Social Anxiety
Social anxiety can be crippling, preventing you from having relationship, affecting your work prospects and stopping you from enjoying the many wonders of being alive. Richard Angle, PhD is a clinical psychologist practicing on the Upper West Side of Manhattan who specializes in using psychotherapy and psychoanalysis to help patients who struggle with conditions like social anxiety. If the thought of being with other people is so distressing that you’ve started to retreat from human contact, call Dr. Angle today or if you feel more comfortable doing so, you can book an appointment online.
Richard Angle, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist & Psychoanalyst
located on the Upper West Side
Social Anxiety Q & A
What is social anxiety?
Social anxiety is a disorder that makes you feel so uncomfortable and self-conscious when you’re around other people that you avoid social situations as much as possible.
Social anxiety causes similar symptoms to generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). With GAD, almost everything causes you to feel worried and fearful to an extreme degree. With social anxiety, it’s contact with other people, or the thought of it, that triggers your symptoms.
These symptoms can include:
- Stomach upsets
- Diarrhea
- Tremors or twitches
- Sweating
- Muscle tension
- Headaches
- Problems sleeping
- Irritability
- Panic attacks
Symptoms might first affect you when you’re in a large crowd, making you feel claustrophobic and panicky. But most often it’s the situations where you’re expected to communicate with other people, like parties and work meetings, that are the most terrifying.
When should I get help for social anxiety?
If your social anxiety is starting to take over your life and affect your ability to work, or it’s damaging relationships or holding you back from achieving your goals, you should seek help from Dr. Angle.
It’s not uncommon for social anxiety to develop alongside or because of another health problem. Typical examples of conditions that often co-exist with social anxiety include:
- Depression
- Chronic pain
- Substance abuse
- Heavy drinking
It’s essential that you receive the appropriate treatment for any other health condition you have as well as your social anxiety. Dr. Angle takes a detailed medical history from you when you see him, so he can get a clear picture of everything that’s influencing your health.
What happens during a therapy session for social anxiety?
Because your anxiety centers around interaction with other people, you might well feel scared at the prospect of being in a room and having to talk to another person. You might worry that the act of leaving your home and going somewhere where you’ll have to see and talk to other people, even briefly, is a considerable challenge.
Dr. Angle understands this and aims to provide a safe environment where you’re free from any judgment of your feelings or actions. You can discuss your issues openly with Dr. Angle, and he suggests strategies that can help you move forward.
You might find your emotions run high at times, and you may get angry or teary during your sessions. Dr. Angle uses long-term psychotherapy and psychoanalysis to help you understand these feelings and get beyond them to a place where you can begin your recovery.
Dr. Angle might also give you exercises to do between sessions that help you communicate better or learn new ways of approaching the problems you have with social interaction.
Take the first step towards overcoming social anxiety by contacting Richard Angle, PhD, today. You can use the online booking form if you prefer not to talk on the phone. With Dr. Angle’s help, you can put social anxiety behind you, so act now for a brighter future.