Social anxiety disorder self help tips
Social anxiety disorder treatment #1: Challenge negative thoughts
Social anxiety sufferers have negative thoughts and beliefs that contribute to their anxiety. If you have social anxiety disorder, or social phobia, you may find yourself overwhelmed by thoughts like:
“I know I’ll end up looking like a fool.”
“My voice will start shaking and I’ll humiliate myself.”
“People will think I’m stupid.”
“I won’t have anything to say. I’ll seem boring.”
Challenging these negative thoughts, either through therapy or on your own, is one effective way to reduce the symptoms of social anxiety disorder. The first step is to identify the automatic negative thoughts that underlie your fear of social situations. For example, if you‘re worried about an upcoming work presentation, the underlying negative thought might be: “I’m going to blow it. Everyone will think I’m completely incompetent.”The next step is to analyze and challenge them. It helps to ask yourself questions about the negative thoughts: “Do I know for sure that I’m going to blow the presentation?” or “Even if I’m nervous, will people necessarily think I’m incompetent?” Through this logical evaluation of your negative thoughts, you can gradually replace them with more realistic and positive ways of looking at social situations that trigger your anxiety.
Social anxiety disorder treatment #2: Learn to control your breath
Many changes happen in your body when you become anxious. One of the first changes is that you begin to breathe quickly. Overbreathing throws off the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your body—leading to more physical symptoms of anxiety, such as dizziness, a feeling of suffocation, increased heart rate, and muscle tension. Learning to slow your breathing down can help you bring your physical symptoms of anxiety back under control.
Social anxiety disorder treatment #3: Face your fears
One of the most helpful things you can do to overcome social anxiety disorder, or social phobia, is to face the social situations you fear rather than avoid them. Avoidance keeps social anxiety disorder going. While avoiding nerve-wracking situations may help you feel better in the short term, it prevents you from becoming more comfortable in social situations and learning how to cope. In fact, the more you avoid a feared social situation, the more frightening it becomes. Avoidance may also prevent you from doing things you’d like to do or reaching certain goals. For example, a fear of speaking up may prevent you from sharing your ideas at work, standing out in the classroom, or making new friends.
Challenging social anxiety one step at a time
While it may seem impossible to overcome a feared social situation, you can do it by taking it one small step at a time. The key is to start with a situation that you can handle and gradually work your way up to more challenging situations, building your confidence and coping skills as you move up the “anxiety ladder.”For example, if socializing with strangers makes you anxious, you might start by accompanying an outgoing friend to a party. Once you’re comfortable with that step, you might try introducing yourself to one new person, and so on.
Social anxiety disorder treatment #4: Build better relationships
Actively seeking out and joining supportive social environments is another effective way of tackling and overcoming social anxiety disorder or social phobia. Take a social skills class or an assertiveness training class. These classes are often offered at local adult education centers or community colleges.Volunteer doing something you enjoy, such as walking dogs in a shelter, or stuffing envelopes for a campaign — anything that will give you an activity to focus on while you are also engaging with a small number of like-minded people. Work on your communication skills. Good relationships depend on clear, emotionally-intelligent communication. If you find that you have trouble connecting to others, learning the basic skills of emotional intelligence can help.
Social anxiety disorder treatment #5: Change your lifestyle
While lifestyle changes alone aren’t enough to overcome social phobia or social anxiety disorder, they can support your overall treatment progress. The following lifestyle tips will help you reduce your overall anxiety levels and set the stage for successful treatment:
- Avoid or limit caffeine. Coffee, tea, caffeinated soda, energy drinks, and chocolate act as stimulants that increase anxiety symptoms.
- Drink only in moderation. You may be tempted to drink before a party or other social situation in order to calm your nerves, but alcohol increases your risk of having an anxiety attack.
- Quit smoking. Nicotine is a powerful stimulant. Smoking leads to higher, not lower, levels of anxiety.
- Get adequate sleep. When you’re sleep deprived, you’re more vulnerable to anxiety. Being well rested will help you stay calm in social situations.
Source: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/social_anxiety_support_symptom_causes_treatment.htm
4788 Notes/ Hide
- omggimdone reblogged this from betterthandarkchocolate
- apoetssafehaven reblogged this from betterthandarkchocolate
- apoetssafehaven liked this
- omggimdone liked this
- justanaveragetensai liked this
- wannabetingz liked this
- sakusakwiyoomi liked this
- take-me-back-to-the-basic-life liked this
- doomnights reblogged this from walkthecisco
- walkthecisco liked this
- walkthecisco reblogged this from betterthandarkchocolate
- leth-dribbles reblogged this from betterthandarkchocolate
- skiesofstars liked this
- fluffierthanarchimedes liked this
- just-something-random-maybe liked this
- lifesdull liked this
- serene-serenity liked this
- helpless-hero reblogged this from betterthandarkchocolate
- helpless-hero liked this
- isthiscoping liked this
- kirakirasys reblogged this from transgenderteensurvivalguide
- mssacre liked this
- onsx liked this
- mello-california-therapist liked this
- dyaltlov liked this
- strengthandgrace reblogged this from betterthandarkchocolate
- love-and-mystry reblogged this from betterthandarkchocolate
- love-and-mystry liked this
- morfiiinisiivet reblogged this from betterthandarkchocolate
- morfiiinisiivet liked this
- ollienblm liked this
- cacec04 liked this
- vampirefairyshelp reblogged this from betterthandarkchocolate
- gp019 liked this
- stormy-heart-s liked this
- navegsrei reblogged this from betterthandarkchocolate
- peachymilkk liked this
- dizzychapters liked this
- fightingfor-myself liked this
- louloudimesasthlasph liked this
- fake-squirrel liked this
- tatithetinybooktuber liked this
- definitelybuckyswife liked this
- your-physical-apathy liked this
- oxymitch liked this
- betterthandarkchocolate posted this
- Show more notes