates or peers, or an unsuccessful start to the most ordinary conversation. Also, the catalyst for the development of this condition can be an unsuccessful public performance, as a result of which the person heard a lot of unflattering reviews addressed to him.

Symptoms of homilophobia:

Increased heart rate
Dry mouth
Problems with facial expressions
Incoherent speech (mumbling)
Redness of the skin
Inadequate response to support

Of course, each person reacts differently to an unpleasant situation, so one may experience all the symptoms at once, while another may only experience, for example, problems with facial expressions and dry mouth. The manifestation of the disease largely depends on what stage it is at. The longer a person lives with this problem, the more violently the patient’s body will react to the stimulus.

As for the treatment of this pathology, psychologists advise starting to correct mental illness only after the person himself admits that he has problems. After this, he must gradually begin to learn to communicate with strangers. To begin with, this could be correspondence on the Internet, and then you can move on to communicating by phone.

Well, after the patient’s self-esteem improves a little, it will be possible to move on to more real contact, for example, you can try talking with people in a store, pharmacy or park. If you do everything correctly, then over time a person will understand that it is possible to communicate with strangers quite easily and the phobia as such will disappear on its own.

Haptophobia (aphenphosmophobia) - fear of people touching: symptoms and treatment

Haptophobia: symptoms and treatment

As you probably already understood, haptophobia is nothing more than the fear of being touched by people. At the initial stage, loved ones do not even suspect that some kind of problem is developing in their household. At first, this mental disorder looks more like a very strong love of cleanliness or simply arrogance. This opinion may arise due to the fact that literally after every handshake or touch a person runs to the bath and tries to wash off invisible traces.

Of course, those close to you perceive such behavior as disrespect, and against this background, once close people begin to distance themselves. In fact, the patient can treat his interlocutor very warmly, he just sees a threat to himself in every touch, and that is why he tries to get rid of traces of the touch.

Symptoms of haptophobia:

Man avoids public places
Takes a long time to gather your courage before offering your hand to your interlocutor
Tenses at the slightest contact with a neighbor
Always wipes his hands with wet wipes
Unreasonable irritation and disgust manifests itself

This pathology, like any other phobia, takes quite a long time to be treated, so you should not expect that literally after the first session of psychotherapy you will be able to forget about your problem. As a rule, at the initial stage, a sick person has to attend group therapy sessions.

And after the psycho-emotional state has stabilized a little, it will be possible to move on to the so-called shock therapy. The essence of this treatment is that the person visits crowded places every day or goes to couples dancing lessons.

Fear of large crowds, crowds - demophobia (ochlophobia): symptoms and treatment

Fear of crowds: symptoms and treatment

Demophobia is a pathology that greatly interferes with a person’s normal life. If it worsens, the patient may refuse to go outside at all. Some patients suffering from this mental disorder claim that they are not frightened by the mere presence of people on the streets, but by the fact that too large a crowd of men and women can injure or even crush them. It is for this reason that most often they move along sparsely populated routes, trying not to approach companies that meet on their way.

Symptoms of ochlophobia:

Complete disorientation
Heavy sweating
Incoherent speech
Hand tremors
Nervous tic

It is difficult to get rid of this pathology, but it is still possible. First, you will need to contact a specialist and undergo an examination. If the condition is very severe, it is likely that you will be prescribed medication support. If the mental disorder has not yet become very deeply ingrained in your subconscious, then literally after the first visit to a psychologist you can begin corrective therapy.

To begin with, the patient will have to go out in public for a very minimal amount of time (this could be a trip to the nearest store). When panic attacks become less aggressive, you can move on to the second stage, visiting parks, markets and shopping centers. And after the discomfort disappears in these places, you can go down to the metro.

Fear of looking people in the eyes: how to get rid of it?

Fear of looking people in the eyes

Although this type of phobia causes minimal discomfort, it is still necessary to fight it. After all, if you do not look your interlocutor directly in the eyes, he may think that you simply do not want to conduct a dialogue with him.

