How to Bring Severe Social Anxiety Under Control

Social anxiety is the paralyzing fear of interacting with people. It encompasses a spectrum of disorders from the common fear of public speaking to full blown agoraphobia. People with agoraphobia are terrified that they'll end up trapped in a situation they can't get out of and eventually stop going out of the house. It's a treatable condition, though, and you don't have to suffer through it anymore.

Instructions

• 1

  Know your triggers. If you've stopped leaving your house, think back to when you used to go in public. Ask yourself what you were afraid of: bridges, strangers, crowds, being alone. Identifying your triggers is the first step to recovery.

• 2

  Take baby steps at first. Once you've pinpointed your triggers, do other things first. If you haven't left your house in awhile, do an errand in which you won't be confronted by a triggering situation. Ease yourself into the things you know you can do before tackling your fears.

• 3

  Enlist the help of a friend. If your fear is being in a crowd, take a trusted friend with you to the supermarket on a weekend, when most people do their grocery shopping. Find out where the exits are in case you need to leave, and walk around with your friend for a little while. Gradually increase the time you spend doing these "challenges" until you get more comfortable.

• 4

  Do the triggering activity alone. Don't push yourself too far because you don't want to regress back into your previous agoraphobic state. Develop some phrases that will bolster your ego and repeat them while doing the activity. For example, think, "This isn't going to hurt me. I can do this!" Enthusiasm and positive thoughts go a long way.

• 5

  Seek counseling to help you with the transition. Extreme social anxiety is poorly understood by the general population and speaking with a therapist will help you get your confidence back up. Also consider taking medication for anxiety or panic disorder; you can get this from your primary care physician.