social anxiety Archives ⋆ Chana Pfeifer

Dealing with Social Anxiety

Social anxiety, in other words, social phobia, is a condition in which social interactions cause one to have irrational, intense, and persistent anxiety. People who feel this way have a fear of being judged, negatively evaluated, or rejected in social or performance situations. The worry is so great that physical symptoms may occur like blushing, sweating, stuttering, etc.

“You can’t go back to change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” – CS Lewis

Everyone may have an inkling of social anxiety at times, the thing to look at is whether this affects your quality of life. For instance, you may feel anxiety meeting a new person or a group of people one night out. Or, you have a job interview or performance which is making you feel anxious. These are normal feelings to have in life. However, if your social anxiety is so great that you don’t go out to meet that new person, or don’t show up for that interview, then your anxiety may be doing yourself a disservice.

In another example, maybe you feel anxiety when you’re pressured to do something socially that you don’t wish to do. Holidays, family or work events can be a few instances in which this occurs.

Also, don’t forget about social media and how that generally makes you feel.

Everyone is comparing themselves to the masses, all the time. Do you feel pressured to post to social media daily? Maybe you receive negative comments online or are afraid of what the general public posts on your pages. How is your mood after scrolling through timelines? What about your body image? Does it change after being on social platforms? You may feel anxiety when your friends/coworkers/other people post pictures of you that you didn’t sign off on on their profiles. The many ways that anxiety can stem from social media is massive.

So what causes social anxiety in the first place?

While the reasons can be many, below are just a few causes:

bullying
sexual abuse
family conflict
traumatic social interaction in the past
sometimes, it can be learned from seeing your parents have it

Social anxiety is treatable, so there is hope.

Through therapy, you can learn to minimize your anxiety.

For more info. on counseling, call (516) 592-1107 or email Chana Pfeifer, LCSW today.

Social Worker Booking Information:

Accepted Insurance Plans: Aetna

Payments can be made via: Cash, Check, Zelle, Chase QuickPay, American Express, Discover, Mastercard, Visa, Health Savings Account

Anxiety Counseling Long Island

All humans experience anxiety to some degree in certain situations. Feeling anxious about important upcoming events, grief, stressors, or potentially dangerous situations is considered normal and a beneficial defense mechanism.

A healthy amount of anxiety can be helpful to increase motivation and drive healthy competition and success. However, it can become problematic when it comes with unhealthy apprehension, uncontrollable worry, and intense, irrational fears that interfere with daily life, self-confidence, and relationships.

Some cases of anxiety can be due to a stressful or grief-inducing event, substance use, or a medical condition. Symptoms can also be long-term and chronic and may not improve without treatment.

If you feel that symptoms of anxiety are causing you distress, seeking therapy is recommended.

Many people associate anxiety exclusively with panic attacks, however this is not always the case. In those with generalized anxiety disorder, the pernicious symptoms are present without recurring panic attacks.

Some of the symptoms of general anxiety can be as follows:

Mind racing with thoughts or going blank, making it hard to concentrate
Excessive worry, apprehension, fear that seems impossible to control
Restlessness, insomnia
Muscle aches / tension
Frequent fatigue
Irritability, agitation

Panic attacks are induced quickly and can last for minutes, with recovery and post-attack fatigue possibly lingering for hours. These events can be rare and transient, or chronic and frequently recurrent.

Panic attacks generally manifest with symptoms such as:

Increased heart rate, palpitations, chest pain
Shaking, restless movement
Chills or hot flashes, sweating
Feeling short of breath, heavy respiration, tightness in the throat
Lightheadedness, dizziness
Nausea, abdominal discomfort
Feelings of spiraling out of control, impending death or harm
Disconnection from reality or time

Anxiety can also manifest itself within other conditions including depression, social anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress, and specific phobias.

A therapist can help you distinguish what type(s) of anxiety you are dealing with. From a cognitive perspective, the licensed provider can help you identify the thoughts that cause it while working through methods to control the anxious behaviors that come as a result.

Regardless of the intensity of your anxiety, symptoms can be managed and fears overcome through reformulating thought patterns in counseling. Being present in a neutral, non-judgmental space where you can express your fears and concerns is helpful in the journey to attain physical, psychological, and emotional relaxation. A holistic approach to counseling can teach you how to approach and handle anxiety-inducing situations without having to deal with the constant stress of fear, worry, and panic. Reaching out for help is the first important step in giving yourself the freedom of a clear, calm mind in the face of anxiety.

For more info. on counseling, call (516) 592-1107 or email Chana Pfeifer at TheHappierMe.LCSW@gmail.com.

Individual Counseling for Social Anxiety

Social anxiety, also referred to as social phobia, is one of the most considerable mental health problems in the world.

A person who suffers from this disorder harbors a fear of being judged and evaluated negatively by other people. It is this usually irrational belief, which then leads to feelings of depression, humiliation, and inferiority.

Recent surveys done in the United States show that it is the third largest mental health problem affecting their citizens, after alcoholism and depression, proving how common this affliction is.

There are two broad categories of social anxiety. In the specific social anxiety category, patients usually fear to speak in front of groups of people or avoid very particular kinds of social situations. The second type is generalized social anxiety, in which people are generally uncomfortable and anxious in all social situations. However, no matter what form of social anxiety is in question; millions of people worldwide suffer from it.

COMMON SYMPTOMS OF SOCIAL ANXIETY

Social anxiety is a disorder that encompasses both psychological and physiological symptoms. Patients suffering from this condition experience extreme anxiety and discomfort in certain situations, for example when they are being introduced to new people, when they are put in the center of attention or when they know they have to talk to a group of people. While most people may experience some level of nervousness in the scenarios as mentioned above, people suffering from social anxiety go through such a high level of panic and distress that at times they cannot face the situation at all and this discomfort manifests it in physical symptoms as well.

These physical symptoms include the patient’s heartbeat becoming very fast, excessive blushing, and the twitching of muscles in the face and neck area. What needs to be understood is that patients of social anxiety realize that their fears are irrational, but are unable to make them go away. This condition is severe and needs to be treated with the help of a qualified therapist so that the patient can live their life easier by dealing with their fear of social situations.

HOW CAN SOCIAL ANXIETY BE TREATED?

A piece of good news – when it comes to social anxiety, the condition can be overcome with proper professional help and perseverance. Chana Pfeifer is an exceptionally well-qualified therapist based in Long Island who can help you with any issues you are facing and provide one-on-one therapy sessions for social anxiety.

The most common treatment used to deal with social anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy, which is a comprehensive therapy which firstly identifies the triggers of the disorder, the negative thoughts associated with the trigger, and how these thoughts can be treated.

The human brain is a very complex and intricate organ that is capable of learning and adapting to change at any time – only a push in the right direction is needed. A qualified therapist can use CBT and other techniques to help you develop strategies that you can use when you are in a distressing social situation.

COUNSELING FOR SOCIAL ANXIETY TAKES COMMITMENT

As is the case with therapy for almost all mental issues, it will take some time for you to see results. At times, therapy can seem difficult as you have to talk about complicated feelings and face your fears, but perseverance and consistently attending your therapy sessions is very important if you are serious about dealing with your social anxiety. You also need to practice all the strategies that your therapist develops with you so that you are so well trained in applying those strategies in real life situations, so that they become second nature.

For additional information about counseling, please call (516) 592-1107 or email Chana Pfeifer at TheHappierMe.LCSW@gmail.com

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