Advice from psychologists:

Exercise regularly. To do this, stand in front of the mirror several times a day and try to look at your reflection for as long as possible.
Give yourself the right attitude. You must realize that a person’s look, even dissatisfied, will not particularly harm you.
When communicating with someone you don’t know well, try to control your breathing and at the initial stage you can temporarily shift your gaze to the bridge of your nose.
When walking down the street, never take your eyes off passers-by, especially if they were the first to start looking at you. This way you will train your tenacity of gaze.
Train your peripheral vision. This will help you remain calm at all times, and you will be able to look into the eyes of your interlocutor for as long as possible.

Fear of strangers, unfamiliar people - xenophobia: symptoms and treatment

Fear of strangers and strangers

Until recently, xenophobia was considered a feature of character or mentality, so people with this problem were not considered sick. But recently, this disorder began to be considered a deviation, and psychologists began to try to correct the behavior of a person with such a problem.

Symptoms of xenophobia:

Dislike of people of another nation or religion
Reluctance to interact with people of different skin color
Fear of confrontation with members of a certain group of people
Panic when treating a person of a different nation or skin color

Perhaps xenophobia is the only behavioral deviation that is very amenable to correction. If a person does not have other mental disorders and his emotional state is normal, then in order to get rid of this problem he will need to attend literally a couple of specialized trainings or group conversations.

As practice shows, if a psychotherapist manages to reach the subconscious of his patient, then he quickly develops tolerance towards representatives of different religious groups and foreigners.

Fear of old people - gerontophobia: how to get rid of it?

Fear of old people

Most people associate old age with loneliness, health problems and a not very beautiful body. Of course, while we are young and full of strength, we think little about what will happen to us when we turn 60 and 70. But still, no matter how well our life turns out, by the age of 40 we begin to think more and more often about the inevitability of physical of death.

For some people, such thoughts become an obsession and they develop a mental illness called gerentophobia. People in whom this pathology progresses very quickly try to delay old age by all available means. Most often, they become regular patients of plastic surgeons, various types of healers and homeopaths. It seems to them that this is how they can prolong their youth and, most importantly, delay their death.

Get cognitive behavioral treatment
Do breathing exercises
Relax a couple times a week
Watch positive films and read books that do not strain your psyche
Try to convince yourself that old age can also be wonderful.

Fear of fat people

As you probably already understood, modern people are quite susceptible to various phobias. Moreover, some of us look for a problem where others cannot see it. For example, some people, for no apparent reason, develop a fear of overweight men and women. Most often this is manifested by internal discomfort, disgust and reluctance to come into contact with a person who is overweight.
Now let's figure out what this phobia is based on. Since childhood, we have been forced to believe that only a thin and fit person can be considered beautiful. Therefore, if we see an obese person in front of us, it immediately causes negative emotions in us. Mentally healthy people calm down immediately after moving away from the object of irritation.
Those same men and women who do not have a completely stable psyche, as a rule, become fixated on this and begin to avoid fat people. As for how to get rid of this problem, this can be done with the right attitude. You must remember that fatness is not transmitted by touching, hugging or kissing, so if you talk to a plump woman or just look into her eyes, then your weight will definitely not increase.

Fear of a specific person

Fear of a specific person is a specific phobia that appears as a result of fairly strong negative emotional stress. You may see or even just learn about some terrible act committed by a certain man or woman, and your subconscious mind will begin to project this situation onto you, thereby causing panic fear of the one you often think about.
It is for this reason that when meeting this person you will feel quite strong discomfort, which will manifest itself as increased blood pressure, dry mouth and trembling limbs. If you notice similar symptoms, then immediately seek help from a specialist. If you do not do this, it is likely that your phobia will progress and you may even end up developing paranoia.

Fear of red-haired people

The fear of red-haired people is nothing more than gingerphobia. In this case, a person develops panic fear simply because he sees red hair. The most interesting thing is that due to strong fear, the patient may not even understand the man or woman in front of him. The only thought of a person susceptible to such a disease is the desire to distance himself as quickly as possible from the source of irritation. Psychologists have not been able to fully determine what is causing this problem.

