Archive for Social Anxiety / Social Phobia
Social Anxiety / Social Phobia: Alone With Witnesses – Part 2
In part one of this two-part series, we discussed the experience of the Social Anxiety sufferer. In part two, we examine how to treat this condition with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and how Social Anxiety relates to other Obsessive Compulsive Spectrum Disorders.
Treatment of Social Anxiety
Social Anxiety can be successfully treated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
The most effective form of treatment for Social Anxiety is the same as in other Obsessive Compulsive Spectrum Disorders – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This is because, like the other disorders in the spectrum, Social Anxiety involves an obsession and a series of compulsions which form a cycle.
The fundamental obsession in Social Anxiety is the fear of being evaluated negatively. This generally includes fears of being rejected, as well as the fear of being singled out for humiliation and traumatized by emotional abuse from others. The primary compulsion in Social Anxiety is the phobic avoidance of social situations in which one fears rejection and/or humiliation (thus its synonym, Social Phobia).
It is tempting to look at avoidance as the absence of engaging in social behavior. However, avoidance is an overt physical and mental behavior, the primary goal of which is to reduce or eliminate anxiety. For the individual with Social Anxiety, the act of choosing not to go to the party thus serves the same function as the act of choosing to wash one’s hands serves for the individual with OCD. Further, those with Social Anxiety who are able to commit to a social interaction may find themselves escaping mentally in the process by spending their energy focusing on things other than the present situation. › Continue reading
Social Anxiety / Social Phobia: Alone With Witnesses – Part 1
Many people mistakenly think of Social Anxiety as nothing more than shyness. In this two-part series, Jon Hershfield of the OCD Center of Los Angeles discusses Social Anxiety, its treatment with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and its relationship to other OC Spectrum Disorders.
Social Anxiety, also known as Social Phobia, is more than just shyness.
When I first began treating people with Social Anxiety Disorder (also known as Social Phobia), it seemed to me that this condition was primarily a problem of interesting people not realizing that they are interesting. While this is a significant element of the disorder, there is more going on than one might initially expect.
In reality, Social Anxiety and Social Phobia are terms used to describe a cluster of symptoms that center around the fear of being negatively evaluated by others. This is often confused with being shy or introverted, or even schizoid. An introvert may genuinely prefer the quiet solitude of turning inwards to the self rather than outwards to other people, while someone with schizoid personality disorder may simply not find the presence of other people to be pleasing. In either of these cases, the experience of isolation from others is essentially rooted in ego-syntonic thoughts, which simply means that the thoughts are consistent with the individual’s true beliefs and values. In other words, those who are truly introverted or schizoid genuinely prefer to be alone.
Conversely, a person suffering from Social Anxiety is burdened by unwanted intrusive thoughts about being judged, rejected, and/or and humiliated by others. › Continue reading
Social Anxiety in Baseball Revisted
This is part one of a two part series on anxiety disorders in sports.
This past week marked the arrival of the 2010 Major League baseball season. And as with last year, this season already has three developing stories of athletes dealing with Social Anxiety. › Continue reading
Cy Young, Zack Greinke, and Social Anxiety
Baseball’s best story of 2009 just got better.
As reported in a previous entry here (July 2, 2009), major league baseball has in recent years seen a spike in the number of players reporting symptoms of Social Anxiety. Perhaps the most noteworthy example of this trend is Zack Greinke of the Kansas City Royals, who missed much of the 2006 season due to his struggles with the condition.
What a difference a few years makes. › Continue reading
Social Anxiety / Social Phobia Research
Anyone who has ever been socially rejected or had their heart broken knows that it really hurts. And now, researchers at UCLA have discovered evidence of a biological basis for this pain. It appears that people with a variation of a specific gene are not just more sensitive to physical pain, but also more sensitive to social pain. › Continue reading
Social Anxiety in Baseball
Anyone who reads the sports page of their local newspaper knows that there have recently been a number of professional baseball players who have been sidelined due to being diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder. Just this past week, Khalil Greene of the St. Louis Cardinals was placed on the disabled list (DL) for the second time this season due to Social Anxiety. He had previously been listed on the 15 day DL starting on May 29th of this year. When he first came off the DL and returned to play in mid-June, he appeared to have responded well to the time off, as he hit home runs in his first three games. Unfortunately, he soon started to experience batting problems, and was returned to the DL after going 1 for 17 in his next five games. › Continue reading
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