Do you experience intense anxiety, dread, or nervousness when faced with social situations or talking in front of others?

Do you fear being judged, rejected, or criticized by others?

Are you always worried about making mistakes, looking bad, or feeling embarrassed in front of others?

You may have a social anxiety disorder. If you answered yes to any of the above. While it is normal to feel nervous and awkward in some social situations, people who experience daily social anxiety tend to avoid everyday social interactions that cause them significant anxiety, fear, self-consciousness, and embarrassment because they fear being scrutinized, evaluated, or judged by others.

People with social anxiety disorder often experience significant emotional distress in the situations such as the following:

• Being criticized or teased
• Being the center of attention
• Being observed or evaluated while performing or completing a task
• Having to speak in front of others in a formal, public setting
• Meeting people of authority, such as decision-makers or authority figures (e.g., supervisors)
• Feeling insecure, apprehensive, and out of place in social situations
• Feeling easily embarrassed
• Having to make eye contact with others

Social anxiety disorder is a chronic mental health condition. However, it is one that can be managed by learning coping skills in therapy to help you gain the confidence you need to improve your ability to interact and socialize with others.

If you feel you may have a social anxiety disorder, I encourage you to contact me today for a free consultation so that we can discuss ways in which I can help.