THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SOCIAL ANXIETY TREATMENT

This is a complete and updated guide to social anxiety treatment with the 3 key components to overcoming social anxiety and become more confident.

Some level of social anxiety is completely normal. But there’s a difference between wanting to be accepted, and fearing rejection so much you avoid any setting where there’s a chance of judgment.

Social anxiety is a problem when it’s so intense it prevents you from enjoying a social life. Check the article Social Anxiety Ultimate Guide to understand more about the symptoms and diagnosis.

If social anxiety is left untreated or improperly treated, it can cause debilitating distress that interferes with daily activities.

In this continuously updated article, you will learn everything about the social anxiety treatment.

Social anxiety is a condition in which a person has an excessive fear of being closely watched, judged, and criticized at social situations.

Social anxiety disorder often goes undetected for years before people seek treatment. Only 30% get adequate treatment, and it can take ten years to find professional help.

Here are some reasonswhy people don’t seek help

● Not trust mental health care professionals, such as psychiatrists and psychologists.

● Worry about money. ● Feel that asking for treatment is a sign of weakness. ● Think you will get better if enough time passes. ● Worry that if people find out, it could cause them to think less. ● Lack of information. ● Don't know where to start. ● Think the symptoms are not severe enough. ● Believe that there is not cure for social anxiety.

Vote (it’s anonymous) and discover the top reasons!

Googling for social anxiety treatment you find a lot of information, but they are messy.

It’s easy to conclude that the two most common types of social anxiety treatment disorder are medications and psychotherapy. But it’s a simplicity and doesn’t help to understand how to overcome social anxiety.

The best social anxiety treatment is more integrative than that and includes an essential factor: you.

An integrative approach comprehends the components of social anxiety as intimately interconnected and takes into account the whole person in the process, rather than just treat a “problem”.

Here is a comprehensive guide to overcoming social anxiety organized into 3 key components.

Social anxiety treatment key component #1:

Change your thoughts

Individuals experiencing social anxiety have automatic thoughts and beliefs that contribute to their anxiety, like:

“People will think I’m stupid.”“I’ll end up looking like a fool.”“I won’t have anything to say.”“My voice will start shaking.”“I’ll seem boring.”“I’ll blush.”

These thoughts are like traps. When you fall on them, you become anxious.

The first step is to recognize the automatic thoughts that underlie your fear. For example, if you’re worried about a future presentation, the underlying thought might be: “I’m going to blow it. Everyone will notice that I’m nervous.”

It can be scary to think about why you feel and think the way you do about social situations, but understanding your thoughts is an essential component to getting over social anxiety.

The next step is to analyze the thought. It helps to ask yourself questions about the automatic thoughts: “Even if I’m nervous, will people necessarily notice it?” or “Do I know for sure that I’m going to blow the presentation?”.

Through this analysis of your automatic thoughts, you can gradually identify some unhelpful thinking styles or think traps.

1. Mind ReadingJumping to conclusions about another person’s thoughts, feelings, or intentions without checking them out. Particularly that they might be thinking bad things about you.

2. Catastrophic ThinkingAssuming that if a negative event were to occur, it would be absolutely terrible. Telling yourself that you won’t be able to handle something, or viewing tough situations as if they will never end.

3. Negative GlassesPaying more attention to the negatives and ignoring the positives in a situation. Dismissing positive qualities, achievements, or behaviors by telling yourself that they do not count.

4. Fortune TellingMaking negative predictions about the future, such as how people will behave or how events will play out. Predicting that a person believes is likely to come true, even though the actual likelihood is relatively low.

Social anxiety treatment key component #2:

Learn to relax

Several changes happen in your body when you become anxious. But, there are techniques to teach you how to relax and reduce physical responses to anxiety.

One of the first body response in anxiety is that you begin to breathe racing. Rapid shallow breathing leads to physical symptoms of anxiety, such as a feeling of suffocation, increased heart rate, muscle tension, and dizziness.

Learning to slow your breathing down can help you bring your physical sensations of anxiety under control.

Here is a breathing exercise to help you keep your calm in social situations.

Sit comfortably with your back straight and your shoulders relaxed. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose for four seconds. The hand on your stomach should rise while the hand on your chest should move very little. Hold the breath for two seconds.

Exhale slowly through your mouth for six seconds, pushing out as much air as you can. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very little.

Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Focus on keeping a slow and steady breathing pattern of 4-in, 2-hold, and 6-out.

Additionally to deep breathing exercises, regular practice of relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, and yoga will also help you get more self-control and feel more relaxed.

Social anxiety treatment key component #3:

Face your fears

One of the most important things you can do to overcome social anxiety is to face the social situations you fear.

While avoiding momentarily uncomfortable situations may help you feel better in the short term; it prevents you from learning how to cope in the long term. In fact, the more you avoid a feared social situation, the more frightening it becomes.

So, the more you avoid feeling anxiety, the more power it has over you. Because anxiety and confidence are inversely related, so for you to decrease anxiety, you have to gain confidence.

Avoidance may also prevent you from reaching your goals. For example, a fear of speaking up may prevent you from standing out in the classroom or sharing your ideas at work.

While it may seem difficult to face a feared social situation, you can do it by taking it one small step at a time.

In other words, it’s important to face your fears gradually.

The key is to begin with a situation that you can handle and gradually work your way up to more challenging situations. It’s like to climb a mountain.

You’ll build your confidence and social skills as you move up.

For example, if socializing makes you anxious, you might begin by accompanying a friend to a party. When you become comfortable with that step, you might try introducing yourself to one new person.

To reach the mountain peak and be successful on overcoming social anxiety is important to be patient and do not try to face your biggest fear right away. It’s never a good idea to move too fast, take on too much, or force things. This strategy will backfire and strengthen your anxiety.

Overcome social anxiety on your own is a challenge. Luckily, there are resources and tools to help you overcome it successfully.

Read the next article about social anxiety treatment, resources and tools.