The self is important in treating social phobia (also known as social anxiety disorder) as people with social anxiety have too much self-focus. When you have social anxiety, you worry that people are making fun of you or that you may embarass yourself. You may think it is all about you, but in reality, other people may be thinking of other things, and not necessarily about how you look or how you behave. When you think people are focused on you, this in turn strengthens your focus on yourself. It is this self-focus that maintains and worsens this negative, vicious cycle of social phobia.
Watch the following video to see how self-focus plays a role in maintaining the negative, vicious cycle of social phobia:
