The criteria for social anxiety disorder includes:
• a persistent fear of social situations
• a fear of being exposed to unfamiliar people or scrutiny by others
• a fear of acting in a humiliating or embarrassing way
• a fear that impacts your normal routine, functioning, and relationships
• a fear that isn’t due to an existing mental disorder or substance e.g. drugs.
People with social anxiety often feel conflicted about interacting with others, maybe you’re instinctively leaning away and avoiding interactions like starting conversations, chatting on the phone, or sharing a meal with people, fearing it will only lead to embarrassment or humiliation.
Those feelings of low self-worth can be so overwhelming that some people with social anxiety quit their job, experience a marriage breakdown, or stop socializing with friends altogether.
What causes social anxiety disorder?
The exact cause of social anxiety is not known. However, as with many mental health conditions, genetic predispositions and environmental factors are thought to be involved.
Several factors thought to increase the risk of social anxiety include:
• a family history of social anxiety
• a tendency to misread other people’s behaviors as threatening
• having overprotective or highly critical parents
• having underdeveloped social skills and lack of confidence.
How does hypnosis work?
No matter what you’ve seen on YouTube, where hypnosis is often treated as some kind of mind control technique played out for laughs, it’s simply about entering a highly focused, deeply absorbed state of attention, you are always in control during hypnosis.
Either an in-person hypnotherapist or listening to a recording of a hypnotherapy session on an app will help you become relaxed and focused.
Both would guide you towards reducing distracting thoughts and feelings that trigger your fear response to social situations. At the same time, you’ll be encouraged to become more receptive to new ideas and perspectives, which will help reduce your social phobia to a more manageable level.
Hypnosis can also help you develop new social skills and relaxation strategies that become tools you can use effortlessly via a process called automaticity, this is when you carry out a behavior or mental process automatically, barely realizing what you’re doing or thinking.
What does the science say?
Many published studies support hypnosis as an effective treatment tool for social anxiety, often when used in combination with other approaches.
Hypnotherapy has also been shown to be helpful for a range of anxiety disorders and phobias, such as:
• generalized anxiety disorder
• test anxiety
• airplane phobia
• school phobia
• public speaking anxiety
• panic disorder
• sexual performance anxiety
• post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Hypnotherapy has also been shown to improve the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Accessing hypnotherapy
Many hypnotherapists specialize in social anxiety. A more affordable option is using a hypnotherapy app like Mindset Health. These apps offer you direct access to professional hypnotherapy recordings that can be listened to from anywhere.
Another option is self-hypnosis, which involves learning to enter a deep state of relaxation before offering yourself detailed suggestions to help you manage your social anxiety more effectively.
No matter which option you choose, know that hypnotherapy is very safe, and many people describe it as a pleasant experience. Consult a mental health professional before engaging in hypnotherapy for social anxiety if you have any concerns.
The Wrap Up
Social anxiety disorder is a common mental health problem that can severely impact your quality of life. The disorder may be socially crippling and prevent you from participating in everyday activities. Fortunately, hypnotherapy is a promising tool that has been used successfully to reduce anxiety and promote easier social interaction.
References
Abramowitz, E.G., Barak, Y., Ben-Avi, I. and Knobler, H.Y., 2008. Hypnotherapy in the treatment of chronic combat-related PTSD patients suffering from insomnia: a randomized, zolpidem-controlled clinical trial. Intl. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 56(3), pp.270-280. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00207140802039672
Aderka, I.M., Hofmann, S.G., Nickerson, A., Hermesh, H., Gilboa-Schechtman, E. and Marom, S., 2012. Functional impairment in social anxiety disorder. Journal of anxiety disorders, 26(3), pp.393-400. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0887618512000084
Allison, D.B. and Faith, M.S., 1996. Hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy for obesity: A meta-analytic reappraisal. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 64(3), p.513. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1996-05271-011
Brown, D.P. and Fromm, E., 2013. Hypnotherapy and hypnoanalysis. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781315825519
Buckner, J.D., Heimberg, R.G. and Schmidt, N.B., 2011. Social anxiety and marijuana-related problems: The role of social avoidance. Addictive Behaviors, 36(1-2), pp.129-132. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460310002510
Cartwright-Hatton, S., Tschernitz, N. and Gomersall, H., 2005. Social anxiety in children: social skills deficit, or cognitive distortion?. Behaviour research and therapy, 43(1), pp.131-141. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0005796703003000
Cath, D.C., Ran, N., Smit, J.H., Van Balkom, A.J. and Comijs, H.C., 2008. Symptom overlap between autism spectrum disorder, generalized social anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder in adults: a preliminary case-controlled study. Psychopathology, 41(2), pp.101-110. https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/111555
de Shazer, S., 1978. Brief hypnotherapy of two sexual dysfunctions: The crystal ball technique. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 20(3), pp.203-208. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00029157.1978.10403931
Der, D.F. and Lewington, P., 1990. Rational self-directed hypnotherapy: A treatment for panic attacks. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 32(3), pp.160-167. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00029157.1990.10402820
Fehm, L., Beesdo, K., Jacobi, F. and Fiedler, A., 2008. Social anxiety disorder above and below the diagnostic threshold: prevalence, comorbidity and impairment in the general population. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 43(4), pp.257-265. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00127-007-0299-4
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