Understanding Loneliness | Page 18

Still lonely?

For some people there may be deeper roots to their loneliness. Here are some root issues to consider:

Genuine Social Phobia or Social Anxiety Disorder.

This is defined as the extreme fear of being scrutinized and judged by others in social or performance situations. People with social phobias don’t seek out social activities because they believe that they will embarrass themselves or be criticized by others. Staying away from people is a way of staying away from that fear. Sadly, that tactic only makes things worse. A person who seldom engages with others becomes less and less confident that they even know how.