Self-Treatments for Social Anxiety That Work

WedMD defines Social Anxiety Disorder as follows:

Social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia, is an anxiety disorder in which a person has an excessive and unreasonable fear of social situations. Anxiety (intense nervousness) and self-consciousness arise from a fear of being closely watched, judged and criticized by others.

A person with social anxiety disorder is afraid that he or she will make mistakes and be embarrassed or humiliated in front of others. As a result of the fear, the person endures certain social situations in extreme distress or may avoid them altogether. In addition, people with social anxiety disorder often suffer "anticipatory" anxiety -- the fear of a situation before it even happens -- for days or weeks before the event. In many cases, the person is aware that the fear is unreasonable, yet is unable to overcome it.

People with social anxiety disorder suffer from distorted thinking, including false beliefs about social situations and the negative opinions of others.

Social anxiety disorder may also be linked to other mental illnesses, such as panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression.

Many people with social anxiety disorder feel that there is "something wrong," but don't recognize their feeling as a sign of illness.

Here are some of the many symptoms associated with social anxiety disorder (because each person has a unique chemical make up, the symptoms and their intensity will vary from person to person).

These come from AnxietyCentre.com:

* Burning Sensations throughout the body
* Chronic Fatigue
* Electric shock feeling
* Excess of energy, you feel you can't relax
* Feel like you are going to pass out or faint
* Feeling cold or chilled
* Hyperactivity, excess energy
* Increased or decreased sex drive
* Muscle twitching
* Neck, back, shoulder pain, tightness/stiffness
* No energy, feeling lethargic, tired
* Numbness or tingling in hands, feet, face, head, or any other places on the body
* Persistent muscle tension, stiffness
* Sore or tight scalp or back of the neck
* Startle easily
* Sweating, uncontrollable profuse sweating
* The floor feels like it is moving either down or up for no reason
* Trembling or shaking
* Urgency to urinate, frequent urination, sudden urge to go to the bathroom
* Warm spells
* Weak legs, arms, or muscles
* Chest pain or discomfort
* Concern about the heart
* Feel like you have to force yourself to breath
* Find it hard to breath, feeling smothered, shortness of breath
* Frequent yawning to try and catch your breath
* Heart - beating hard or too fast, rapid heartbeat, palpitations
* Heart - Irregular heart rhythms, flutters or 'skipped' beats, tickle in the chest that makes you cough
* Always feeling angry and lack of patience
* Depression
* Feeling down in the dumps

In addition to these symptoms, you may also find yourself worrying compulsively about:
* Having a heart attack
* Having a serious undetected illness
* Dying prematurely
* Going insane or losing your mind
* Harming yourself or someone you love uncontrollably
* Being embarrassed or making a fool out or yourself
* Losing control
* Fainting in public
* Not breathing properly
* Choking or suffocating
* Being alone

So, do you have any of these? I am guessing you have some just like I do. It is good to recognize these symptoms in yourself as I have found that the first step is understanding what you are up against.

There is no single known cause of social anxiety disorder, but research suggests that biological, psychological and environmental factors may play a role in its development.

* Biological: Social anxiety disorder may be related to an imbalance of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Neurotransmitters are special chemical messengers that help move information from nerve cell to nerve cell in the brain. If the neurotransmitters are out of balance, messages cannot get through the brain properly. This can alter the way the brain reacts to stressful situations, leading to anxiety.

In addition, social anxiety disorder appears to run in families. This means that the disorder may be passed on in families through genes.

* Psychological: The development of social anxiety disorder may stem from an embarrassing or humiliating experience at a social event in the past.

* Environmental: People with social anxiety disorder may develop their fear from observing the behavior of others or seeing what happened to someone else as the result of their behavior (such as being laughed at or made fun of). Further, children who are sheltered or overprotected by their parents may not learn good social skills as part of their normal development.

To be honest with you, when I first went to the doctor they prescribed Paxil.

My personal feeling is that most doctors (at least general practitioners) do not know the first thing about social anxiety disorder except what the drug companies tell them.

