Social Phobias

Social phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder) is a marked and persistent fear of social or performance

situations in which embarrassment or rejection may occur. Exposure to the social or performance

situations almost invariably provokes an immediate anxiety response and thesesituations are

avoided or endured with intense anxiety or distress. This avoidance, anxious anticipation, or distress

interferes significantly with the person's normal routine, occupational (or academic) functioning, or

social activities or relationships, or there is marked distress about having the phobia. Social Phobia is

very common. More than one out of eight people will suffer from social phobia at some point in their

lives. Peoplewith social anxiety often have automatic thoughts about what will happen in social

situations. They typically predict performing poorly in ways that would be embarrassing or lead to

rejection. As a result of these anticipated consequences and resulting anticipatory anxiety, social

situations are avoided.

The first thing to ask yourself is what are the advantages and disadvantages of overcoming your fear-

how will your life change? In order to overcome your fear, your Cognitive Behavioral therapist will

have you make a list of the situations that you fear, how intense your fear is, and what your beliefs are

about the feared situation (for example, do you think that you will be rejected, embarrassed, shamed, or

that others will think you are strange?). In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, you will be taught how to relax

when you are feeling tense and to learn how to cope with facing your greatest fears of being rejected,

humiliated, embarrassed, etc.

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