Scopophobia is a subset of social anxiety disorder, refers to the fear of being observed in social situations. People with an irrational fear of being watched often tend to avoid social situations, leading to impairment in daily functioning.
People with scopophobia may exhibit a combination of physical, emotional, and behavioral traits, and the impact and intensity depend on many factors. Modern psychology emphasizes understanding social anxiety on a spectrum. Deenz Scopophobia Scale (DSS-18) is developed to assess the severity and impact of scopophobia and determine the likelihood of inclination towards pathological traits of social anxiety.
Understanding Sociophobia Facets
1. Hyperreflexivity – Excessive Self-Consciousness
People with the fear of being watched or observed tend to experience heightened self-awareness, especially in social situations. It is like feeling people are watching your actions and appearance.
2. Allodoxaphobia – Fear of Negative Evaluation
They are excessively worrying about making mistakes or being perceived as inadequate. They can’t start conservation and avoid eye contact due to worrying about being embarrassed or criticized in social interactions.
3. Avoidance – Avoidance of social events to avoid discomfort
They tend to avoid situations that may trigger their fear of being the center of attention. In severe cases, people with scopophobia may skip social events and stay away from situations where they may feel anxious. They tend to remain alone and sometimes feel agitation due to significant discomfort when facing people.
4. Distortions – Assuming the worst in social situations
People with scopophobia engage in distorted thinking such as assuming the worst in social interactions. These negative thoughts about how they may be perceived by others in social situations may lead them to have a profound impact on social and psychological well-being.
5. Anxiety – Excessive worrying in social settings
Feeling shy is a normal part of human behavior but feeling intense anxiety in social situations due to fear of negative judgment may be a sign of social anxiety disorder. People who feel consent anxiety in social interactions and have hyper self-consciousness may lead to impairment of daily functioning. They may struggle to meet new people and maintain relationships.
