End of lockdown fear: I’m dreading the easing of coronavirus restrictions
The IndependentThe best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Because I also have autism spectrum disorder, a condition that has high comorbidity with social anxiety, I often find it hard to understand people and maintain interactions without getting overwhelmed. As a recent study demonstrated, the pandemic has acted as a buffer for people with social anxiety disorder: allowing them to have a “psychological distance” from social situations. But, please don’t get me wrong – this doesn’t mean that I don’twant lockdown to lift or that I don’t want to see people; it’s just important to acknowledge that for those who are neurodivergent or have social anxiety, adjusting to this “new normal” will take time. Before the pandemic, the level of social anxiety in the UK population was already quite high – statistics show that 12 per cent of all UK people will experience social phobia in their lifetime.
History of this topic
Why we may have to re-learn to socialise
BBC
Is the pandemic making our social skills decay? Psychologists think so
Salon
How to ease yourself back into socialising once lockdown lifts, according to psychologists
The Independent
How To Deal If Everyone's Coronavirus Anxiety Is Piling Onto Yours
Huff Post
Here’s how you can manage anxiety during social distancing and quarantine
Hindustan TimesDiscover Related
)
