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Shaheen Bhatt On Social Anxiety: Dilemma Of How Much Eye Contact Is Socially Acceptable

Shaheen Bhatt On Social Anxiety: Dilemma Of How Much Eye Contact Is Socially Acceptable
The celebrity, who has suffered from mental blockages in her personal life, spoke upfront about the challenges one can go through while hunting for a good therapist

People suffering from social anxiety have a general fear of how they are perceived by others and eyes being the primary organs associated with visual perception, a direct gaze can cause intense distress

Written by Kashish Sharma |Updated : September 21, 2022 3:31 PM IST

A recent interview featuring Shaheen Bhatt floated on social media where the celebrity was seen talking about social anxiety. Having suffered from social anxiety, Bhatt spoke about the common symptoms she encountered from time to time. Among the many symptoms, she lined, the fear of making eye contact affected her the most. Fearing eye contact is one of the most common symptoms among people who suffer from this kind of anxiety.

"I always wonder how much of an eye contact is enough, less or more," said Bhatt.

Eye contact is a form of non-verbal communication and can have a large influence on social behaviour. People suffering from social anxiety have a general fear of how they are perceived by others. Since the eyes are the primary organs associated with visual perception, a direct gaze can be uncomfortable for people suffering from the condition. Before proceeding further, it will be a good idea to understand what social anxiety looks like.

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You are fearful of being watched

In the words of Shaheen Bhatt, "Social anxiety is a narcissistic disorder because, in any social setting, all your attention is on yourself." Social anxiety disorder is a mental health condition characterized by fear of being watched or judged by others in a social setting. Also called social phobia, the person suffering from the condition is fearful of negative judgement, embarrassment, or rejection. Any social situation can trigger the person suffering from the condition like -

  • meeting unfamiliar people
  • being called to speak in class or a meeting
  • entering a room where people are already seated
  • returning items to a store
  • eating in front of others.

Why fear the eyes

Excessive fear of being scrutinized is a defining feature of social anxiety disorder. While eye contact is instinctual but at the same, an aspect of it is socially constructed. SAD-affected individuals are fearful of being a source of embarrassment and often overthink about the length and amount of eye-exposure they have to make when confronted. Eye contact is also known to convey emotions, happiness, fear or anger. People who are suffering from the disorder are overly critical of how they are perceived. An intense gaze directed toward them can trigger anxiety and heighten their emotional state. Some studies show that for such individuals, a direct gaze can trigger a state of social threat in them.

Studies have the same say

As per a study published in the Frontiers Gaze Perception in social anxiety and social anxiety disorder, people suffering from social anxiety tend to fixate on other's eye regions for a shorter duration of time. While such individuals focus less on the eyes of others, they tend to hyper scan their facial expressions with an intent to understand how they are being perceived. Such individuals are also observed to exhibit backward head movement while talking. As per studies, the reason behind the avoidance of eye contact is to avoid the social threat or fear of being evaluated.

Overcoming eye contact anxiety

While it might be easier said than done to overcome the fear of making an eye-contact in one go but slow and steady efforts might help in the long run. As per experts, these are a few ways through which you can overcome the fear little-

  • Let your eye muscles relax and make a soft eye focus
  • According to an expert, draw an imaginary inverted triangle on the other person's face around their eyes and mouth. During the conversation, change your gaze every 5 to 10 seconds from one point on the triangle to another.
  • Practice making eye contact in front of a mirror.