Safety behaviors are actions a person performs to prevent a feared threat (in social anxiety: being negatively evaluated, making a fool of oneself). Examples: avoiding eye contact, speaking little, having a rehearsed script, holding a drink. Paradoxically, they maintain the fear because they prevent the person from learning that the feared situation was manageable.
Concept origin
Salkovskis PM. (1991). The importance of behaviour in the maintenance of anxiety and panic: A cognitive account. Behavioural Psychotherapy, 19(1), 6-19. doi:10.1017/S0141347300011472 · Wells A. (1997). Cognitive therapy of anxiety disorders. Wiley.
How it manifests
- ▸ Speaking little in meetings to avoid saying something "bad"
- ▸ Avoiding eye contact to not be evaluated
- ▸ Having a drink or phone as a shield
- ▸ Rehearsed repertoire to reduce spontaneity
Therapeutic approach
Exposure with response prevention (ERP) gradually eliminates safety behaviors so the person confronts the real evidence. CBT identifies and challenges the beliefs that maintain safety behaviors ("if I don't speak, I'm not evaluated").
Related concepts
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