Social Anxiety
Disorder Treatment
Social
Anxiety Disorder Treatment!
If you are
struggling with symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder you are not alone.
I have clients tell
me all the time that they struggle going to the store, going to the
ball park, being in traffic, or eating at restaurants due to fear that
others are talking about them or that they'll embarrass themselves
somehow.
How
are the Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder treated?
Turk, Heimberg, and
Hope believe that cognitive-behavioral group therapy (CBGT) is the best
source of treatment for Social Anxiety Disorder.
The
CBGT Operation has three main components:
1.) Expose
the person who is experiencing symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder to a
social situation.
There are drawbacks
and positives to exposure at such an early stage. However, the
positives usually outweigh the negatives.
The
positives:
- You are put in a
social environment where others can relate to your struggles.
- You are
challenged by group members to make a commitment to change.
- You are given
the opportunity to role-play your fears with understanding group
members.
The
negatives:
The only negative
is having to “suck it up” and challenge yourself to
face your fear of being with a group of people.
2.) Cognitive
Restructuring
The cognitive
restructuring aspect teaches you how to turn your negative thoughts
into positive thoughts. An good example is... changing your negative
thought of,
“I am going to make such a fool out of myself in front of
this stranger! I am going to look like such an idiot.”
To,
“I
will not make a fool out of myself. I can talk to this stranger with
confidence and ease.”
The benefit of
practicing cognitive restructuring in a group format is, you are given
the opportunity to role play your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors
with other members in the group.
3.) Homework
assignments for “in vivo” exposure.
“In
vivo” means taking gradual steps to overcome a fear by
actually facing the fear.
So, an example of
this format includes:
- Call a family
member to say hi.
- Call a friend to
ask them how they are doing.
- Sit outside on
your porch and say hi to one stranger.
- Go to a park and
sit on a picnic table.
- Invite a friend
for a movie.
- Invite your
family for a dinner.
- Invite a
co-worker to dinner.
- Go to a major
store and allow yourself to stay there for at least 5 minutes.
The purpose of
“in vivo” exposure is to take baby steps until
you're able to face your biggest fear. You start with the smallest,
easiest fear and work your way up to the largest, hardest fear.
Of course, social
anxiety disorder treatment can vary for each individual. However, there
are other alternatives for treatment, especially if the group format is
not your thing. Here are some others examples:
- Individual
therapy in an office setting.
If you would prefer to work one on one with a therapist, individual
therapy is the best way to go.
- Individual
therapy in a home setting.
This is where a therapist will help a client face their struggles and
fears in the client's home.
- Psychiatric
care from a psychiatrist.
A psychiatrist
specializes in the area of treating mental illness with medication
(psychotropics: Zoloft, Prozac, etc.). If you have tried individual or
group therapy as the primary choice for social anxiety disorder
treatment and you haven't seen results, medication may be a better
option for you.
However, medication and therapy is often the best source of treatment
for many types of mental illness.
Resource:
Turk, C. L.,
Heimberg, R.G., Hope, D.A. (2001). Clinical Handbook of Psychological
Disorders: A Step-by-Step Treatment Manual. In D.B. Barlow (3rd Ed.),
Social Anxiety Disorder (pp. 114-153). The Guilford Press: New York,
N.Y.
Related
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Symptoms
of an Anxiety Attack
Coping
with Depression
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