The SANE Blog

Five myths about social anxiety

If you have social anxiety, you know what it feels like to experience intense anxiety in social situations. It can involve a fear of judgement or embarrassment and can sometimes result in you avoiding social situations altogether.  

While it’s quite common (around 7 per cent of Australians have experienced social anxiety in the past 12 months), there are a lot of myths surrounding it. Debunking these myths is important, so that they don’t create stigma and self-stigma, or prevent people from seeking help.  

Here are five myths about social anxiety – and the facts that prove them wrong.  

Rachel Green, CEO of SANE

A message from SANE CEO, Rachel Green

I know from personal experience that the second week in September can be tough going.

Don’t get me wrong, I love that there’s so much more awareness and that events like R U OK? and World Suicide Prevention Day have given people the knowledge and confidence to have meaningful conversations about mental health and suicide.

What I find really difficult - and I know many others who feel the same way – is how the prevailing messages shared across this week makes it seem like suicide prevention is a relatively simple, one-off thing.

For people in the complex mental health community, thoughts of suicide can be a regular occurrence. People living with long-term mental illness are significantly more likely to die by suicide than the general public. In some cases, the suicide risk is up to ten times greater.

If you ask someone living with trauma, psychosis or long-term depression if they’ve considered suicide, chances are the answer will be yes.

The last few decades have seen the world become a better for women and girls but there is still much work to be done when it comes to mental health.

When it comes to women’s health and wellbeing, we’ve come a long way with increased awareness and action addressing some of the main issues that are impacting Australian women and girls.

Unfortunately, one area where we’ve not seen significant positive gains is in mental health.

The recent National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing shows women are more likely to report mental health issues than men. For some conditions such as anxiety, PTSD and disordered eating, women are significantly more impacted, and these concerning statistics extend across women of all ages and all backgrounds.

Like many others, Jynx learned they had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (or ADHD) as an adult. Their new diagnosis and getting connected with others who have ADHD helped them understand they are simply 'wired differently'.

A SANE Peer Support Worker shares how supporting others in an online mental health community led to developing valuable skills and finding their passion in a new job. 

Tim is a SANE Peer Ambassador who is used to speaking up about living with complex mental health issues. Together with ANZ co-worker Rav, they’ve created a fundraiser that is starting important workplace conversations around mental health.   

Did you know that a whopping 80% of the Australian population use social media? On one hand, this is great news, as more people can connect, be entertained, and get informed at any time, day or night.  

On the other hand, social media isn’t all positive. It has its risks, including the potential to increase mental health symptoms because of overuse or online hostility.  

Are you one of the many Australians at home with COVID-19? Whether the symptoms are keeping you in bed or you are self-isolating to protect others, you probably already know that managing your physical and mental health at this time can be challenging.

It can be hard seeing family over the holidays when relationships are strained. In part two of our series on estrangement and the holidays, SANE Peer Support Worker JD has some tips on dealing with challenging family events.  

The holidays can be tough for anyone who has needed to separate from their family. In part one of our series on estrangement and the holidays, Peer Support Worker JD talks about finding meaning this holiday season after cutting ties with relatives.