Social Anxiety Disorder Treatment
Social Anxiety Treatment in Tampa Bay
Are you becoming more and more afraid of being in social settings? Do you dread having to meet new people? Or, do you fear doing something embarrassing in public? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may be struggling with social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety disorder affects about 7% of the United States population and it affects men and women almost equally. Social anxiety disorder, formerly known as social phobia, can be debilitating and cause a dysfunctional avoidance of social interactions which can limit an individual’s ability to go to school, work, or ability to have a social life. Like other anxiety disorders, social anxiety disorder is highly treatable with the appropriate treatment, like CBT and ERP, which is easily accessible in your Tampa Bay community.
What is Social Anxiety Disorder?
Social anxiety disorder is defined by an intense fear of one or more social situations and/or situations where someone would have to perform. Individuals with social anxiety disorder experience severe anxiety before or within these types of situations and fear:
a negative evaluation
judgement
rejection
appearing anxious
that they are acting or pretending
being viewed as awkward or stupid
It is likely that someone with social anxiety disorder will also experience high anticipatory anxiety before events or occasions. Sometimes they are able to get to these events only to have to endure the situation instead of enjoying it. They may also engage in constant checking, monitoring, or analyzing behaviors regarding what they will or did say. In addition, they may experience physiological symptoms of anxiety like increased heart rate, sweating, stomach aches, or nausea which can often trigger further anxiety or panic attacks.
Social anxiety disorders are diagnosed on average during teenage years is the second most common anxiety disorder. Social anxiety and being extremely shy are often used interchangeably, however, it is important to understand that they are not the same thing.
Is social anxiety the same as being shy?
Social Anxiety
Shyness is not necessary to have social anxiety. There are many extroverts that feel anxious in social situations and fear the negative evaluation from others. Social anxiety causes avoidance of social situations which leads to impairment in different parts of life. The most important difference between shyness and social anxiety is the intensity of the fear of the social situations, the level of avoidance, and the degree of impairment from symptoms.
Shyness
Shyness is a personality trait. People that are shy do not experience the negative thoughts associated with social anxiety disorder. A person that is shy may not like to be the center of attention but will not necessarily avoid social situations. A person that is shy may also become less shy over time depending on who they are with. Shy people can be fully functional and are not impaired by the shyness itself.
Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder
According to the DSM-V, the diagnostic criteria for Social Anxiety Disorder is as follows:
Marked fear of one or more situations where the individual is exposed to scrutiny by others. May include interaction, observation, or performance situations.
Individual fears they will act in a way or show anxiety that will lead to being negatively evaluated.
The social situations almost always provoke anxiety.
The social situations are avoided or endured with intense fear or anxiety.
The fear/anxiety is out of proportion to actual threat.
The fear/anxiety/avoidance has lasted 6 months.
The fear/anxiety/avoidance leads to significant distress or functional impairment.
The fear/anxiety/avoidance is not due to a medical condition, drug, or another mental disorder.
Begin Treatment for Social Anxiety with Anxiety Center of Tampa
Our anxiety therapists at Anxiety Center of Tampa are specialized in providing treatment for anxiety disorders. All the clients seen at our practice have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, therefore, beginning treatment with us gives you the opportunity to start the evidenced-based treatment necessary for the treatment of anxiety. While many therapists can provide CBT, only a few in the Tampa Bay Area are trained to provide the crucial ERP component. Treatment is highly individualized at our practice. Your schedule, length of session, and frequency are considered when creating your treatment schedule. At your intake session, you and your therapist will discuss your needs and obstacles to treatment to set you up for success. Call Anxiety Center of Tampa at 813-773-5807 for more information or to schedule your appointment today. You can also contact us through email via our contact page. Here are the easy steps to so that you can get your life back on track:
Meet our anxiety therapists.
Learn for to cope with anxiety and live a meaningful life.
Other Anxiety Related Disorders Treated at Anxiety Center of Tampa