Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Brentwood, TN
Social Anxiety
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You are here.
Anxiety and avoidance go hand in hand, you can't have one without the other.
By even looking into options to find help and support, & thinking about opening up about your struggles
-you’ve already taken the first step in spite of your fears!
Common Social Anxiety Symptoms
Do These Sound Familiar?
Before Social Events
Shear dread. Doing anything to avoid going, and looking for all ways to get out of it. Putting it off for as long as possible.
Watching mental movies of yourself looking awkward and uncomfortable. Imagining what people will think of you, and all the ways you might embarrass yourself.
Reviewing the countless times things have gone badly in the past.
In the Moment
Your heart begins to beat faster, you feel hot and clammy. You look for buffers like alcohol, food, or your phone to ease your heightened self-consciousness. Your mind goes blank as it critically reviews and deems anything you might think of to say as utterly idiotic. You're hyper aware of your skin flushing, your hands trembling, and not wanting anyone to possibly notice.
When it's Over
Relief and utter exhaustion hit, and your mind swoops in to highlight the top-10 most cringe-worthy moments from that experience. It's echoed by thoughts such as "what's wrong with me?" "Why can't I just act normal? Why am I so weird?" Your mind then proceeds to ensure encounters like this never happen again via playing the situation on repeat throughout the night. Thank you mind...
Most people will feel nervous in unfamiliar social situations, or at events that are fairly important to them. Asking someone out on a date, making requests of others, starting a new position, all may stir up some initial discomfort.
However, when the fear of being embarrassed, humiliated, or looking awkward begins to get in the way of forming meaningful connections, daily routines, work, school, or other activities, it's time to reach out.
All is Not Lost
SOCIAL ANXIETY IS HIGHLY TREATABLE
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has demonstrated through decades of outcome studies to be the most effective treatment for social anxiety disorder.
CBT targets the core beliefs that evoke a sense of shame, embarrassment, and humiliation that drive social anxiety. It also provides strategies to counter these beliefs, as well as strategies to counter the avoidance that maintains the problem.
YOU'RE NOT
ALONE
Roughly 12 million Americans, or 15%, at some time in their lives will experience debilitating social anxiety. In fact, Social Anxiety Disorder is actually the most commonly experienced mental health ailment worldwide. Up to 5-10% of the world's population is impacted by Social Anxiety Disorder at some point in their lives.
Ready to Get Started?
1
Get in touch with us
This may be the hardest step of all to do on your own. However, if you send us your info, we'll take it from there. We'll be there to support you the rest of the way.
2
Complete a Free Consult
It may be hard to know what to say or what to ask, but we'll walk you through it, step-by-step. You'll have a good idea of what to expect when working with us, and if we're a good fit for you.
3
Have Your First Session
We'll get you scheduled to meet with Dr. Jesop. You'll have time to work with her to understand what has been getting in your way, and developing a solid plan to get you where you want to be.