Social Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety is the second most prevalent anxiety disorder and epidemiological data show that social anxiety affects about 7% of the population at any given time. People with social anxiety have a marked fear of social or performance situations in which they expect to feel embarrassed, judged, rejected, or negatively evaluated. They also are frequently afraid of offending others. People with social anxiety are often seen by others as shy, quiet, withdrawn, inhibited, nervous, aloof, and disinterested. Paradoxically, people with social anxiety want to make friends, be included in groups, and be involved and engaged in social interactions, however, their social anxiety holds them back from engaging in these activities.
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Symptoms
Social anxiety disorder symptoms include:
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Feeling highly anxious about being with other people and having a hard time talking to them
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Feeling very self-conscious in front of other people and worried about feeling humiliated, embarrassed, or rejected, or fearful of offending others
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Being very afraid that other people will judge them
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Worrying for days or weeks before an event where other people will be
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Staying away from places where there are other people
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Having a hard time making friends and keeping friends
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Blushing, sweating, or trembling around other people
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Feeling nauseous or sick to your stomach when other people are around
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Being the center of attention
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Being watched or observed while doing something
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Having to say something in a formal, public situation
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Meeting people in authority ("important people/authority figures")
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Swallowing, writing, talking, making phone calls if in public
Treatment
Social Anxiety Disorder is treated with psychotherapy, medications, or a combination of the two. Dr. Harte uses a variety of evidence-based psychotherapy treatments, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapies (CBT). CBT is a type of psychotherapy that can help people with anxiety disorders. It teaches a person different ways of thinking, behaving, and reacting to anxiety-producing and fearful situations. CBT can also help people learn and practice social skills, which is vital for treating social anxiety disorder.
Two specific stand-alone components of CBT used to treat social anxiety disorder are cognitive therapy and exposure therapy. Cognitive therapy focuses on identifying, challenging, and then reframing unhelpful thoughts. Exposure therapy focuses on confronting the fears underlying social anxiety in order to help people engage in activities they have been avoiding.
Learn More
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Social Anxiety Disorder Brochure - a free educational brochure from the National Institutes of Mental Health that offers basic information on signs and symptoms, as well as treatment options.
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Social Anxiety Disorder Statistics among Adults - This webpage from the National Institutes of Mental Health provides information on trends in prevalence of and use of treatments/services among adults with social anxiety disorder.
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Triumph over Shyness: Conquering Social Anxiety Disorder (2nd ed.). Stein, MB & Walker, JR
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Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook: Proven, Step-by-Step Techniques for Overcoming your Fear. Antony, MM & Swinson, RP
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The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Social Anxiety and Shyness: Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Free Yourself from Fear and Reclaim Your Life. Fleming, JE, Kocovski, NL, Segal, ZV
