Helping someone with Social Anxiety Disorder?

Question

What is the best way I could help someone with social anxiety disorder? I know that the person has it and that they're having a hard time with it, and I'd like to help them but I don't want to stress them out. What should I do?

Answer 1

Understanding it is most important, http://www.socialanxietyinstitute.org/ds...

and maybe very gently offering the following information:


Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cognitive_b... worked best for me. I suffered from social anxiety for over 15 years. I've tried meds, individual therapy, and group therapy and studied psychology for 10 years, as a profession, but also with the hope to cure myself.

Depending on your comfort level, you could go to a psychologist that practices CBT and specializes in anxiety disorders, seek a group therapy, or create one. Usually those that do attend the group therapy are a bit more high functioning because as you know, it can be difficult to speak in a group.

Another idea is to see if there are any local research studies being conducted that you could participate in.

The program that finally worked the best for me is this one: http://www.socialanxiety.us/findinghelp.... and I was lucky enough to have a structured behavioral group to go along with it. Sometimes the people that actually attend this program come back home and form groups.

Any questions, let me know ... I can't tell you how much this has improved my life!

Answer 2

Thats a really hard question to answer
I suffer mild social anxiety disorder but im not sure if people have been able to help me as much as i have had to learn to help myself (hope that makes sense) but here are a few tips for someone helping someone with this disorder:No one recovering from an anxiety disorder should have only one support person. Unfortunately, it's our tendency to lean on only one person. This tendency should be addressed openly and honestly. A support system should consist of friends and family, support group(s), mental health professional(s), and, when appropriate, boss or co-workers. By looking at that list, you now might adjust your perception of what a support person should be. No support person can make the recovering person better. The recovering person will get well by using a variety of treatment methods with and without the help of other people. The larger the support system, the more distributed the support functions will be. Support is not the process of constant listening to a person's problems and other woes. It is a productive component of a person's recovery goals. If you're not willing to read more about the disorder, then you're not ready to be a support person there are numerous books and websites readily available .The person you're helping should have specific recovery goals. If not, it's time to make some.

here are a few websites that i hope can help give you some proper answers. take care and good luck! :-)
http://www.socialphobia.org/whatis.html
http://www.socialanxietydisorder.net/
http://socialanxiety.factsforhealth.org/
http://panicdisorder.about.com/od/socialanxiety/Social_Anxiety_Disorder_Social_Phobia.htm
http://www.anxieties.com/

Answer 3

Suggest small outings to places your friend would be comfortable first, then increase the time spent outside and the amount off interaction with other people, try a walk in the country or down the park to start with as these are the least threatening places to start as long as there is not a case of agoraphobic as well, then with time try to help them to overcome there fears by showing them either what a great time you have had at a place which is outside there comfort zone, and put them at ease about places which cause them the most stress, these are normally places where they have no control and large crowds.

I hope the above helps in some small way, and good luck with your friend, what you are doing is very nice to help a fellow person.

Just remember not to push them to do anything they do not want, and not to be critical in anyway as it is hard for other people to understand what causes the anxiety sometimes.

Answer 4

My daughter has this problem and I have been helping her. At first, she didn't like to think she had something "wrong" with her so I explained that everyone in the world has something that needs some fixing. I told her to see it like a puzzle needing to be put together, the pieces are not missing, they just need to be put in place. So I managed to talk her into seeing a counselor and being diagnosed, which led us to getting some medicine for her, her disorder is social and generalized, so she is on Zoloft. It has made a great difference for her and we're happy we went this way. Therapy is always a great road to take for this situation. Good luck with your person, I hope you can find a way to help them....

Answer 5

Both medication therapy and behaviour therapy have proven successful in treating social anxiety disorder. Medication treatment includes several classes of medications that have shown to have markedly beneficial effects for many patients. Behaviour therapy also provides a successful method for decreasing anxiety and avoidance in the social situations they fear most. Many find that a combination of medication and behavioural therapy is most effective. Your doctor can help you choose the most appropriate course of action. And as others have stated, you can not get someone to go for help unless they really want it.

Answer 6

I am so happy, it was only a 35 minute drive ( 70 minutes total) but absolutely no sign of anxiety or panic i shopped till I dropped - brilliant! I will now go for the next stage DUAL CARRIAGE way, probably at the weekend, with my husband accompanying me first then the solo drive, if successful the final stage of driving on motorway

Beat Anxiety And Panic Attacks Naturally?

Answer 7

Get him / her stoned,and yourself with him / her on a good herb skunk from Holland. Plenty of sweet or mint tea and cake on the go. Then get in some cool company where there is a love bond happening, and with music, art, colour and laughter / tears (if need be ) in ideally some favourite space. With some good ' people sharing ' going on this person should feel totally at ease and will be inspired to do it again.
I have personally come through heaps of episodes over time by using this method. The best part is going back to visit the people and place where you came through it,and a little celebration often takes place in much the same way !

Answer 8

well i think this problem, can only be solved with behavioral changes in life, or possibly with ssris. i´ll tell you i have had social anxiety in the past, in particular i had it when talking on the phone. i am in spain, i had to make about 20 phone calls to people i didnt know, and in a forieng language!!! it was freaky, but i learned to relax, that theres no danger, no reason to feel anxious. essentailly, your friend needs to get into situations where social interaction is required, and is constantely being exposed to it, then her anxiety level will drop once she realizes that theres no reason to be afraid. plus the body cannot maintain the hyper anxious state for long, thats why exposure therapy works.

Answer 9

Get them to a doctor and get them some SSRIs. They are useful tools to overcome the phobia.

Other than that, just be a supportive friend! Suggest some activities and if she doesn't want to go out or mingle, fine. Just let her know you will be there for her.

Good luck.

Answer 10

Unless you're a therapist, there's no way you can help them. This person needs help from a professional.