What is Social Anxiety?
Social anxiety extends beyond simply being shy or introverted. Those people may limit their social interactions or have to push themselves a little but often desire and pursue social engagements. Social anxiety, or what is clinically called social phobia, is a level of fear, anxiety, and social discomfort that leads to avoidance of social situations and begins to interfere with building relationships, school completion, work and employment settings, and the like. Onset is often in the teenage years but can develop earlier or later.
What Are the Symptoms of Social Anxiety?
Symptoms of social anxiety can be physical, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive. Physical symptoms tend to manifest once anxiety is building and may include trembling voice, blushing, increased heart rate, sweating, shortness of breath, or shakiness. Not surprisingly these are many of the same symptoms seen with panic attacks which also occur at heightened levels of physiological arousal. Often preceding this are the mental and emotional symptoms which may include any of the following: worry, dread, fear, shame, confusion, or indecision.
At its core, many people have an intense fear of being judged or viewed negatively by others that they would be concerned about. They may fear embarrassing or humiliating themselves, saying something “dumb,” and again being viewed harshly by peers. Many people fear catastrophic fallout from possibly “screwing up” in a social situation and may believe everyone will hate them, avoid them, shun them, or cast them out of the group. Avoidance of social situations is great at reducing anxiety, which is why those with social anxiety tend to avoid them and keep their anxiety at a minimum. Unfortunately, this often serves to reinforce and make the anxiety even worse.
How do you Treat and Overcome Social Anxiety?
Some people find some relief through the use of anti-depressant medications which can be pretty effective in treating generalized anxiety as well. Some gain enough symptom relief that they can overcome enough of their fear and can engage in social situations. Keep in mind that for many people, medication alone is not enough. Most people find the most benefit from working with a therapist to conquer their social anxiety. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective forms of treatment. Initially, people learn to tune in and pay attention to their inner dialogue and uncover some of the underlying beliefs and thoughts they are having that fuel their anxiety. Efforts are made to examine the validity and accuracy of these beliefs and take steps to actively challenge and replace them with more accurate beliefs and thoughts. With some success on this front, the next step often involves exposure. Like any phobia, eventually, to conquer it, people need to expose themselves to the phobia, in this case, social situations. Incremental gains and success in real situations usually help to rapidly put the nail in the coffin of people’s social anxiety. They quickly discover, with objective evidence, that the things they have been telling themselves are false. As confidence builds through successful social encounters, anxiety begins to fade rapidly. Having a therapist to help guide and coach you can be instrumental in success.
If you would like to start conquering your social anxiety, feel free to contact IPC so you can schedule an appointment with one of our providers for a more thorough assessment. Please call us now at 763-416-4167, or request an appointment on our website: WWW.IPC-MN.COM so we can sit down with you and complete a thorough assessment and help you develop a plan of action that will work for you. Life is too short to be unhappy. Find the peace of mind you deserve.
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