This is the time of year for parties, which means crowds of people
to socialize with. For some, this can create a crippling anxiety that they have
no idea how to control because it isn't a very well-known disorder. Having a
therapist to speak with helps you get through these difficult times, and
articles like these help acknowledge such disorders and makes them public so
that you don't feel alone.
Social anxiety disorder may be the most common phobia you've never heard of.
Franklin Schneier, a Columbia University psychiatrist who specializes in research on social anxiety, said it represents the extreme end of shyness, and is so debilitating that people who suffer from it often can't stay in school, hold down a job or form a meaningful relationship.
Social anxiety disorder affects about 6 percent of the U.S. population at some point in their lives, he said, or more than 17 million people, and because its main feature is severe worry over dealing with other people, that in itself can make it hard for sufferers to seek help.
But there is help available, he said, particularly in the form of cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, which can help people change their negative thoughts about themselves and what will happen to them in social situations.
In the case of social anxiety, the "B" in CBT is crucial -- reshaping people's behavior by getting them to undertake social homework assignments, whether it's attending a party or giving a public speech.
"People have got to put themselves in these situations," Dr. Schneier said. "Otherwise, you see people who have been in talk therapy for years and they haven't made any progress."
As with other phobias, the optimal therapy is "exposure" -- gradually putting yourself in the very situations that make you anxious. But for social anxiety, the challenge is greater than for many other simpler phobias.
"There is a more cognitive part of [the therapy] than say, treating a fear of dogs, where simply exposing yourself to dogs and realizing they won't bite you can help. In a social situation, you need to understand how your thinking feeds into your fears. Otherwise, you can walk away from it thinking 'What an idiot I was!' or 'That person hated me.' "
If a person is deathly afraid of public speaking, for instance, "he'll think 'I'll make a fool of myself and people will think I'm stupid and my voice will tremble.' "
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