Do you experience intense anxiety or nervousness when faced with social situations?

Do you fear being judged or criticized by others?

Are you always worried about making mistakes, looking bad or being embarrassed in front of others?

If you answered yes to any of the above, you may have a social anxiety disorder. While it is normal to feel nervous in some social situations, people who experience daily social anxiety tend to avoid everyday interactions that cause them significant fear, anxiety, self-consciousness, and embarrassment because they fear being scrutinized or judged by others.  The more someone avoids an uncomfortable situation the harder it becomes to face it head on.  Additionally, loved ones could be enabling you and not knowing it.  Counseling can help those that are close to you know how to support you and encourage you to go through feared situations not avoid them.

People with Social Anxiety Disorder often experience significant distress in the following situations:

• Being teased or criticized
• Being the center of attention
• Being watched or observed while completing a task
• Having to say something in a formal, public setting
• Meeting people in authority, such as important people or authority figures
• Feeling insecure and out of place in social situations
• Embarrassing easily
• Meeting other people’s eyes

Social anxiety disorder is a chronic mental health condition. Learning coping skills in therapy sessions can help you gain the confidence you need to improve your ability to interact with others. Your treatment may also consist of exposure therapy trials that will be set up with you and your therapist.

If you feel you may have a social anxiety disorder, I encourage you to contact Tara Kryman at Minds at Peace Therapy today for a free consultation or to schedule an intake.