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 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 anxiety, self-consciousness, and embarrassment because they fear being scrutinized, judged, or rejected by others.
At work, people with social anxiety disorder become extremely anxious or fearful of speaking to a group of people or giving a presentation. They’re extremely afraid of embarrassment or criticism and avoid speaking out altogether or perform poorly because of self-consciousness.
The problem in both of these scenarios is that people with social anxiety disorder actually want to be social and speak up but can’t or won’t because of fear of being negatively judged or extreme self-consciousness. And this makes a person feel small.
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
- Starting or holding a social conversation
- Meeting other people’s eyes
Social anxiety disorder is a chronic mental health condition that can lead to other mental health problems like depression. In therapy with me, you’re going to improve your most important relationship – your relationship to Self – which will improve the way you relate to others. As a result, you will gain self-confidence and improve your ability to effectively interact with others.
If you feel you may have social anxiety disorder, contact me today or book a Free 20-minute online video consultation by clicking the link below.