Some argue that this is due to the bright color of the hair, others say that the reason is the behavioral characteristics of red-haired people. But in order not to provoke this phobia, you must remember one thing - this disorder, like any other, requires immediate correction. Proper therapy will prevent the disease from getting worse and will relieve you of the problem in the shortest possible time. If you do not treat gingerphobia, it will develop into gingerism and then, along with fear, you will have a desire to cause some harm to the red-haired person.

Fear of drunk people

This pathology, like most of our phobias, appears in our childhood. Most often, the cause of its appearance is the continuous drunkenness of parents or someone close to them. Scientists have proven that if a small child sees a very drunk and inadequate person in front of him every day, this creates a lot of negative emotions in him, which make themselves felt when he grows up.
Most often this manifests itself as disgust towards people who drink. A person who has this phobia fears and hates them at the same time. As a rule, this mental disorder manifests itself as closedness, excessive suspicion and irritability. And most importantly, the patient will feel fear even if the alcoholic does not show aggression.
If you want to get rid of pathology in the shortest possible time, then find a qualified specialist who will help you put your emotions in order. If you learn to block negativity at the very initial stage of its inception, then it is likely that you will stop reacting to people who drink.

How to overcome fear of people - social phobia: reviews of a clinic for the treatment of depression and phobias

Do you have trouble communicating with others? What is the reason for your behavior? Are you aware that you have problems making contacts? Fear of communicating with people is not something that can be fully called a disease. It's easy to get rid of a phobia if you put in a little effort and a lot of desire to become better.

Causes

Every effect has its own cause, and this must be understood. If you are faced with a psychological problem, then you need to think about what the true problem of your condition is. The fear of communicating with people can arise in a person’s soul for various reasons. Here are the most common ones:

Dislike of criticism. A person does not want to communicate with others because he believes that they criticize his activities too much. And it doesn’t matter whether people’s opinions are objective or not. A person cannot admit that he is wrong, and it is much easier for him to hide in solitude than to flaunt the result of his activities.
Embarrassment. Modesty is another reason for fear of communication. A person cannot talk to strangers because he is afraid inside. An explosive mixture of feelings of fear, fear of doing something wrong, fear of saying something wrong and fear of being ridiculed does not give the individual the opportunity to open his mouth.
Mental stress. A person in whose life there is no certainty will be in an excited state. It is quite natural that such a person will not want to communicate with anyone.
Fear of being ridiculed. A person with low self-esteem is afraid to talk to others for the reason that he does not want to be laughed at. It is more comfortable for such a person with low self-esteem to live in his own cocoon and not talk to anyone.

Problems from childhood

Almost all psychological problems of a person are laid down in him at a young age. A person may not even realize that his parents are crippling his soul. Often this happens unintentionally. Adults act as they think is right. They may not think that by their actions and words they are laying down a program with which the individual will have to live throughout his life. For example, the harmless phrase “don’t talk to strangers”, which is said 10 times a day, is deposited in the child’s mind. It is not surprising that, growing up, it is difficult for a person to meet people. After all, individuals have to overcome parental restrictions every time. How else do adults ruin the lives of children? They scold the kids for being too open, naive and friendly. Children begin to withdraw into themselves, and parents are quite happy with this. The child does not dangle under his feet, he can find something to do and enjoys spending time alone. This arrangement of things begins to scare adults only when the child becomes a teenager. But at this age the situation is already difficult to correct.

