Why do I cringe after every social interaction?
Ewald Stoltenberg
2025-06-23 00:52:24
Count answers: 12
When a person is stuck thinking over and over about an event that occurred, they are experiencing post-event rumination. Post event rumination is a common experience for those overcoming social anxiety. Brooding is a subtype of rumination which is “a passive comparison of one’s current situation with some unachieved standard.” Studies have shown that post-event rumination increases anxiety and negative emotions over time. The brooding cycle begins when self-evaluation focuses on unrealistic expectations of one’s performance and an unbalanced focus on negative information about oneself. Worries about others’ opinion about the social event also keeps the cycle moving. Brooding, as you would imagine, increases anxiety about the situation. As time passes, the ability to objectively evaluate the past events becomes more difficult. The next time a person is in a similar social situation, they quickly remember the past event that went horribly wrong. Anticipating the same result, they enter the situation with a higher level of anxiety.
Skylar Bergnaum
2025-06-22 22:58:27
Count answers: 8
Awkwardness isn’t just about not knowing what to say or fumbling over your words. At its core, awkwardness is driven by fear. The fear of being judged, rejected, or disliked. When you're anxious, your brain goes into overdrive, convincing you that the stakes are high in every conversation. One misstep, and you’ll be exposed as “unworthy” of friendship, love, or acceptance. When social anxiety has you in its grip, even the smallest pause in conversation feels like death. The real issue behind social anxiety isn’t the awkward moment itself—it’s the underlying fear that something is inherently wrong with you. Every time you have a moment where you don’t know what to say, you confirm this deep, dark fear that there’s something wrong with me.
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