A lot of us might just grab a drink and sit in the corner during any social gatherings rather than interacting with people. The reason is that you just want to feel relaxed and avoid the awkwardness of talking with strangers. Alcohol is frequently used by socially anxious persons to decrease their anxiety, alleviate their fears, and improve their ability to handle social settings.

In America, there are over 15 million individuals who suffer from social anxiety disorder (SAD), and 14.1 million people who battle with alcohol use disorder (AUD). There is a 20-25% possibility of developing alcohol addiction along with social anxiety disorder.

What is alcohol abuse?

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a medical condition observed by a denying desire to reduce or regulate alcohol consumption despite facing issues in social and professional life and adverse health effects. The person unknowingly becomes addicted to alcohol and often indulges in the extreme and unsafe use of alcohol. A few hours or the next day after drinking alcohol, anxiety, irritability, or sadness can worsen.

Symptoms of alcohol use disorder are…

The symptoms may defer from person to person.

• Behavioral changes like behaving aggressively, spending less time with loved ones, not doing liking activities, irritability, etc.

• You end up drinking extreme, and feel guilty about it but could not control it despite trying hard.

• Due to the blackout effect of alcohol, you cannot remember anything about previous hours.

• You experience after-effects and withdrawal symptoms like getting sick, depressed, anxious, confused, mood swings, seizures, hallucinations, racing heart, sweating, etc. 

• Facing tremors like shaking hands, legs, face, or any other part of the body.

• You need a drink in the morning to get the day started.

• Getting hurt often or hurting others intentionally, especially the close ones. 

• Not paying enough attention to work, school or college and as a result suffering in professional and personal life due to addiction.

What is Social anxiety disorder?

An excessive fear of being criticized, judged, assessed, or rejected in a social occurring or when performing is known as social anxiety disorder or social phobia. People who suffer from social anxiety disorder constantly worry about their behavior, are uncomfortable around people or have thoughts of being viewed as unintelligent, awkward, or uninteresting. Due to this reason, they frequently steer clear of social involvement and when they do not have this option, they suffer from severe anxiety around people.

Social anxiety symptoms are…

This disorder has different effects on different people and hence its symptoms also vary in each individual.

• It is more than just a fear or shyness around people or when speaking in public.
• The awkwardness of communicating with strangers.
• Uncomfortable with public places, a group of people, random friends or large gatherings.
• A constant fear of being embarrassed in social situations.
• Having stage fear or fear of performing in front of others.
• Feeling comfortable only around limited people like family members, friends or loved ones and feeling anxious around other people.

The connection between alcohol use and social anxiety disorder:

It is unclear why drinking alcohol might cause social anxiety in some people but not in others. Moreover, some of the symptoms of alcohol use are more or less similar to social anxiety disorder and hence it is difficult to detect. 

Social anxiety disorder is more likely to have a direct impact on Alcohol use disorder compared to any other anxiety disorder. Drinking alcohol can boost the person’s self-esteem and helps them in overcoming their social anxiety. Alcohol can also be a medium of escaping the stress or anxiety associated with social events. 

This is the main reason people with social anxiety turn up into consuming alcohol, making it a habit and eventually becoming addicted to it. Thus it is not unusual that people with a social anxiety disorder experience more alcohol-related issues than the general public.

A vicious cycle:

Social anxiety disorder and alcohol abuse are interconnected and are vice versa, i.e. as people with SAD become addicted to alcohol, while severe alcohol addiction can also lead to social anxiety. 

Alcohol temporarily reduces the social anxiety symptoms but does not help to address the cause of the stress. Individuals suffering from SAD may need higher dosages of alcohol over time. This may lead to a negative cycle of drug addiction and mental illness. Anxiety increases due to overdrinking, which then again results in increased drinking. Once this vicious cycle is established, it is difficult to determine which condition is the source and which is the result.

How to overcome social anxiety without alcohol?

There are some self-treating ways other than alcohol which can help you to overcome your anxiety slowly and steadily:

• Perform relaxation techniques like meditation, deep breathing and calming your mind.
• Build confidence and get comfortable being who you really are. 
• Ask questions often in social gatherings and show that you are interested in their conversation. In this way, the focus would not be on you and you won’t feel anxious.
• Go to places that do not involve alcohol use like a park instead of a drink serving restaurants. Furthermore, spend time with people who do not consume alcohol when around you.
• Understand that you can’t overcome your social anxiety in one day or one attempt, so refrain from setting unreasonable goals. 

Treatment for social anxiety and alcohol addiction:

A dual diagnosis treatment center can offer both alcohol and social anxiety treatment.

• Psychotherapy
• Cognitive behavior therapy
• Detox
• Motivational enhancement therapy
• AA meetings
• Group therapy
• Certain medications like Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), Benzodiazepines, and Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Bottom Line:

Social anxiety and alcohol addiction are linked with each other and if not treated early, the individual can suffer severely. If anyone you know is suffering from this condition, help them by getting them to see a doctor or a therapist. Various alcohol rehab centers also offer dual diagnosis treatment that offers both mental health treatment and alcohol treatment programs.