Manifestation

What does a person who suffers from a phobia of fear of communicating with people look and behave like? Manifestations of this mental illness are:

Silence. A person who is afraid of others will remain silent. It will be difficult to get him to talk. If he agrees to answer questions, the answers will be monosyllabic. The person will not strive to build a trusting relationship and silence will not embarrass the person one bit.
Passivity. In a company of cheerful and active people, a person who suffers from social phobia will be visible. Such a person will not show any activity. He will try to hide behind bright and open people.
Speech defects. A person who is afraid to talk to others may stammer, stutter, swallow endings, or skip letters in words during a conversation. Such speech defects will greatly harm the hearing.
Fussiness. An insecure person who feels out of place will constantly twirl something in his hands, look around, fidget in place, or shift his legs from one foot to the other. All signs of excitement will be perfectly expressed in his gestures.

Types of fear

The fear of communicating with strangers cannot be called normal. If a person does not have self-confidence, then he may suffer from various types of fear. What are they?

Anxiety. This is a mild form of fear that is felt more subconsciously than consciously. The person understands that she has found herself in an unpleasant situation, but there is no danger yet and there is time to figure out how to get out of the current circumstances.
Fright. The person realized that she was in an unpleasant situation, and now all her efforts are aimed at somehow getting out of the situation.
Panic. A person loses his mind and commits rash acts. Such a reaction can be a response to someone's action or to someone's words.
Phobia. The stage of fear that lives in the subconscious. Phobias can haunt a person throughout his life if he does not bother to solve his psychological problems.

Is it possible to overcome fear?

What is the fear of communicating with people called? The phobia is called social phobia. Is it possible to fight it? Like any acquired mental disorder, it can be cured if the problem is detected early. A person who has realized that he is afraid to communicate with people should go to a psychotherapist. A specialist will help identify the cause of fear and eliminate unpleasant consequences. If you don’t have the time or desire to communicate with a specialist, you can help yourself. But in this case, you need to understand that a person will have to make more efforts to achieve a satisfactory result. And the older a person is, the more effort he will have to make. Changing yourself is not easy, because breaking and reshaping your consciousness is hellish work.

Increase your self-esteem

Don't know how to get rid of the fear of communicating with people? Who is afraid to communicate with others? Unconfident people. Are you one of them? Then it's time to work on yourself. Think about what your problem is and why you lack self-confidence. Does someone around you belittle your dignity? Then the time has come to say goodbye to this ill-wisher. Did your parents instill in you as a child that you could not achieve anything in life? Write down all your successes in a notebook and think: if you were able to achieve everything you wrote about, why can’t you fulfill the rest of your desires? There is nothing difficult or impossible in life. You just need to choose the right vector of development. Raise your self-esteem. It will help you understand that you are an interesting, smart and positive person. When you can realize these truths, you will be able to understand that the people around you will be happy if you become their friend or acquaintance. People with high self-esteem have nothing to fear from other people's opinions, so they easily make new acquaintances.

Gain experience

Are you looking for an answer to the question of what is the fear of communicating with people called? Psychotherapists called it social anxiety. People who cannot and do not want to make new acquaintances suffer throughout life because they are unable to communicate with others. How can such a problem be solved? Communication experience will help such individuals get rid of problems and phobias. The first thing you need to do is communicate more with your acquaintances and friends. By developing communication skills, it will become easier for you to communicate with strangers. When you can maintain a dialogue with your loved ones for a long time, begin to reach the next level. Make short conversations on public transport or in a store.

How to overcome the fear of communicating with people? The more you communicate, the better. Remember that passive communication experience is just as beneficial as active conversation experience. If you are still shy or afraid to talk, then listen to those who do it well. Learn from these people and you will soon be able to get rid of your phobia.

Take the training

Don’t you understand how masters of words communicate well and smoothly with others? To overcome a phobia (fear) of communicating with people, it is not necessary to go to a psychotherapist. You can attend specialized courses that will help you become more liberated. Experts will tell you how to behave, how to present yourself, and what and with whom you should talk. During practical classes you will be given the opportunity to master theoretical knowledge. Don't be afraid to change yourself. The worst thing is coming to the first lesson. After the first visit you will notice the result, and therefore will continue your training with pleasure.

