Anxiety is a common symptom of several different mental health problems and may range from minor (feeling a little nervous about a test) to extremely severe in the case of a panic attack where a person may feel that they cannot breath or that they are at risk of suffering a heart attack due to the misinterpretation of their symptoms.
There are many various methods and approaches which may provide much needed support for those affecting by anxiety and this article aims to explore the role of CBT in treatment with key areas to be examined listed below.
- What is social anxiety?
- Implications of social anxiety
- How CBT may treat social anxiety
What is Social Anxiety?
Social anxiety comes under the umbrella of different anxiety disorders such as health anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. An individual suffering from social anxiety is likely to feel extreme levels of both anxiety and discomfort when faced with social situations as well as an excessive fear of being judged by other people.
Those affected with social anxiety may also have an intense fear of being humiliated, exposed or behaving in an inappropriate way thus drawing unwanted attention and causing much embarrassment. Social anxiety affects both men and women to a similar degree and often initially reveals itself as excessive shyness.
Implications of Social Anxiety
There are several different impacts that social anxiety may have on a sufferer's life, primarily involving extreme isolation. Avoidance becomes more and more difficult particularly in terms of career progression and maintaining relationships. When an excuse cannot be found and a social event has to be attended severe distress may build up seriously impacting upon the sufferer's quality of life.
Worrying about showing physical symptoms of anxiety such as sweating, blushing or trembling is more likely to result in such unwanted symptoms occurring, particularly as one tends to over focus on any sensation as when anxious it is easy to become hyper vigilant. Social isolation is also a high risk factor for depression as one's world gets smaller and smaller when interaction is decreased.
How CBT is Used to Treat Social Anxiety
CBT tools used to help social anxiety include the following: testing out predictions about whether other people will criticize if one doesn't perform well, task concentration (refocusing attention away from oneself), breathing techniques, relaxation skills, observation (learn how other people cope in social situations) and imagined exposure (practicing dealing with social situations in one's mind).
Sources:
Wilding, C. & Milne, A. (2008) Teach Yourself CBT London: Hodder Education.
Wilson, R. & Branch, R. (2006) CBT for Dummies Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
Kate Le Page - Kate Henning-Le Page writes about eating disorders, body image and recovery issues. She specializes in anorexia recovery.
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