Everyone has experienced social anxiety; it is the uncomfortable feeling you get when asked to read a paragraph in class or present a case to your superiors. However, some people experience social anxiety intensely to the point that it affects their day-to-day life.
What is Social Anxiety Disorder?
Also known as social phobia, social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a mental illness characterized by an intense fear of rejection or humiliation in social gatherings. People diagnosed with SAD often feel a crippling fear when they are in social gatherings or asked to speak in front of others. The crippling fear manifests as sweating, increased self-consciousness, nausea, increased heart rate, and dyspnea in social interactions.
How Group Therapy Helps Manage SAD
Group therapy is a controlled environment where people sharing similar mental disorders gather and discuss various topics in the presence of a licensed psychologist. Group therapy is a controlled psychotherapy where individuals feel safe to discuss what they truly feel because they are surrounded by people who are like them, and therefore, they can understand them.
According to experts from the social anxiety group therapy in Northbrook, IL, group therapy is ideal management of SAD because it is a form of exposure therapy. A patient diagnosed with SAD will be exposed to and communicate with a small group of individuals, allowing them to practice the lessons learned in individual therapy, get group feedback, and find solutions. This forms new relation habits and exposes them to respond to situations that are similar to what was once a trigger.
Contact the social anxiety group Disorder in Northbrook, IL at https://www.sociabilitychicago.org to get started today.
