subject: Beyond Shyness - Social Anxiety Treatment [print this page] Each person at some point in time has experienced anxiety during some social or presentation situation. Having social phobia or anxiety prevents people from being able to do the things they want to do. People that has anxiety want to be friendly, open, and sociable. It is fear (anxiety) that holds them back from participating. The good news is that there is a social anxiety treatment available. Social anxiety disorder is the most severe form of shyness or social phobia. In order to be diagnosed with this kind of anxiety disorder, a person must experience extreme levels of social anxiety, enough to bother her or him or to interference in her or his daily routine (e.g., school, work, relationships) Social Anxiety Categories a. Performance situations (e.g., performing in front of others or being observed by other people) Talking in meetings or classes
Public speaking
Writing in front of others
Eating or drinking in front of others
Participating in sports or working out in front of others
Performing music or acting on stage
Being in public areas such as a shopping mall or a bus
Using public restrooms when other people are nearby
Making mistakes in front of others b. Social interaction situations (e.g., engaging or interacting with one or more people). Talking to people in authority (e.g., employer, professor, doctor)
Going to a party
Being assertive (e.g., refusing to give in to unreasonable requests, asking others to change their behavior)
Initiating or maintaining conversation
Talking to strangers
Inviting friends over for dinner
Talking on the phone
Being in intimate situations
Expressing personal opinions
Returning items to a store or sending food back in a restaurant Effective Social Anxiety Treatment Biological Treatments
There are a number of medications that have proven useful for treating anxiety disorder. The decision to take medication and which medication to use should be based upon a number of factors, and should be discussed with a doctor first. Psychological Treatments
Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) include: Cognitive Therapy - Involves learning to identify one's anxious thoughts and to replace them with more realistic thoughts Exposure to Feared Situations - involves confronting a feared situation repeatedly, until the situation no longer triggers fear. Exposure Role Plays - They are simulated practices instead of practicing the real thing Social Skills Training Social Anxiety Treatment Specialties: Anxiety disorders, can be successfully treated today. In seeking help for this problem, we recommend searching for a specialist -- someone who understands this problem well and knows how to treat it.
