Social anxiety is more than just nerves before a presentation or fear of speaking in front of others. It’s a type of anxiety disorder that can have a significant impact on your life if not managed properly. Understanding the signs, causes, and potential treatment options is key to managing social anxiety. If social anxiety is impacting your quality of life, it’s likely that an anxiety treatment program could make a difference.
Greater Boston Behavioral Health provides treatment for all types of anxiety, including social anxiety. Reach out to our team at 888.365.6392 or connect with us online today to learn more.
What Is Social Anxiety?
Social anxiety disorder is an intense fear of being judged by others, feeling embarrassed or humiliated in certain situations, or worried about offending people in social settings. People with social anxiety often worry about being in the spotlight or having others scrutinize them. It can interfere with school, work, and daily activities like grocery shopping and attending social events.
The cause of social anxiety disorder is unknown, but it is likely a combination of biological, genetic, and environmental factors that come together to create the condition. Some triggers for people with social anxiety include public speaking engagements as well as situations where they feel like they are being judged by others, such as job interviews or dating scenarios. Other common triggers involve interactions with authority figures like teachers or bosses, when meeting new people for the first time, and any situation that involves interacting with strangers.
Signs and Symptoms of Social Anxiety
People struggling with social anxiety may experience a wide range of symptoms. These can be both psychological and physical, as social anxiety can manifest itself both in the mind and body.
Common symptoms include:
- Fear of social situations
- Anxiety or panic attacks in social settings
- Avoidance of social activities
- Difficulty making conversation or talking in public
- Racing thoughts or difficulty concentrating in social situations
- Frequent blushing
- Sweating, shaking, or trembling
- Nausea or dizziness
Additionally, relying heavily on alcohol to reduce nervousness in social situations can be a sign of social anxiety.
How Social Anxiety Treatment Can Help
If left untreated, the effects of social anxiety can worsen over time, leading to depression and isolation from friends, family members, and other loved ones due to persistent fear of judgment from others. That’s why it’s important for those suffering from social anxiety disorder to seek out effective social anxiety treatment.
A social anxiety treatment program provides clients with the skills, techniques, and tools necessary to manage their social anxiety. Some of the topics that might be covered in sessions include:
- Identifying social anxiety triggers
- Learning to manage thoughts and responses in social settings
- Developing effective communication skills
- Building self-confidence and self-esteem
- Learning strategies for social problem solving
- Understanding the role of social anxiety in emotional regulation
Social anxiety doesn’t have to take over your life. Treatment that involves cognitive-behavioral therapy and other social anxiety treatment options can help you to better manage your social anxiety, reduce distress, and improve your quality of life.
Reach Out to Greater Boston Behavioral Health to Learn More
If social anxiety is impacting your life, reach out to the team at Greater Boston Behavioral Health to learn more about social anxiety treatment. Our experienced clinical team provides evidence-based social anxiety treatment that is tailored to the individual needs of each client. Whether you’d benefit from a partial hospitalization program, intensive outpatient program, or individual counseling sessions, we can help.
Contact us today at 888.365.6392 or reach out to our team online to talk about social anxiety treatment options. We’re available to answer any questions or concerns you might have and provide the social anxiety treatment you need.
