Social Anxiety
Social Anxiety/Social Phobia is the intense fear of being judged, embarrassed, or humiliated in social situations. This fear can cause avoidance of a variety of social situations including performances, social gatherings such as parties, meetings, and dates, as well as in one-to-one conversations with others at work or school. In persons who struggle with social anxiety, the avoidance, anxiety, or fear persists and usually lasts for a period of 6 months or longer and causes a great deal of distress in significant areas of functioning.
Signs and Symptoms of Social Anxiety
Avoidance
A wide variety of social situations are avoided to try and keep anxiety at bay.
Fear of Having Conversations
Talking with people can be difficult because of fears of negative evaluation from others.
Anxiety
Social situations almost always provoke feelings of anxiety.
Fear of Public Speaking
Public performances such as giving a speech or acting in a play can cause intense fear or anxiety.
Excessive Worry
Worrying about an upcoming social event, rumination following conversation.
Fear of Meeting New People
Anxiety or fear that is associated with meeting people with whom the person is not familiar.
Intense Fear
Fear is significantly higher than the present threat of the social situation.
Fear of Eating in Front of Others
Eat and drinking in the presence of others can provoke anxiety or intense fear.
Treatment for Social Anxiety
CBT
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps clients with social anxiety to identify and work to change unhelpful thinking patterns that tend to keep them “stuck” and explore the way thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected and how they have the power to change unhealthy patterns into healthy ones. Coping skills and confidence are developed to assist in achieving treatment goals. With consistent practice, as the ways in which situations are viewed and interpreted changes, often the situations themselves begin to change, too.
ERP
Exposure and Response Prevention is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that provides opportunities for clients struggling with social anxiety to face the situations they fear and gradually become desensitized, leading to less anxiety and more freedom. ERP and any therapeutic exposure exercises are always done at the comfort level of the client, as the client is the expert in themself and knows what pace works best for them. Exposure exercises can be practiced in therapy as well as in between sessions. Exposure therapies, including ERP, are highly effective and can provide clients with effects that are lasting.
ACT
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy guides clients to discover what is truly important to them in their life and then take action towards living life in ways that they find deeply meaningful. The acceptance component of ACT emphasizes a non-judgmental approach to the way people experience their thoughts and feelings and encourages purposeful living, even in the face of challenges. In essence, if you are struggling with social anxiety, ACT can provide hope, clarity, and a compassionate path towards healing.
“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”
— Eleanor Roosevelt