Breaking Free from Social Anxiety
What is Social Anxiety
Many people think social anxiety is about being uncomfortable in crowds, having difficulty around strangers, and disliking public speaking, but social anxiety can mean much more than that, as the image below shows.
In its simplest form, social anxiety is about the fear of being judged or negatively evaluated in social interactions. Anxiety about interacting with peers or coworkers can result in missed opportunities at work or in school, problems with making friends, and withdrawal and isolation from others.
Social anxiety is something that everyone can relate to. We have all experienced butterflies in our stomachs before an important event, speaking in public, or attending a function. These types of responses are normal and are signs of our mind trying to protect us and keep us safe.
For some people, however, this unease can be more intense and can significantly impact how they function in their lives on a day-to-day basis. It can negatively impact their work and ability to have relationships. If these exaggerated responses happen frequently, it is likely that the anxiety has become a disorder.
What’s the difference between social anxiety and being an introvert or simply being shy.
Introversion, shyness, and social anxiety are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are very different. Introversion and shyness are personality traits, social anxiety is a distinct disorder that significantly impacts an individual's well-being.
What Are Some Strategies For Treating Social Anxiety?
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the gold standard for treating Social Anxiety and is the psychotherapy approach that is used most consistently in the NHS. In 2006, the Clinical Psychology Review published one of the most cited studies of CBT, altogether, it covered nearly 10,000 people across 332 studies. The researchers concluded there was strong evidence to support CBT as effective in treating all forms of anxiety, depression, certain phobias, and post-traumatic stress.
Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy (CBH) is a combination of Clinical Hypnotherapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Through the pairing of CBT with Clinical Hypnotherapy, the environment is created where change can be achieved even more quickly and effectively in a shorter amount of time. In 1995, the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology published a groundbreaking meta-analysis comparing CBT treatment without hypnosis to identical treatment with hypnosis……with astounding results. It showed that “the average client receiving cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy benefited more than at least 70% of clients receiving the same treatment without hypnosis.”
Treatment Can Be Life Changing
I recently worked with a client grappling with social anxiety who had the goal of joining a Mother and Toddler group.
Working together, we explored her thoughts and feelings and looked for any evidence to support the negative way she perceived herself and her worries about what might happen.
We then went on to find more helpful, balanced, and reasonable ways of considering the situation and responding to her unhelpful thoughts.
Under hypnosis, my client practiced new, more positive ways of thinking and behaving. She imagined the thoughts, feelings, and behaviour she wanted to be experiencing and explored what it would be like to fully accept and believe those more positive, helpful ways of thinking.
We explored what it would be like for her to walk into the room in a really calm, relaxed, confident way and how a composed and confident version of herself would greet the other mothers.
While in hypnosis I guided the client to experience the negative thoughts and negative response set and then switch to the positive-response-set. She practiced this switching again and again until the negative thoughts become the CUE to switch easily to the positive, helpful thoughts and the consequent feelings and automatic behaviour that went with those thoughts. She practiced approach behaviours like going up and introducing herself rather than avoiding eye contact, which had been her go-to strategy in the past.
We had four sessions before my client felt confident enough to join the group. She has since reported that it has been a life-changing experience for her. She discovered that all of her fears were ungrounded, and she now looks forward to her weekly meet-ups with the other mums.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or would like to discuss further how I may be able to support you on your journey. Contact me for a free consultation via my Appointments Page or message me on 07885 465428 to find out more.
