Social Anxiety vs. General Anxiety – How do they differ

In older times, talking about mental health was stigmatized. People used to fear talking about it. However, with changing times, things are different. These days, people openly discuss and talk about mental health issues like social anxiety, general anxiety, OCD, ADHD, and others. Yet, everyone commits one common mistake.

They use terms like social anxiety and general anxiety, depression, and sadness interchangeably because of similar symptoms. If you also do the same, it’s time you understand that social anxiety disorder (SAD) and general anxiety disorder (GAD) aren’t the same. However, some signs might intertwine, and the intention and triggers differ, which sets both these terms apart. These terms are in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders version V.

Say, for example, before a presentation or meeting, if you feel anxious or find yourself worrying about the outcome, you might confuse social anxiety with general anxiety or vice versa, which is incorrect because both differ. So, to help you understand these terms and how they affect your day-to-day life. Here is a breakdown of these terms, their differences, and coping methods.

Read More – Anxious ADHD : Signs, Causes and Treatment

What Is Social Anxiety?

Social anxiety is the fear of facing people. It can be meeting strangers or people you’re familiar with. This is the most common form of anxiety, and most people struggle with it, but when it starts to impact your life, you need to pay attention. Say you are invited to a party, and the thought of going makes your body tremble or your palms sweaty.

It is okay if this feeling stays for a while and then fades. But if it stays for long and you feel like when you go, everybody will just look at you and judge you, and this feeling makes you sweat, your heart raves, and you start to rehearse in your mind what and how you will talk.

You want to avoid going. You are struggling with social anxiety, or can say social anxiety disorder (SAD). It is an intense fear of being present in social situations because you feel you will be judged, analyzed, and criticized. Those who struggle with social anxiety often show the following characteristics.

Key Characteristics of Social Anxiety:

• They fear speaking, eating, or starting a conversation in public.
• Always avoid social events or gatherings.
• They fear that they will say something wrong or might be perceived negatively by others.

To understand things clearly, let’s take the example of Daisy. She is a 30-year-old graphic designer who avoids team meetings because she fears the questions that might be asked. One day, when her manager appreciated her work, she spent the day repeating the reaction and worried that she looked awkward and couldn’t reply.

What Is General Anxiety?

Now, to understand general anxiety or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), we will need to zoom out because, unlike social anxiety, it is not constrained to a specific situation. It is a persistent worry about finances, health, relationships, etc. Often, there is no clear trigger in GAD, yet the person worries a lot. Those who struggle with general anxiety show the following characteristics.

Key Characteristics of General Anxiety:

• What If – thinking is common among these people.
• I always feel tired and have difficulty sleeping because of overthinking.
• Difficulty concentrating or focusing on things because of the worries that interfere with everything they do

To understand things better, let’s take the example of John, a 40-year-old teacher who spends hours worrying about how he will pay the mortgage. Even though he has a stable job, his salary and finances are managed, and he spends hours each night thinking about what will happen. How will he pay the loan? What will happen to his kids if he fails? What if his health deteriorates? Even though there are no pressing concerns, he is fit. His kids are doing well, but he still worries about all these things and feels anxious. This is what GAD feels like. And if for every scenario that is too negative.

Read More –  7 Ways to Stop What If Thinking!

Shared Features of GAD and SAD

Both general anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder have persistent anxiety that is severe or disproportionate to the actual threat. The meaning of threat for both disorders differs. For people with SAD, the threat is a specific situation, while in GAD, it doesn’t arise from a specific situation.

People who struggle with social anxiety disorder often show physical symptoms linked with anxiety, like in GAD. However, in GAD, the fear comes from imagining the worst-case scenario. In some cases, SAD and GAD occur together, and either of the conditions can increase the likelihood of a person experiencing depression or other anxiety disorders in the future.

GAD

• Experience physical symptoms.
• Worry about day-to-day stressors.
• Show avoidance behavior.
• Usually, people with the age bracket of 31 and above struggle with GAD.

SAD

• Exhibit physical signs like sweating, racing heart, etc.
• They always worry about meeting people, being observed, and performing in front of others.
• Like GAD, they also show avoidance behavior.
• Starts at an early age of 13 and above.

With this overlapping of symptoms, we can say both these anxiety disorders exist due to a mix of emotions and thoughts and a greater degree of avoidance behavior. However, the underlying reason for avoidance is different. Let’s take an example of a person who calls in a sick day for a work presentation.

If this person struggles with GAD, they might avoid the meeting as they think they are unprepared or do not have enough material to talk in front of people, and they will never be able to present as expected. However, a person struggling with SAD will avoid the presentation because they fear no one will see their ideas as worthy and might notice that they sweat a lot when they talk.

Differences Between SAD and GAD

Although the way people struggle with GAD and SAD is similar, the content is what sets them apart. In GAD, people worry about various topics. These can be major or minor life issues like health, finances, and day-to-day stresses, how others will perceive them, or what if something goes wrong. They worry a lot about society and its expectations. The fear is in the ongoing relationship rather than in evaluation.

A person with GAD will always worry about the outcome of a fight, whereas a mother will be concerned with whether she is making the right decisions for her children or not.

