Safety Behavior

Safety behavior, also known as safety-seeking behavior: Safety behaviors—a more subtle form of avoidance behavior — are acts to feel safer through avoidance or reassurance – seeking strategies (rather than avoiding the situation altogether) to reduce anxiety and fear within a triggering environment. Safety measures if we have social anxiety might be repeatedly check our appearance in a mirror or avoiding eye contact in a conversation — while still attending the party. Though useful in the short term, such behaviors might become maladaptive over the long term by prolonging anxiety and fear of nonthreatening situations — common to anxiety. Exposure and response prevention therapy can reduce underlying fear to stop safety behaviors