Social Anxiety

There are ways to feel more comfortable in social settings.

Social Anxiety

THERE ARE WAYS TO FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IN SOCIAL SETTINGS.

Whether you live in a bustling city or a quiet suburb, social interactions are an inevitable part of life. For many people, these interactions can be fun and enjoyable. For those who suffer from social anxiety disorder, however, being in a social setting can set off a long list of triggers. 

Social anxiety or social phobia often involves an intense and persistent fear and sometimes rumination associated with social situations. These thought processes can result in:

  • PTSD flare-ups
  • Debilitating thoughts of past negative experiences or interpersonal trauma
  • Physiological symptoms such as heart palpitations and/or sweating
  • Overwhelming beliefs that the situation will be negatively evaluated and lead to rejection
  • Inability to be assertive, feelings of inferiority, or being overly sensitive to feedback
  • Low self-esteem
  • Avoidance or disengaging from social situations 

The effects can limit a person’s ability to enjoy life and can interfere with daily activities, work environments, interpersonal relationships, and overall productivity.  

Technical terminology: Social anxiety disorder can be broken down into two different categories. Symptoms can be present in both social interactions and performance situations (generalized), or symptoms might only present in specific situations (non-generalized).

How can you manage all of this? Specific social anxiety therapy can help.

Social anxiety order seems to run in families and can affect people at any age. Also, our brain functioning and body’s response to hormones and neurochemicals play a large role in regulating our stress and the “fight, flight, freeze or fawn” response in social situations.

Therapy can help you break this cycle. Through a supportive treatment plan that explores the origins of your social anxiety you can begin to develop coping strategies that reduce the fear response. Teaching your nervous system to effectively manage, and even thrive, in social situations.