Cognitive variables in the development of social phobias

Social phobias result from fear of inadequate performance or embarrassing behavior in social settings. These fears develop from basic irrational assumptions and specific upsetting thoughts. Social phobias typically appear in 10-20 year-olds. Adolescence is an awkward time for most people as their bodies develop rapidly toward adulthood. The expectation that emotional maturity will also develop also places great strain on teenagers and those in their early twenties. The fear of judgment associated with social phobias …

…rejection is unfair. Both trains of thought reinforce the phobic reaction to speaking publicly. A cognitive therapist seeks to challenge a patient's irrational assumptions about his or her social phobias. A good indicator of therapeutic effect is long-term maintenance of communication skills where previously those skills broke down under the strain. A patient must also learn to develop positive self-statements that shore up his or her confidence in expressing him- or herself in social settings.