7/29/2019 Introduction and Definition

1/3

Introduction and DefinitionThe term Social anxiety was coined by Janet (1903) to describe people who feared beingobserved while speaking, playing the piano, or writing. Social Anxiety nowadays is a term used

to describe the excessive fear, nervousness and apprehension that people experience in social

interactions (Butler, 1999). People with social anxiety fear being judged negatively by otherpeople or humiliated in front of them.

The physical indicators of social anxiety are similar to those of other types of anxiety attack.

When social anxiety occurs, individuals can experience all the indicators of autonomic nervous

system arousal (racing heart, sweating, clammy hands, trembling, stomach butterflies and feeling

sick), and in some circumstances they can experience panic attacks and loss of consciousness.

This can cause considerable discomfort and embarrassment and often affect the persons ability

to act naturally or perform a task in front of people.

How to overcome social anxiety

Social anxiety happens to everybody at one time or another. It is perfectly normal tofeel anxiety in situations such as a job interview, making a speech, or going on a date.Some people however develop anxiety in most social situations, which can seriouslyaffect their quality of life. When social anxiety becomes this intrusive there are severaloptions people can take.

It is advisable to contact your doctor who will give you a formal diagnosis and eitherrefer you to a therapist or put you on medication. Therapies include counselling,

psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). The most common andsuccessful of these therapies seems to be CBT.

Cognitive Behavioural Model of Social Anxiety

One of the most popular methods used to reduce and eliminate social anxiety iscognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). It utilises the idea that various recurring thoughtpatterns and behaviours are linked to physical and emotional indicators of social

anxiety. CBT is a process of identifying, analysing and changing these thought patternsand behaviours with the result of reducing the overall anxiety. CBT has been stringentlyapplied to many people with anxiety and depression, and it has proven to be moreeffective then any other psychological techniques, and just as effective as medication(without the side effects). Cognitive behavioural therapy works around the idea thatthoughts affect behaviour and vice versa. Therefore the re-programming of both islikely to change the situation.

7/29/2019 Introduction and Definition

2/3

The cognitive behavioural solution to social anxiety is generally based around a model(diagram) showing the thought processes, behaviours and how they interact with oneanother. One of the most common and well supported models of social anxiety wasdevised by Clark and Wells in 1995. The Clark and Wells model shows the processesinvolved in social anxiety:

Figure 1 - The cognitive behavioural model of social anxiety devised by Clark and Wells 1995. Thisversion was adapted from Butler 1999.

BACK TO TOP

The trigger situation refers to the situation that activates the bout of anxiety. This canvary from person to person but often includes things like answering the phone tosomeone you dont like talking to, or walking past a group of people you know in th estreet who stop and talk to you. For some people the situations might be more specific,

such as the weekly meeting at work or a formal chat with your boss. The triggersituation activates the beliefs and assumptions the person has about them self, thespecific situation, and social situations in general.

The situation is perceived as socially dangerous. The combination of the trigger and thenegative thoughts associated with it accumulate in the person perceiving the situationas threatening or dangerous, which can activate three responses:

http://www.brainhe.com/students/types/SocialAnxiety.html#tophttp://www.brainhe.com/students/types/SocialAnxiety.html#tophttp://www.brainhe.com/students/types/SocialAnxiety.html#top

7/29/2019 Introduction and Definition

3/3

Safety behaviours. These are behaviours developed to minimise the anxiety feltat the time and avoid further exposure to potentially greater anxiety. Forexample - leaving the situation to avoid further embarrassment, or changing thesubject to something you feel confident talking about.

Self consciousness. This is when attention becomes focused upon oneself. Forexample becoming very aware of how much or how little eye contact you aremaking, or being very aware of your shaking hands.

Signs and symptoms of anxiety include increased heart rate, sweating, quiveringvoice, breathing becoming heavier and starting to shake.

Thoughts and Beliefs

The first thing to do is to identify your thoughts and beliefs. Thinking plays a bigpart in several of the processes involved in social anxiety. If analysed properly,

thoughts can be categorised into beliefs, assumptions and attitudes. Knowingwhat type of thought you are thinking is essential in changing them.

Beliefs - A belief is a thought that you make real or feel is true. A sociallyanxious person may believe that other people are generally hostile and willridicule any weaknesses observed in them, or they may believe that they have agenerally un-likable personality. These beliefs may have stemmed from badchildhood or past experiences. Many beliefs are dispositional in that they existbut have never previously been analysed and been questioned. Some beliefs arealso limiting in that they inhibit ones actions. It can be hard to identify deepseated beliefs, as the belief may have formed years ago in response to a

situation which may have been forgotten. Beliefs play a big part in behaviouralresponses. Someone who believes that people are generally hostile may thinkthat it is dangerous to tell people too much about themself and avoid too muchsmall talk.