“Social anxiety is a fear of social situations; the bottom line is a fear of being judged negatively by others. That anxiety can be so overwhelming it can essentially stop people from living their lives.”
Around 1 in 8 people are thought to struggle with social anxiety, making it one of the most common anxiety disorders. Much more than being a few nerves in new situations or feeling shy among new people, it can have a very debilitating impact on people’s everyday lives, careers and professional development.
LionHeart host Jo Grant is joined by our counsellor and CBT therapist Berni Antoniou, who describes how something that often begins in teen years can go on for decades – and how the coping mechanisms people put in place become ‘maintaining factors’ that actually keep the problem going.
Join us to hear:
- How therapy can help people identify negative thought patterns and reframe them
- How using relaxation or calming techniques like mindfulness can begin to break the habits of a lifetime
- Why putting yourself in the situations you’ve been avoiding for so long is the key to managing social anxiety
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