Many of us are familiar with the feeling of discomfort associated with people staring at us, but when the discomfort turns into fear and inhibits our social as well as personal life it is termed scopophobia. Scopophobia can vary in its severity and can take on different forms in different people. While the fear of being stared at is quite common, one cannot term it a phobia unless the fear is out of proportion to the risk involved in a given situation. Even the smallest chores like going out to buy groceries might be crippling for people with scopophobia. They experience heart palpitations and shallow breathing when put in the limelight and hence tend to avoid all forms of attention-grabbing activities, preferring to fade into the background inconspicuously.
In the traditional sense of the term, scopophobia may be associated only with public places and social gatherings. However, this is a misconception that stems from a lack of understanding of the condition. People who suffer from scopophobia find it hard to pose for the camera or do anything that draws attention to themselves. Consequently, their skills and abilities remain unknown as they are reluctant to step up. This could be a massive disadvantage in a highly competitive age like ours. In the digital era of selfies and snaps, these people struggle to make others understand their condition. Roughly 12% of the adult population face some kind of social anxiety disorder and scopophobia is one of them. Left untreated, the condition can put a limiter on the lives of these people, and awareness and normalization of the condition are key.
Scopophobia like any other social anxiety disorder must be managed even though it can’t be cured. Seeking medical assistance and being open about the condition can be extremely helpful and with a trusted support system in place it can be tamed slowly but surely.