Treatment for Social Anxiety
Do you know about treatment for social anxiety? For a year now, most of us have been unhappy with living a life in quarantine, wondering when the world would finally get back to normal. With vaccines rolling out and most towns and cities reaching herd immunity, society is beginning to open back up.
Now, if you are like some Americans, part of you is happy for life to return to normal, and another part of you is experiencing what some psychologists call “re-entry anxiety.” According to a report from the American Psychological Association (APA), nearly 50% of Americans have expressed that they feel some anxiety regarding resuming in-person interactions.
Treatment for Social Anxiety: This is a Normal Reaction to a Very Stressful Situation
Mental health experts have suggested two groups of people will most likely experience re-entry anxiety. One of those groups is people who have a lingering fear that they will either catch or help spread the disease or the new strains of COVID that seem to be cropping up.
The second group is people who feel their social skills have withered while quarantined and may find being around a lot of people and holding their end of the conversation to be very awkward, exhausting, and challenging.
It’s important to mention that while you may feel anxious about re-entry into society, avoiding social situations will only worsen your anxiety. In fact, experts agree the longer you avoid the thing that makes you anxious, the harder it will be to face it.
To ease back into social life, set small goals for yourself. For instance, you may want to start meeting socially with one or two people. Don’t feel the need to jump in the deep end right away. Slowly acclimatize yourself to start.
Getting Help for Your Anxiety
Everybody needs to know about treatment for social anxiety. We’ve all got to remember that we’ve faced a significant trauma this past year, and we must be gentle with ourselves. Life will feel normal once again. Until then, do the best you can and ask for help when you need it.
Speaking with a trained therapist can be highly effective for people dealing with stress and anxiety. A therapist can help you navigate your emotions and offer tools to move through the fear.
If you’d like to explore treatment options, don’t hesitate to contact us. We would be more than happy to discuss how we could help you work through the fear and social anxiety.
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