Social Anxiety
Socially awkward? Difficulty making eye contact? Painfully unassertive?
“Although it may feel like you’re the only one with this problem, social anxiety or social phobia is actually quite common. Many people struggle with these fears. But the situations that trigger the symptoms of social anxiety disorder can be different”.
“Some people experience anxiety in most social and performance situations, a condition known as generalized social anxiety disorder. For other people with social phobia, anxiety is connected with specific social situations, such as speaking to strangers, eating at restaurants, or going to parties”.
“Of all the professional treatments available, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to work the best for treating social anxiety disorder, or social phobia. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is based on the premise that what you think affects how you feel, and your feelings affect your behavior. So if you change the way you think about social situations that give you anxiety, you’ll feel and function better”.
“Cognitive-behavioral therapy for social phobia typically involves:
- Learning how to control the physical symptoms of anxiety through relaxation techniques and breathing exercises.
- Challenging negative, unhelpful thoughts that trigger and fuel social anxiety, replacing them with more balanced views.
- Facing the social situations you fear in a gradual, systematic way, rather than avoiding them.
“While you can learn and practice these exercises on your own, if you’ve had trouble with self-help, you may benefit from the extra support and guidance a therapist brings”. (Excerpted from Melinda Smith, M.A., and Ellen Jaffe-Gill, M.A. Last updated: August 2015. On help.org)
We at Counseling on Demand can help you with that. We have experience with social anxiety in its many forms and are well versed in Cognitive behavioral therapy. We offer several ways providing this counseling; email, text, chat line and Skype. On Skype, while we normally see each other face to face you may choose to see your counselor while he/she would be unable to see you… until you are ready.
You need not go through this alone. With our support, you can get through these times.
So you see, we can help. You needn’t leave your favorite/private place. Nor must you wait for an appointment. We are there 24/7. You can begin in 24 hours or less.
You may contact us now. Your first consultation is free.
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