We have all had the experience of anxiety in some social situations: before a big presentation, for example, or on a first date. But when do these occasional experiences become a debilitating condition? When do periodic feelings of social anxiety become social anxiety disorder? And how can CBT treatment for social anxiety help the recovery process? Integrative Life Center in Nashville, TN works to understand the needs of each patient. Our holistic approach and trauma informed treatment can help you find healing from social anxiety.
What Is Social Anxiety Disorder?
Fear of being judged for the way you eat. Balking at using public restrooms. Avoiding any social situation where you might be asked to meet or have a conversation with someone you do not know well. These are just some of the symptoms of social anxiety disorder, a mental health condition that can be debilitating to sufferers. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, social anxiety disorder is an intense, persistent fear of being watched and judged by others.
Symptoms of social anxiety disorder include:
- Intense fear of interacting with strangers
- Fear of physical symptoms appearing, such as blushing or having a shaky voice
- Avoiding situations where you may be the center of attention
- Physical symptoms such as blushing, sweating, nausea, trembling, dizziness, or feeling that your mind has gone blank
- Avoiding eye contact, especially with strangers
- Fear of eating in front of others
- Anxiety about returning items to a store
- Speaking with an overly soft voice
- Rapid heart rate in social situations
In contemporary culture, a complicating factor for social anxiety is social media anxiety. This kind of social anxiety is triggered by online interactions, and can lead to debilitating feelings of inadequacy, stress, and fear. The technology meant to connect us to each other may end up intensifying feelings of isolation and despair as users interact and compare themselves with increasingly distant people.
What Causes Social Anxiety Disorder?
Researchers are not exactly certain why some individuals suffer from social anxiety disorder and others do not. They believe that family, environment, and stress may play a part. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can also affect a person’s feelings about social interactions. What are different ways that PTSD can affect you mentally? One of the effects is avoidance: someone who has suffered a traumatic experience may avoid people, places, and activities that trigger memories of the trauma. They may self-isolate to prevent re-triggering a traumatic memory. This can cause or exacerbate social anxiety, leading to increasingly debilitating mental illness.
The good news for those suffering from social anxiety disorder–with or without PTSD–is that there is hope for healing. CBT treatment for social anxiety is a proven treatment that can lead to long-lasting recovery.
What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of talk therapy that teaches you different ways of thinking, behaving, and reacting to situations so that you feel less anxious and more in control of your own thoughts and emotions. It focuses on solutions, encouraging patients to confront distorted thoughts about themselves and others, and to change unhealthy behavior patterns.
In the context of CBT treatment for social anxiety disorder, a therapist may guide you to changing specific behavior patterns, such as altering social media use or even deleting social media for mental health. Though this is not a sure-fire way to “cure” yourself from anxiety, it can–for some–be an important first (or even temporary) step towards healing.
CBT practitioners may also practice exposure therapy, helping you safely and progressively face the fears underlying your social anxiety. This may be practiced alongside different relaxation exercises, such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation.
CBT exercises like these are learned techniques that do not have to stay in the therapist’s office–you can carry them with you as tools to help you face social anxiety when it strikes.
CBT treatment for social anxiety can also help you address traumatic experiences in your past that may have led to the social anxiety disorder itself. Such trauma informed CBT creates a safe and supportive therapeutic environment, one in which you can face the trauma that has hurt you and also practice strategies that will retrain your brain in its responses to that trauma. You will be empowered to deal with the traumatic experience that has caused you such pain.
Find Healing at ILC in Nashville, TN
If you or a loved one think you may be struggling with social anxiety disorder and you are curious about CBT treatment for social anxiety, consider the Integrative Life Center in Nashville, TN.
Our anxiety treatment programs are holistic and research-based, and focused on individualized treatment sensitive to our patients’ needs. We offer a variety of therapeutic methodologies, including EMDR, brainspotting, equine therapy, and martial arts therapy. We offer family and community support, individual and group therapy, and tailored treatment solutions that help you navigate the mental, emotional, physical, and environmental aspects of anxiety.
If you’re ready to begin your recovery journey, do not hesitate to reach out to us today at (615) 709-5694.
