Social Anxiety Disorder is more than just being a little shy or feeling nervous before social events. It’s an intense and persistent fear of being judged, embarrassed, or humiliated in social situations. This fear can make everyday interactions – like speaking in a meeting, ordering at a café, or making small talk, feel overwhelming or even unbearable.
People with social anxiety often experience a strong urge to avoid social or performance situations due to fear of negative evaluation. The anxiety isn’t just fleeting nervousness; it can cause significant distress and interfere with daily life, work, study, or relationships. Over time, avoidance can reinforce the fear, making social situations feel even more daunting.
At The Victorian Psychology Clinic we recognise that recovering from Social Anxiety requires a tailored, evidence-based approach. In line with our values, we aim to work collaboratively with our clients, referrers and other professionals involved in our clients care including general practitioners, other allied health professionals and psychiatrists.
Signs and Symptoms of Social Anxiety:
Social anxiety can show up in different ways, affecting both thoughts and physical sensations.
Common symptoms include:
- Intense fear of being judged, criticised, or humiliated in social or performance situations.
- Worrying excessively about upcoming social interactions, often days or weeks in advance.
- Avoiding situations where attention may be focused on you, such as speaking in front of others or meeting new people.
- Physical symptoms like a racing heart, shaking, sweating, blushing, dizziness, or feeling nauseous in social situations.
- Difficulty speaking, stumbling over words, or feeling like your mind goes blank when interacting with others.
- Self-criticism after social interactions, replaying conversations and worrying about how you came across.
While it’s normal to feel nervous before certain social situations, social anxiety is persistent and often leads to avoidance. This can impact work opportunities, friendships, dating, and general day-to-day interactions.
Treatment for Social Anxiety
Social Anxiety is highly treatable, and many people experience relief with the right strategies.
- Psychotherapy: Therapy such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) helps individuals challenge negative thoughts about social situations and gradually build confidence in interactions. Techniques include cognitive restructuring, behavioural experiments, and gradual exposure. Exposure therapy involves gradually facing feared social situations in a controlled way can help reduce avoidance and build tolerance for discomfort over time.
- Medications: For some individuals, medications such as SSRIs may be considered, particularly if social anxiety is significantly impacting daily life. This can be discussed with a GP or psychiatrist.
- Social Skills Training: For some people, learning practical social strategies, like conversation skills or assertiveness, can help increase confidence in interactions.
- Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques: Practices like controlled breathing, grounding exercises, and mindfulness can help manage physical symptoms of anxiety.
How we can support you
At VPC, we understand that social anxiety can feel isolating, but support is available. We offer evidence-based treatments to help individuals feel more comfortable and confident in social situations.
- We help clients identify unhelpful thinking patterns and build skills to reduce anxiety in social settings.
- We work collaboratively to help clients gradually face feared situations at their own pace.
- Techniques such as cognitive restructuring, relaxation skills, and confidence-building exercises are incorporated into treatment.
- We aim to not only reduce anxiety but help individuals build lasting confidence in their ability to engage in social situations.
If social anxiety is interfering with your daily life, support is available.
We have a number of clinicians who work with eating disorders. To learn more, please refer to our Psychologists page for clinician details.
If you are currently experiencing eating difficulties or body image concerns and would like to begin your journey to recovery, get in touch with us. We are here to help.