Social Anxiety Disorder How Maladaptive Behaviors Worsen Social Anxiety Disorder By Arlin Cuncic Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of "Therapy in Focus: What to Expect from CBT for Social Anxiety Disorder" and "7 Weeks to Reduce Anxiety." Learn about our editorial process Arlin Cuncic Reviewed by Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW on June 29, 2020 facebook twitter linkedin instagram Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, the author of the bestselling book "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," and the host of the Mentally Strong People podcast. Learn about our Review Board Amy Morin, LCSW on June 29, 2020 Print fizkes / Getty Images If you have social anxiety, you may have inadvertently developed dysfunctional strategies to help you cope with unbearable feelings of anxiety, stress, and panic. You may use these strategies—known as maladaptive behaviors—because they relieve some of your anxiety in the moment. They're considered maladaptive, however, because they don't deal with the root cause of your anxiety, the relief is only temporary, and they often lead to or exacerbate other issues. There are many maladaptive behaviors, but avoidance is one of the most common among people with social anxiety disorder (SAD). Like all maladaptive behaviors, avoidance can keep you trapped in a cycle of anxiety. Avoidance Behaviors In order to avoid anxiety-provoking situations, you may engage in maladaptive coping strategies such as: Canceling plans at the last minute because you think you'll humiliate yourselfSkipping social events you're interested in because you think you'll feel awkwardTurning down promotions at work that would require increased social interactionConsuming alcohol, recreational drugs, or other substances to curb anxiety Safety Behaviors Alternatively, you may use safety behaviors (also known as partial avoidance behaviors) to prevent potential public humiliation. These behaviors are considered a more subtle form of avoidance because although you're not outright avoiding a situation, you're not fully engaging in it either. The following are some examples of common safety behaviors in people with social anxiety: Taking on roles/responsibilities in social situations (such as taking pictures or setting up equipment) so that you don't have to interact with othersAvoiding eye contact to avoid being noticed by othersWearing neutral or excessive amounts of clothing to avoid attentionMinimizing your feelings to avoid confrontation or potential rejection Consequences While these behaviors may minimize anxiety in the moment, regularly avoiding situations can also cause more problems, such as: Becoming more fearful of situations: Avoiding fearful situations can actually increase and reinforce your fears. Every time you avoid your fears, your brain learns that those situations are threats you need to be protected from.Difficult social relationships: You may start avoiding certain friends or family members because you don't want to be "forced" to do things you don't want to do.Poor social skills: Avoiding anxiety-provoking situations can prevent you from learning fundamental social skills needed to effectively communicate with other people.Trouble being assertive: The more you avoid difficult conversations and social situations, the harder it will be to assert yourself and stand up for what you believe in ensuring that your needs go unheard.Low employment achievement: Avoiding interpersonal relationships at work, not attending work conferences, and turning down job offers or promotions are all things that can prevent you from moving forward in your career.Issues with substance use: People with anxiety disorders are more likely to misuse alcohol or medications than people who don't live with anxiety. Self-medicating to manage your anxiety can easily become a crutch that increases the risk of developing a substance use disorder. Eliminating Maladaptive Behaviors While maladaptive behaviors may relieve your anxiety in the short-run, in the long-run, they worsen your social anxiety by reinforcing your fears. Replacing these behaviors with safer, more effective coping mechanisms can help reduce anxiety even in the most challenging circumstances. Adaptive behaviors are actions that help you change your response to make the situation more positive. These behaviors are essential to successfully managing the demands of daily life and engaging with others. They may include the following. Social Skills This might include things such as conversation skills and how to make new friends. Developing social skills will make it easier for you to cope with social interactions despite feeling anxiety. Personal Responsibility Taking personal responsibility means not leaning on others to support you unnecessarily. This might include developing routines in your daily life to be able to maintain employment and maintain a household, despite your anxiety. Public Speaking Skills If public speaking is a specific issue for you, adaptive skills might include taking a class to overcome your stage fright and developing your public speaking ability. Emotional Regulation Learning how to regulate emotions when they overwhelm you is a necessary step to developing adaptive skills to manage SAD. The 9 Best Online Therapy Programs We've tried, tested and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain. A Word From Verywell Many people with SAD lack appropriate adaptive behaviors, but that does not mean it is impossible to stop maladaptive actions. If you find that maladaptive behaviors are interfering with your ability to overcome your social anxiety, it may be helpful to meet with your family doctor or a mental health professional to discuss the issues you are experiencing. Working with a therapist who specializes in SAD can help you to identify your maladaptive behaviors and triggers and then develop a strategy for addressing these issues. If you've not received treatment for SAD, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or medication are two scientifically validated forms of treatment that may be helpful to you. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Piccirillo ML, Taylor Dryman M, Heimberg RG. Safety behaviors in adults with social anxiety: Review and future directions. Behav Ther. 2016;47(5):675-687. doi:10.1016/j.beth.2015.11.005 Additional Reading Boden MT, John OP, Goldin PR, Werner K, Heimberg RG, Gross JJ. The role of maladaptive beliefs in cognitive-behavioral therapy: Evidence from social anxiety disorder. Behav Res Ther. 2012;50(5):287-291. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2012.02.007 Calvete E, Orue I, Hankin BL. Early maladaptive schemas and social anxiety in adolescents: the mediating role of anxious automatic thoughts. J Anxiety Disord. 2013;27(3):278-288. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2013.02.011 Piccirillo ML, Taylor Dryman M, Heimberg RG. Safety Behaviors in Adults With Social Anxiety: Review and Future Directions. Behav Ther. 2016;47(5):675-687. doi:10.1016/j.beth.2015.11.005