Considering social anxiety disorder! Spiritual

 Considering social anxiety disorder! Spiritual

A Consideration of Social Anxiety Disorder! From a spiritual perspective, it is possible that the prevalence of social anxiety disorder is increasing.

It is unclear whether it can strictly be called social anxiety disorder, but there was a story about a woman in the past.

This woman was unable to type on a keyboard and, after joining a company, experienced stress. The stress led her to develop binge eating disorder, and eventually she even stole food from a supermarket.

During interviews conducted in prison, this woman appeared to be an ordinary, very cute young girl, surprising even the reporters who interviewed her.

With the widespread use of smartphones, there are more people who cannot type on a computer keyboard, and this may have led some to develop social anxiety disorder.

First, regarding a sense of presence, the psychologist Sigmund Freud proposed that whenever people eat, sleep, or use the restroom, they experience a certain degree of pleasure, since humans naturally seek pleasure—this he called the pleasure principle.

Extremely speaking, one could say “a sense of presence” = “pleasure”, as feeling happiness is likely accompanied by a strong sense of presence and intense pleasure simultaneously.

Not being able to feel a sense of presence is not simply about lacking presence; the human body and mind influence each other, and this can easily generate stress, perceived as a threat to life.

Stress responses put a person in a state of choosing either attack or escape against the source of stress, both of which require energy and activate the body and mind.

However, it is not always possible to make such a choice, and socially, many people may often find themselves unable to choose either option.

Considering “social anxiety disorder,” “defense instincts,” and “spirituality”

Considering social anxiety disorder from the perspective of self-preservation instincts in spirituality, this instinct is what drives the development of social anxiety.

It is similar to being near a giant dinosaur-like stress; this stress perpetuates a vicious cycle of social anxiety.

Of course, if a person makes a sound, the source of stress might notice them. Therefore, the inability to speak can manifest as a symptom.

If they move their body, the “dinosaur” might spot them. This explains why, in some cases of social anxiety, the body feels heavy or sluggish.

From an outsider’s perspective, these behaviors may appear as laziness.

This can make the person seem more vulnerable or aggressive in others’ eyes, which further strengthens the influence of social anxiety.

To avoid detection by external threats, it is natural to try to blend in with the surrounding space, which may result in neglect of personal hygiene or a disheveled appearance.

The clearest expression of social anxiety is becoming like an unnoticed stone, which illustrates how the self-preservation instinct works strongly in social anxiety.

Considering “social anxiety disorder,” “spiritual growth,” and “spirituality”

Considering social anxiety disorder from the perspective of soul growth in spirituality, this can be seen as a major contributing factor.

In soul growth, the development of knowledge is composed of individual insights, and similarly, the growth of the heart—spiritual rank—also depends on each insight from the heart.

When spiritual rank rises, one’s presence becomes stronger in a spiritual sense, the ability to fulfill others’ hearts increases, and the greater the number of insights, the wider one’s perspective on life becomes. This is not a difficult concept; it is simply about maturing spiritually.

Conversely, when spiritual rank is low, one’s presence is weak spiritually, and there is a tendency to prioritize one’s own heart over fulfilling the hearts of others. With fewer insights, one’s perspective becomes narrow. This too is not complicated—it simply reflects a spiritually childlike state.

In Japan, education cannot be said to consistently cultivate awareness from the heart, and if children progress along an “escalator” of growth without these insights, people with low spiritual rank are more likely to emerge.

With a spiritually weaker presence, stress can arise more easily, which can manifest as social anxiety disorder.

Traditionally, children interacted frequently with adults and moved actively in society. Today, with concerns about crimes against children, adults tend to avoid contact with children, which can reduce children’s ability to adapt to new situations, making social anxiety more likely to appear.

Therefore, social anxiety disorder should be viewed not merely as an individual issue, but as a societal problem.