Social Anxiety or Social Phobia
Do you find meeting new people, making phone calls or small talk stressful? Do you feel like people are watching you when you walk into a room? Are you uncomfortable with being the center of attention?
Many people get shy or nervous in situations like giving a speech or interviewing for a job, but if your fear of embarrassing yourself is so intense that you avoid situations like these, you may be suffering from Social Anxiety. It might feel like you are the only one with this problem, but Social Anxiety or Phobia is quite common.
Here are some of the symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder:
§ Excessive self-consciousness and anxiety in everyday social situations
§ Intense worry for days, weeks, or even months before an upcoming social situation
§ Extreme fear of being watched or judged by others, especially people you don’t know
§ Fear that you’ll act in ways that that will embarrass or humiliate yourself
§ Fear that others will notice that you’re nervous
§ Red face, or blushing
§ Shortness of breath
§ Upset stomach, nausea (i.e. butterflies)
§ Trembling or shaking (including shaky voice)
§ Racing heart or tightness in chest
§ Avoiding social situations to a degree that limits your activities or disrupts your life
§ Staying quiet or hiding in the background in order to escape notice and embarrassment
§ A need to always bring a buddy along with you wherever you go
§ Drinking before social situations in order to soothe your nerves
Counseling Types of counseling that work for social anxiety disorder include:
§ Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps you identify anxieties and the situations that provoke the anxiety. At first you may feel uncomfortable while addressing the feared situations, but it is an important part to resolving this problem.
§ Exposure therapy involves being “exposed” to the situation which causes the anxiety. The exposure is done first in the safety of the psychotherapy office, imagining the scenario and walking through it with the therapist. As the patient’s confidence grows, he or she will begin to apply the skills they’ve learned in the therapy session to outside environments.
§ Social Skills Training. This therapy helps you develop the skills you need in social situations.
§ Cognitive restructuring helps you learn to identify and improve your fearful thinking to help you better deal with social situations.
§ Symptom management skills. This therapy teaches you how to reduce your stress by controlling your breathing and other physical responses to anxiety.
If you are looking for a Counselor in Albuquerque to help you overcome your Social Phobia, call 20-8512 or email Counseling ABQ today. We can help.
Do you find meeting new people, making phone calls or small talk stressful? Do you feel like people are watching you when you walk into a room? Are you uncomfortable with being the center of attention?
Many people get shy or nervous in situations like giving a speech or interviewing for a job, but if your fear of embarrassing yourself is so intense that you avoid situations like these, you may be suffering from Social Anxiety. It might feel like you are the only one with this problem, but Social Anxiety or Phobia is quite common.
Here are some of the symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder:
§ Excessive self-consciousness and anxiety in everyday social situations
§ Intense worry for days, weeks, or even months before an upcoming social situation
§ Extreme fear of being watched or judged by others, especially people you don’t know
§ Fear that you’ll act in ways that that will embarrass or humiliate yourself
§ Fear that others will notice that you’re nervous
§ Red face, or blushing
§ Shortness of breath
§ Upset stomach, nausea (i.e. butterflies)
§ Trembling or shaking (including shaky voice)
§ Racing heart or tightness in chest
§ Avoiding social situations to a degree that limits your activities or disrupts your life
§ Staying quiet or hiding in the background in order to escape notice and embarrassment
§ A need to always bring a buddy along with you wherever you go
§ Drinking before social situations in order to soothe your nerves
Counseling Types of counseling that work for social anxiety disorder include:
§ Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps you identify anxieties and the situations that provoke the anxiety. At first you may feel uncomfortable while addressing the feared situations, but it is an important part to resolving this problem.
§ Exposure therapy involves being “exposed” to the situation which causes the anxiety. The exposure is done first in the safety of the psychotherapy office, imagining the scenario and walking through it with the therapist. As the patient’s confidence grows, he or she will begin to apply the skills they’ve learned in the therapy session to outside environments.
§ Social Skills Training. This therapy helps you develop the skills you need in social situations.
§ Cognitive restructuring helps you learn to identify and improve your fearful thinking to help you better deal with social situations.
§ Symptom management skills. This therapy teaches you how to reduce your stress by controlling your breathing and other physical responses to anxiety.
If you are looking for a Counselor in Albuquerque to help you overcome your Social Phobia, call 20-8512 or email Counseling ABQ today. We can help.
Counseling ABQ 2900 Louisiana Blvd. NE, Ste. 210 Albuquerque NM 87110
505-220-8512
info@CounselingABQ.com
505-220-8512
info@CounselingABQ.com