I mean, when you go to the doctor, the first thing they do is prescribe medication - I got the feeling that the doctor was saying "OK little boy, go away and take these pills and you will forget all about it."

Additionally, I was told to go talk to a psychiatrist. I did this and was none the better. Maybe I had a bad psychiatrist, but every time I went in I talked for a little bit and then was prescribed ANOTHER medication.

I started to feel as though the overwhelming advice from these medical "professionals" was to cover it up with drugs.

That's great and all, but personally I DON'T want to take drugs the rest of my life - it's expensive and just covers up the root problems.

Don't get me wrong, some of the drugs can definitely help - but I am looking for long-term NATURAL ways to help. These natural ways can take more work, but they are also definitely worth it.

Following are the things that I have personally tried and my opinion of each. Will they work for you? That is a question only you can answer, but my guess is if they helped someone as bad off as I am, then they probably will.

I have ranked them in order of what I thought worked best. Remember though, different things work for different people, so the best thing you can do is try different things to find what works for you:

1. The Social Strategies by Jon Mercer

Rank: #1

Desription: This program, by Jon Mercer, states that to rid yourself of social anxiety and shyness, you can learn 8 different "mind games" to use on yourself in social situations to reduce and eliminate your social fears.

It's premise teaches that by playing "games" in your mind (and not known by others) you can reduce and eliminate your social fears. The key ingredient is not medication, lifestyle changes, or relaxation exercises. It cuts straight to the issue by hitting your social fears head on.

Guarantee: 8 Week Guarantee - you can get your money back within 8 full weeks if you are not completely satisfied.

Cost: $47

My Thoughts: This program teaches some powerful strategies to deal with your fears in social situations. These are strategies that you most likely have never thought of yourself, I know I didn't. Although it's premise is simple, it is extremely powerful.

I chose this program as my top pick because it was simple, inexpensive, and worked very well for me.

Click Here To Get Your Copy of Social Strategies by Jon Mercer!

2. The Linden Method

Rank: #2

Description: The Linden Method was developed by Charles Linden of the Linden Centers in Europe. His method is very unique in that it is sympathetic to the things that make an anxiety disorder sufferer feel worse, panicky and constantly full of fear. The method only offers support, understanding and definite solutions. It doesn't smother you with many, many techniques you can try, some that work and some that don't...IT JUST OFFERS ONE METHOD THAT WORKS!

It also offers a comprehensive 'holistic' solution, addressing the ROOT of the problem not just a single element and uses a unique alternative to conventional anxiety reduction 'programs' which take hours of practice, listening to audio and making notes. The Linden Center has treated close to 102,000 people worldwide with the Linden Method.

In addition, there are 3 free bonuses, including 1 year of e-mail counseling.

Guarantee: 56 Day Guarantee - you can get your money back within 56 days if you are not completely satisfied.

Cost: $109

My Thoughts: The Linden Method is truly awesome and definitely unique when compared to the other methods. And the techniques work VERY QUICKLY when applied and followed. This program also offers some interesting distinctions you probably have not heard of or thought of. I ranked it 2nd primarily because of the cost relative to the effectiveness. The Social Strategies worked just as effectively for roughly half the cost.

Click Here to Learn the Distinctions The Linden Method Makes that Can Make You Free From Anxiety

3. EasyCalm Anxiety Treatment Video Series

Rank: #3

Description: This video series, by Jon Mercer, who is also an anxiety sufferer, gives you 10 downloadable video sessions. The entire series is more than 3 hours, 20 minutes in length and are custom designed with one goal: to eliminate anxiety and stop panic attacks!

The video sessions can be downloaded directly to your computer immediately. In each video, Jon Mercer personally takes you step by step through the process of eliminating your anxiety symptoms and panic attacks, with simple exercises to begin improving your situation the very first day.

Price: $97, which includes the video series plus 3 free bonuses.

Guarantee: 8 Week Guarantee - you can get your money back within 8 full weeks if you are not completely satisfied.

My Thoughts - I am ranking this product #3 because although it was very helpful, it was just not as effective as the Linden Method or Panic Away. You can watch the first lesson for free by clicking here.

Click Here to Find Out More About This Outstanding Video Series