Improve yourself

Fear of communicating with people occurs in those people who have nothing to talk about. If you consider yourself a boring person, then why should others think differently about you? You need to work on your self-improvement. Smart people are attracted to, respected and supported. It’s nice to talk to an interesting person; he can tell you something unusual or non-trivial. You need to become that person. It is clear that it is impossible to know everything about everything. However, try to constantly expand your horizons. Don't neglect current news. You can recognize them both from TV and from social networks. Don't limit yourself, be a versatile person,

Get out of your comfort zone

How to get rid of the fear of communicating with people? To get results, you need to start doing something you haven't done before. Are you sitting at home and want your life to change with the wave of a magic wand? You will have to make an effort to become better. Go more often where you don't go. For example, if you are interested in art, then visit exhibitions and meet new people there. Do you love construction? Sign up for a hobby club and go there. Make it a habit to do something every week that will help you get out of your comfort zone and get closer to your dreams.

Don't beat yourself up

Fear of communicating with people occurs among those who think too much about upcoming events. Sometimes people work themselves up so much that they are overcome with fear, and they cannot open their mouth at the right moment. There is no need to worry on the eve of a crowded event. Just believe that everything will be fine. There is no need to beat yourself up and imagine the most tragic consequences of the event. It is better not to allow negative thoughts, then you will go into the meeting with a positive attitude. And in a good mood, you can overcome shyness. It's great if you can still find motivation to encourage yourself further.

The number of people on the planet is growing exponentially. They are forced to encounter each other every day, communicate, build relationships, find their place in society. But due to social phobia, or fear of communication, contacts become very problematic. This behavior needs to be corrected because the person experiences discomfort and withdraws into himself.

Phobia of fear of communicating with people has pronounced symptoms, which, if not striking, can be noticed with careful observation. The following behavioral reactions are characteristic:

Alienation. A person feels unnecessary and superfluous, which gives rise to a feeling of worthlessness. He experiences not just loneliness, but also the uselessness of his existence, “loses his face” as a person. Fear of people creates an insurmountable barrier, which becomes especially difficult to step over over time.

Note: A person not only withdraws into himself, he rejects himself, gradually losing his “I”. He cannot reveal his abilities and do what he loves, which is of some importance to him or even the meaning of life.

Shyness. It manifests itself in constant silence, fear of expressing one’s opinion, and the desire to remain unnoticed. This trait deprives the possibility of new contacts, acquaintances, and full-fledged communication. If shyness develops from childhood, then parents should make every effort to overcome it, since over time low self-esteem will be added to it.
Incoherent speech. Fear of communicating with people leads to the fact that a person cannot correctly express his thoughts. He gets confused in his words and, unable to pronounce the phrase correctly, gradually falls silent. This state is associated with excitement or emotional stress, when it is difficult to find a common language or topic of conversation with the interlocutor. The problem gets worse, and stuttering develops against this background.
Inappropriate behavior. A person obsessed with fear or phobia of communicating with people sees events in a slightly different light. He believes that a lot is connected with his person, since he is vulnerable and touchy. Against the background of emotional instability, what is happening is painted in dark tones, and “out of nowhere” a negative perception of reality arises.

For your information: A phobia of communicating with people leads to the fact that a person diligently avoids new contacts and the company of peers, which prevents him from “finding his place” in society. It constantly seems to him that laughter, conversations or whispers behind his back are connected with his personality, that they laugh only at him.

Why is fear born or where does the problem “grow legs” from?

Doesn't appear out of nowhere. It is formed from childhood or arises during life, when a person is misunderstood, criticized, offended, and humiliated. There are strong individuals who are able to resist negativity, but weak ones cannot withstand the pressure of society and withdraw into themselves.

