What is Social Phobia?
Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) is defined as the fear that a person will do something embarrassing, be exposed to intense scrutiny by others, be humiliated or humiliated. As a result, the individual avoids such social environments and shows intense anxiety and fear reactions when he enters such environments.
How Does Social Phobia Affect a Person's Daily Life?
Social The individual with phobia perceives social environments as a threat as a result of past lives and experiences. Even though he wants to make a good impression in these environments, he has a negative prejudice that he will be disgraced or humiliated. The individual who directs their attention entirely to themselves and such thoughts makes negative assumptions about themselves. As a result, the individual begins to exhibit "security behaviors".
Individuals with social phobia may wear glasses and clothes that will hide their faces, as if they have committed a crime and will be caught, memorize what they will say before saying something, or sit in the dark corner of the room. may prefer. The person avoids attracting the attention of other people with such safety behaviors, but on the contrary, these behaviors may cause the person to attract more attention in the environment.
Anxiety with security behaviors As the level increases, the individual's negative criticism towards himself increases. At the same time, the individual who has a negative increase in physical and mental symptoms causes a real decrease in performance level as a result. This situation causes the person to avoid social environments more and to experience more intense anxiety when entering these environments.
Social Anxiety Disorder Treatment Steps
Therapeutic Alliance, Evaluation, Psychoeducation
Cognitive Restructuring
Social Skills Training
Confronting Social Anxiety Situations
Relapse Prevention
People with social phobia may experience anxiety when communicating with someone they have just met. For this reason, during the treatment, the aim is primarily to make the individual feel comfortable and express the problems he/she is experiencing correctly.
Later, cognitive restructuring focuses on the client's cognitive distortions and negative automatic thoughts. As mentioned above, individuals with social anxiety tend to interpret themselves and the events around them negatively when they experience intense anxiety. Therapists use the exposure method to reveal negative cognitions. The client is asked to visualize situations that cause him or her anxiety and then describe them to the therapist. In this way, the therapist has the opportunity to intervene in the client's negative thoughts. At this stage, the therapist and the client move forward with confident steps by acting together.
Social skills training is one of the important steps of cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of social phobia in Adana. At this stage, it is first determined which skills the client lacks in social situations and then focuses on these. These skills are generally; It includes the behaviors of making eye contact and effective body language, directing attention to what the other person is saying, initiating and expressing an opinion while continuing a conversation, making a request or making criticism. In this way, individuals learn to express their emotions more easily and gain social skills.
In the phase of confronting social anxiety situations at Adana social anxiety disorder treatment center, the individual is ready to face the situations he/she avoids. At this stage, behavioral experiments and role plays are used. The person continues the confrontation until the anxiety level decreases. At this stage, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques are used. Additionally, clients may be asked to videotape themselves during the confrontation. Thus, by enabling the individual to see himself from the outside, the individual can change his unrealistic negative evaluation of himself and reduce his level of anxiety.
Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in the Treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety Group cognitive behavioral therapy is frequently used in the treatment of the disorder. Intervening in a group environment for individuals experiencing anxiety in social environments It provides a more effective and natural confrontation opportunity. A person progresses faster by having the opportunity to reinforce what he has learned. It is also thought that group interventions will provide social and psychological support to individuals who tend to isolate themselves from such environments.
Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in the Treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder
With the development of technology. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy applications have also become widespread in the intervention of social anxiety disorder. Research on this subject proves the effectiveness of online therapy in the treatment of social anxiety, and it receives positive criticism in terms of reaching more patients and its long-term effect.
How Long Does the Treatment Last?
The duration and frequency of cognitive behavioral therapy at a social anxiety disorder treatment center varies depending on various factors. The person's motivation for treatment and the severity of the disease are among these factors. When needed, different therapy methods and techniques can be used during treatment.
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