Question

why is social phobia maintained?

Answer 1

Do you really mean to ask "why" social phobia is maintained?
Or do you mean to ask "how" social phobia is maintained?

Answer 2

In my opinion, it'd be much easier to answer the question "HOW is social phobia maintained?"

I'll try to answer that for you, in case that's what you really meant to ask.

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Here are two quick facts:

1. Paul M. Salkovskis (psychologist) coined the term "Safety-Seeking Behavior."

A Safety-Seeking Behavior is "a behaviour which is
performed in order to prevent or minimise a feared catastrophe.''

In other words, it's something that people do, to prevent something that they fear from happening (or make it less severe).

2. People with social phobia use Safety Seeking Behaviors, so that they can avoid looking stupid, or pathetic, or lowly.
For them, these Safety Seeking Behaviors are MALADAPTIVE.
That means that these behaviors aren't good for them. They're maladaptive. They keep the social phobia alive.

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Okay, so remember the two things we've just talked about.

SAFETY SEEKING BEHAVIORS
and....
MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIORS

Let's talk about a few examples for how these Safety Seeking Behaviors can be maladaptive for people with social phobia.
And to explain these examples, we'll talk about Susan. Susan has social phobia.

1. Susan is very afraid of looking stupid and unsociable, when other people approach her.

So, when people try to talk to Susan, Susan uses a Safety Seeking Behavior--She pretends to be busy. She pretends that she has other places to go, and things to do.

Susan tells herself, "If I don't pretend to be busy, then I'll end up making myself look stupid."

Susan refuses to face her fears, you see? So, her Safety Seeking Behavior keeps her social phobia alive. It is, therefore, a MALADAPTIVE behavior.


2. Susan is very afraid of sweating around other people. She thinks it'll make her look pathetic and scared.

So, when she goes out, Susan uses a Safety Seeking Behavior--she wears a jacket to hide her underarm. But the jacket is heavy, and it makes her sweat even more!

Susan's Safety Seeking Behavior made something happen, that she tried to prevent from happening. It made her sweat a lot! And it increased her level of anxiety! It is a MALADAPTIVE behavior.


3. When she HAS to talk to other people, Susan is very afraid of sounding disorganized and verbally inferior. She wants so badly to be accepted.

So, she uses a Safety Seeking Behavior--When she's talking to other people, Susan is CONSTANTLY going over what she said, what she's going to say, and how she appears, all in her head.

But Susan's behavior makes her seem very distant, very cold, and very impersonal. Other people think that Susan doesn't like them! So, they treat Susan with less warmth and friendliness. Susan's behavior is MALADAPTIVE.

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So you see here, Safety Seeking Behaviors are consistently maladaptive, for people with social phobia.

Maladaptive Behaviors are what maintains social phobia. And here, we've talked about a few examples of HOW these behaviors can be maladaptive.