The phrase “I’m afraid to communicate with people” has a basis in reality. A traumatic event or a difficult environment forces you to build your own world, closing yourself off from reality and people who cause a lot of trouble. The following points can provoke fear of communication:

criticism that does not stop for a long time, and gradually the object of this very criticism feels stupid, unnecessary and stupid;
the mocking attitude of peers, which has a particularly painful effect on the psyche, because ridicule is aimed at certain personality traits;
negative experience “from childhood”, if past grievances do not go away and leave a mark for the rest of your life, causing fear of communicating with people;
difficulties with a correctly constructed conversation, when it begins to develop in the wrong direction and leads to conflict situations;
unsuccessful public speech, which subsequently causes fear of a large number of people, of an audience; a person loses the “thread of his speech” and begins to get confused in his thoughts;
negative memories from communicating with the opposite sex, in which a certain stereotype is formed about which women (men) should not be approached at all, and even less so, entered into a conversation;
telephone conversations leading to negativity and causing fear of the telephone in general, reluctance to answer calls or doubts that the person on the “other side” will be positive.

Note: Any person cares about the opinions of others, but he must also listen to himself, developing resilience with each subsequent step. A confident person adequately perceives criticism and brings his actions to the desired result.

Fear of communication may be associated with the following statements of social phobes: I am afraid of people and communication, because people are evil; I’m afraid to say something stupid, because then they will laugh at me; It’s dangerous to be in a smart company where I can’t put two words together. The list of statements can be continued, but the result comes down to one thing: loneliness awaits a person, as he surrounds himself more and more with a “shell.”

Fear of powerful people

How not to be afraid of communicating with people who are higher on the social ladder? Many people have fear of their superiors, teachers, and officials. But you should remember that communication is of a business nature and criticism or praise is addressed to you in this vein.

A competent leader never crosses boundaries, does not build familiar relations with subordinates, and does not create too close contact. He must keep his distance, assessing exclusively the business qualities of his subordinates. Therefore, his pleasure or displeasure must be assessed only from this position.

A social phobe perceives criticism painfully, and going “on the carpet” to the boss as torture. But you need to remember that if there are errors in the work, then this is normal. Only those who do nothing make no mistakes, so you need to treat criticism addressed to you constructively, analyzing the situation and setting yourself up for a solution. A manager is also a person who has emotions, ambitions, demands and a desire to establish relationships with each employee.

Note: A clean and untarnished reputation, a positive assessment is important to everyone. We bask in attention and really appreciate it when we are respected and loved. This is what brings satisfaction not only to a social phobia, but to any person, causing dependence on approval.

How to overcome the fear of communication?

Theoretically, every social phobe knows. And at the first stage, a person should try to solve the problem on his own. Everyday work on yourself is important, which will definitely prove useful. A person knows his inner world better than anyone else. Psychologists give advice on how to overcome the fear of communication:

establish contact on social networks;
establish eye contact with people “eye to eye” even during fleeting communication;
communicate with strangers (literally 1–2 phrases) when shopping, on the street, in any institution;
establish telephone communications so that you can talk directly in the future;
approach people with minor requests.

All these attempts will be the first step towards overcoming the interpersonal barrier. At the next step the actions will be more serious. The problem of how to overcome fear of people can be solved through more decisive actions.

Public performance

This is a very difficult test for a social phobia, but it must be passed. Going out to a large audience and making a speech is a feat, after which it will be much easier for a person to make contact, communicate easier and be among people. After the first successful performance, a second one will follow and things will “get better.”

Accepting yourself as an individual

If a person constantly thinks about how to stop being afraid of communicating with people, then he is constrained by strong fear. Constantly tormented by thoughts: what people will think of him, how others perceive him. There is no need to worry about this, because any person (proven) thinks about his interlocutor for no more than a minute, but this does not mean that all his thoughts are negative. It is important to do what you love and make your wildest dreams and fantasies come true. You will notice that people will see you as a meaningful and interesting person who is fun to talk to and spend time with.

Manifestation of individuality

No one knows your positive and negative aspects of character, hidden talents and capabilities better than you. You cannot always take a conciliatory position and adapt to other people. This is how your uniqueness and individuality are lost. Each person is special and different from others, this is what makes him interesting to others. When the realization of his uniqueness comes, a person gains support and finds his place in society.

He explains the causes of social phobia and the possibilities of overcoming it in the video.