Social Anxiety: Overcoming the Hurdles and Promoting Recovery
Some people have a persistent fear of an object or situation. In clinical psychology, it’s called ‘phobia’. This condition is characterised by an irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger at all. When the overwhelming fear is about dealing with other people, it’s often named ‘social anxiety’.
Social anxiety is more than just shyness or ‘butterflies in the stomach’. Whilst most people get nervous or conscious in social occasions, like doing a major presentation at work, meeting new people, attending parties or social gatherings, speaking in front of many people, or getting interviewed in a new job, people with social anxiety perceives a great danger to situations like these that they do everything to avoid them. This mental disorder can leave sufferers feeling down and empty, and less likely to pursue their goals.
Just like all other mental illnesses, recovery from social anxiety is possible. But why is it that many people find it hard to get over it? Why is the fear of rejection so unrelenting?
What makes social anxiety worse?
Many people with social anxiety fail to beat the challenges that come with their condition due to the following reasons:
They avoid it. Some sufferers try to relieve the debilitating symptoms of social anxiety by avoiding events and situations that trigger them. Whilst avoidance appears to be the most logical coping mechanism for social anxiety, it is not the answer. Avoidance prevents the process called ‘habituation’ which is critical in relieving anxiety over things. Habituation involves getting more used to or accustomed to a situation or an environment. But to achieve this effect, there has to be a repeated exposure to the feared situation.
They think too much. People with anxiety disorder have the habit of predicting events with too much certainty. This way of thinking is categorised into two – probability distortion and severity distortion. The first one involves overestimating the likelihood that something will go wrong and that people will negatively judge them for it. The second faulty thinking involves visualising such criticism or disapproval as catastrophe.
They can’t stop worrying. Because of the persistent flow of these mental distortions, people with anxiety disorder can’t help but worry about what may happen. They worry about being embarrassed, rejected or ignored by others. They worry about their upcoming social interactions, from attending a company gathering to speaking with their bosses. They worry that people may not like them. They keep worrying too much.
They pay attention to the wrong things. Whenever they are confronted with a social trigger, sufferers tend to pay overwhelming attention to two things – how they appear on others and how others look at them. First, they create a mental picture or image of how they think they appear to others. Next, they visualise how other people look at them and often, the picture is distorted.
They feel down. When they are in good mood, the anxiety is reduced and sufferers are able to accomplish more things. But when they are feeling down (which is usually the case), the anxiety gets worse.
Overcoming Social Anxiety
It is possible to overcome social anxiety even if the sufferer has been dealing with the situation for years. With the right mindset and support from professional therapists, families and friends, people with social anxiety can completely recover from their condition. There are self-help techniques that are proven to ease the symptoms of anxiety disorder. Here are some of them:
Challenge negative thoughts. Challenging distorted thoughts either through therapy or self-help is the initial step to overcoming social anxiety. It can be done by following three simple steps. First, identify the underlying thought that triggers anxiety. For example, being afraid to meet new people may come from the thought that the person is boring. Second, analyse the thought and how true it is. Being boring may not be the main problem. There’s probably something else. The third step is to construct positive thoughts. Visualise the situation in a more realistic way. It can be difficult at first, but constant practise will make things easier.
Practise mindful breathing. During stressful situations, the best way to deal with social anxiety triggers is to slow down, pause, and take a deep breath. Uncontrolled breathing (which usually happens when a person is anxious) breaks the balance between the carbon dioxide and oxygen in the body, resulting to more severe symptoms such as dizziness, elevated heart rate, feeling of suffocation, and muscle tension. Controlled breathing, on the other hand, calms the body and relaxes tensed muscles.
Face the threat. Instead of avoiding the triggers of social anxiety, sufferers must learn how to face them. This is the best way to build tolerance and train the brain to eliminate faulty thinking. Habituation can be done by taking small steps one at a time until more challenging situations are met.
Adopt positive lifestyle changes. Whilst lifestyle changes alone do not eradicate social phobia, they can greatly contribute to the overall treatment progress. For example, reducing caffeine consumption may help ease some anxiety symptoms such as shakiness, nausea and high blood pressure. Other lifestyle changes that are recommended for people with social anxiety are: quitting smoking, getting enough sleep, exercising, eating healthy foods, and managing stress properly.
Seek therapy. Overcoming social phobia is easier with the help of a professional therapist. Whilst the use of prescription medications offers quick relief to the symptoms, it doesn’t eliminate the root cause of the problem. Therefore, patients are likely to experience the same symptoms when they don’t take their medication. There are complementary therapies that are clinically proven to treat anxiety disorders, including social phobia. These are cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), hypnosis, relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga, biofeedback and counselling.
Social anxiety poses an immense threat to health and happiness. It prevents people from improving their social skills, establishing social connections, and accomplishing their goals. And although it is possible to eradicate social phobia, many people continue to suffer because they prefer to avoid their fears, overestimate the possible consequences of their actions, practise faulty thinking, and continue worrying. Overcoming these hurdles is the best approach to getting rid of social anxiety.
Furthermore, positive thinking lays the foundation in the treatment process. However, it does not guarantee full recovery. In addition to positive thinking, sufferers should learn how to face their own fears and build tolerance, adopt lifestyle changes as necessary, and seek professional help. And ultimately, be ready to face the world with confidence, hope and gladness!
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