The Fundamentals of Social Anxiety Treatment: A Guide for Therapists

[@keremmorgul367]

This video was so revealing. After years of suffering social anxiety, I finally understood what is happening inside my brain and how my avoidance behaviors make it worse. Thank you!

[@buckcostanza3483]

It's good to see new videos from you! As a 20 year old guy who suffered from social anxiety since 5 years old, i'm glad there are people like you posting videos on youtube because all those videos encouraged me to see a therapist and it's by far the best decision i've ever made in my life.

[@ranc1977]

Things which CBT/DSM therapist never tell us: Symptoms of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (when criticism hurts) - Being easily embarrassed - Heightened fear of failure - Unrealistically high expectations for self - Assuming people don't like you - Avoiding social settings - Perfectionistic tendencies

[@zapcat2000]

What type of therapy did u recieved if u don’t mind me asking? I’m currently seeing a CBT therapist but it doesn’t seem to be helping

[@ranc1977]

@@zapcat2000 CBT is found in all self help books about social anxiety, it is found in random google search, most of you tube videos are based on CBT. Alternative to CBT is Humanistic psychology, humanistic therapies.

[@Wealth_bridge]

Iam 22yo and im suffering from social anxiety but this video helpd me to be self disclosing

[@ranc1977]

@@Wealth_bridge We need to be careful about self in relation to social anxiety. Both toxic society and CBT will try to fuse and glue our trauma with our character trait, personality and persona. Just because we feel anxiety - this does feel like being contaminated - due to toxic shame and trauma and abuse - but we are not contaminated. Our core being is not contaminated - and there is nothing to fix inside us. CBT will claim there is. That our thoughts are abnormal and that we need to undergo through endless plastic surgeries to become perfect version of ourselves that is numb to deep process stimuli which we have thanks to neurodivergence. The only problem is trauma and abuse - these are psychological wounds. They are wounds. They are not marks of our persona, trait. CBT will for example claim that we need to be "courageous" and "strong" and that we need to get rid of panic and anxiety. This model of self blame leads to self pathologizing and taking abuse on our own as if we are causing the abuse and inventing it. If we believe CBT's lies - we will develop personality disorder. In order to be psychologically healthy and psychologically safe - we need to have 100 percent trust in our brain, in our thoughts, in our patterns, in our intuition and our explanations about life - if we doubt our reality and self - we will develop mental illness. Now due to trauma and abuse - we do have wounds that influence our clarity and explanations and interpretations - and they require our education - not plastic surgeries nor brainwashing that CBT is promoting.

[@observatorioemocional]

I'm a clinical psychologist and I'm loving the content! It has helped me to understand a lot more about social anxiety. I was watching your videos and in one of them you say you might do a video about how to tell a story and I was very curious and interested. I didn't find it here, so here's a suggestion for future videos :)

[@The4thlaw-fission]

I was able to understand thae complex kne better than tha simple one

[@mohammadalhusban]

Thanks! helpful.

[@ranc1977]

Interpersonal strife with those close to us leads to rifts and resentments that produce symptoms of mental illness; these problems are, in fact, the logical consequence of troubled relationships. Glasser emphasizes that lasting psychological problems are usually caused by problems in our personal relationships (rather than signifying a biochemical abnormality in the brain), and distress can be remedied through repairing these relationships without recourse to psych drugs. WILLIAM GLASSER Controlling Habits: Blaming Criticizing Complaining Nagging Rewarding To Control Threatening Punishing William Glasser William Glasser "What's my Choice" Connecting Habits: Listening Supporting Encouraging Negotiating Respecting Accepting Trusting They see us as timid, shy, weak, or unsociable. Fearing these labels, we try to be like others. But that leads to our becoming overaroused and distressed. Then that gets us labeled neurotic or crazy, first by others then by ourselves. The Highly Sensitive Person, Elaine N. Aron Learning to see our trait as a neutral thing-useful in some situations, not in others-but our culture definitely does not see it, or any trait, as neutral. Be careful about accepting labels for yourself such as "inhibited", "introverted", "shy" The Highly Sensitive Person,E. Aron "Sooner or later everyone encounters stressful life experiences, but HSPs react more to such stimulation. If you see this reaction as part of some basic flaw, you intensify the stress already present in any life crisis. This deeper processing of subtle details causes you to consider the past or future more. You "just know" how things got to be the way they are or how they are going to turn out. It can be wrong, but your intuition is right often enough that HSPs tend to be visionaries, more conscientious, cautious and wise people. It is important not to confuse arousal with fear. And often we think that our arousal is due to fear. We do not realize that our heart may be pounding from the sheer effort of processing extra stimulation. I really suggest trying to view it as neutral. HSPs must spend far more time trying to invent solutions to human problems just because they are more sensitive to hunger, cold, insecurity, exhaustion, and illness. Since most non-HSPs do not seem to enjoy thinking about such things, they assume we must be unhappy doing all that pondering. Spend enough time putting yourself out there in the world - your sensitivity is not something to be feared. Carl Jung believed that when highly sensitive patients has experienced a trauma, they had been unusually affected and so developed a neurosis. Preferring toughness, the culture sees our trait as something difficult to live with, something to be cured. HSPs differ mainly in their sensitive processing of subtle stimuli. This is your most basic quality." The Highly Sensitive Person, Elaine N. Aron

[@petersharp7644]

Great highly informative video. Thanks Thomas. Have experienced Soc Anxiety Disorder since the late 70s with all the attendant visible physical symptoms. This is now leading to rosecea which is opening up a whole new can of worms. But I do understand that all of this is in the main a cognitive problem rather than a body problem. Would love you to do a video with Drew Linsalata of The Anxious Truth on Social Anxiety Disorder if it was possible as I it is an area that I think Drew struggles with. Thanks again Thoma

[@johnmarks9211]

Hey Dr. Great video. How do you recommend dealing with intense facial blushing? It’s the main thing holding me back right now in social situations and I’ve almost developed a fear of blushing as well. People have pointed it out before and I’m not sure how to deal with this type of “external” anxiety in front of others. I avoid situations and moments where I think I’ll blush and fight the sensation when I feel it coming on in my face. Thanks!

[@ranc1977]

Social anxiety is analogy of being trapped in toxic job with mobbing and abuse 24/7 from everybody. That is social anxiety. Blushing is more like shyness issue. Not really important really. You would not get fired from blushing, nobody would label you as abnormal for blushing.

[@catarinadasilvavilar458]

Hello, John. I can give you some answers. Social anxiety involves a fear of getting people's attention and being noticed as shy. We hide the fact that we are afraid or insecure. So I would say for you to accept that you blush. So be kinder with yourself. Just think about what is really important in the social interactions you want to have and try to develop this. Being perfect isn't human, after all... You can think about your values as well. Would you exclude someone from a space because they blushed ? If yes, think about the reasons for it and question it. If no, then don't accept this treatment even for yourself. Sometimes we will disagree on other people and that can be important. I'm also a psychotherapist. I hope this helps, let me know!