Probably one of the most common varieties of anxiety disorders is social anxiety disorder.
It can occur in a lot of different situations, and could strike without warning. Even seemingly simple social interactions, including meeting close friends or queuing for a bus can trigger it.
Social anxiety sufferers can segregate themselves from friends and family, which can create problems both at home not to mention whilst at work. Going shopping, presenting and public speaking, meeting close friends – there are various situations which can be hard for a sufferer of social anxiety, most especially if they feel they are being watched.
A fear of criticism is generally quite pronounced in this disorder so sufferers in the main avoid scenarios where they might be criticised.
A person with social anxiety is probably going to have low self-worth and actually feel insecure, which may cause problems within romantic relationships. Without treatment, someone with social anxiety problems may develop anxiety attacks which can include feeling sick, chest pains, shaking and a suffocating feeling. They may encounter other mental health concerns for example stress or depression and may turn to drug or excessive drinking to cope with their feelings of anxiety. At this point, they are likely to go through a breakdown in relationships or friendships and difficulties maintaining an occupation or socialising with other people, but also engaging in general daily tasks like going shopping or even posting a letter.
Social anxiety disorder can be extraordinarily debilitating, however there are ways in which it may be treatable with such things as medication, or hypnotheraputic solutions.
The fear and worry in social anxiety is on the whole fueled by past ordeals of humiliation, or certain consistent thinking patterns. These underlying components are readily treatable with hypnotherapy. A hypnotic approach will aim to help the individual overcome these feelings and anxieties.
By changing the way the subconscious mind perceives past memories along with the behaviour patterns; hypnotherapy can help the person to engage in more favourable thought processes and improves confidence and control. Hypno theraputic processes can help the person to eliminate the associated problems and go back to a normal life devoid of social anxiety.
The benefit of hypnotherapy is that it works with the parts of the mind in charge of maintaining the problem, so irrespective of how big a challenge it was before, it can begin to improve their situation. Personal relationships, social gatherings, and general daily life may no longer pose a problem in their life, and they are likely to genuinely feel a sense of confidence and increased self-worth.
Lyta Humphris, an experienced hypnotherapist, specialising in social anxiety and works at Hypnosis Devon explained, “It is really about changing the way someone perceives themselves and the world around them. If they believe that the people around them are judging them negatively then it is very difficult for them to stick their head above the parapet in any situation where they might be judged.”
*Disclaimer: Results may vary from person to person
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