In contrast to this, people with social anxiety disorder worry about meeting new people as they fear being observed, criticized, and performing in front of others.

For example, when you ask someone with SAD to speak in a class or play an instrument, they will have negative thoughts. They will evaluate themselves negatively and will possibly think about rejection.

For example, a person with social desire (social anxiety disorder) may not find it easy to start a conversation at work because they fear that they will be seen as stupid or might not be liked by their colleague. Also, these people avoid dating because of the anxiety that they will be humiliated or embarrassed.

Again, there is a common link. The pathological degree of worry impacts the ability to develop or keep a relationship. People with this condition often feel obligated to meet professional and personal commitments.

Social Anxiety vs. General Anxiety: The Key Differences

Since both the conditions revolve around fear and worry, the focus and triggers differ

1. In social anxiety, the focus is on anxiety, social interactions, and judgment. While in general anxiety, there is a broad range of day-to-day concerns.
2. In social anxiety, public speaking is a trigger, while in general anxiety, finance, relationships, work, and other things are the trigger.
3. People with social anxiety often avoid social events or interactions. While for people with general anxiety, there is no specific avoidance. They are generally restless.
4. People with social anxiety often sweat and blush and have trembling limbs. In social settings, these people often feel uneasy, while people with GAD have fatigue, headaches, and muscle tension.

How to Manage Social Anxiety and General Anxiety?

Understanding the difference between both anxiety disorders is the first step towards recovery. Since both of them have overlapping signs, they differ. To manage them, you need specific strategies. Here, we explain them differently under different headings for easy understanding. This will help learn the difference between both anxiety disorders and take care of them easily.

Tips to manage Social Anxiety:

1. Negative thinking is the root cause of anxiety. Hence, to deal with social anxiety, challenge your negative thoughts instead of thinking, “Everyone will laugh at me if I fail,” reframe it as “People are too busy in their lives to notice me.”
2. Since social situations make you anxious and fear facing them, slowly expose yourself to them. You can start by greeting a coworker and asking them how they are. Once you feel comfortable with this, you can slowly start talking with others and initiating the conversation. This gradual exposure will help you deal with bigger challenges.
3. Rehearse the points you want to make in the meetings and practice your social skills. Role-play the conversation and do some mirror work. This will help you build confidence over time.

Example:

Daisy has social anxiety, so when she joined a book club, she used to listen to others slowly. She started sharing her thoughts, and with these small steps, she could feel comfortable in other social settings.

Read More – Social Anxiety Activities To Get Better

Tips to manage General Anxiety:

1. Overthinking and What-If thinking are the primary reasons for the existence of general anxiety disorder. To limit this, set a dedicated time to worry each day. List your worries during that time, and if you find yourself worrying at any other time of the day, say you will overthink during the set time. This will help limit intrusive thoughts and break the overthinking cycle.

Read More – 10 Effective Ways to Deal with Overthinking

2. Try to be mindful and focus on the present moment. The past is history, and the future is yet to come; what is in front of you is the present moment. Appreciate the gift of the present and do grounding exercises to stay mindful and present. Appreciate what you have. Do deep breathing exercises and meditation to stay focused and catch your thoughts.
3. If you find that you live a sedentary lifestyle, make some changes to it. Exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet, and limit caffeine intake. This will help reduce overall anxiety levels. Also, note your sleeping patterns and create a schedule so that you get enough sleep to help with anxiety.

Example:

To manage GAD, Johnny starts journaling every night. He used to write down three accomplishments, regardless of how big or small, and this habit helped shift the focus from the negative to what he achieved. Also, this helped me work with what-if thinking and bring attention to what is happening in the present.

When to Seek Help

When anxiety or any other mental health issue starts interfering with daily life, relationships, or work, it’s time to seek professional help. A trained professional will help identify the reason behind the issue and will suggest some psychotherapies like Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and other methods, including meditation and medication, that will help change things.

There is no shame in seeking help. It is not a weakness; instead, it is the sign of a strong person, as you are ready to accept that there is something wrong and are not ready to hide. If you know you need treatment, seek it and change your life for the better.

Remember, you are alone. Many individuals struggle with social and general anxiety. You need to understand that the first step toward healing is acknowledgment. If Daisy’s and Johnny’s example and other examples we have listed resonate with you, see there are others just like and by following coping strategies, they were able to cope with social anxiety disorder and general anxiety disorder. So can you.

Together, we can break the stigma and help each other find relief.

This post is to explain to you how both anxieties differ. It is not the end. Your healing journey has just started. Take the step and talk to a friend, or join a support group to cope with anxiety: you and your mental health matters.

A Word From CalmSage

GAD and SAD are anxiety disorders and have similar signs, but they differ in thought and content. You cannot confuse one with another. Both conditions are separate and interfere with day-to-day functioning if not paid attention to. It is important to seek treatment when required and live the life you deserve. Stop paying attention to what others will say or do.

You are responsible for your life. Take action and start your healing journey.

If you want to share something with us, drop us a line, and we will connect with you. Your life is yours, and you are the master of your life and the actions you take.