Social Anxiety Disorder

Best Social Anxiety Disorder Treatments in Tampa Bay

Are you becoming increasingly afraid of being in social settings? Do you dread meeting new people or fear doing something embarrassing in public? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be dealing with social anxiety disorder. This condition affects approximately 7% of the U.S. population and impacts both men and women equally.

Social anxiety disorder—previously referred to as social phobia—can be extremely limiting, leading to avoidance of important interactions. This may interfere with your ability to attend school, perform at work, or maintain a fulfilling social life. Fortunately, social anxiety disorder treatments in Tampa are accessible and effective. Approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) have been shown to help individuals overcome these challenges and participate more comfortably in everyday life.

It’s common for those with social anxiety to deal with anticipatory anxiety before events—even if they manage to attend, they often feel like they’re enduring the moment rather than enjoying it. Afterward, they may ruminate over what they said or did, replaying conversations and monitoring how they came across. Physical symptoms like a racing heart, sweating, nausea, or stomachaches may also accompany these experiences, sometimes triggering panic.

Although it’s often confused with extreme shyness, social anxiety is a diagnosable condition—usually beginning in adolescence—and is the second most common anxiety disorder. If this sounds familiar, social anxiety help in Tampa is available to guide you toward managing these challenges and feeling more at ease in social settings.

Struggling with Social Situations? Get Social Anxiety Help in Tampa

Social anxiety disorder is marked by an intense fear of one or more social situations or performance-based settings. Individuals who struggle with social anxiety often experience overwhelming fear in these moments, typically centered around:

  • negative evaluation

  • being judged

  • rejection

  • appearing anxious

  • feeling like they’re “acting” or being fake

  • being seen as awkward or unintelligent

Is social anxiety the same as being shy?

Social Anxiety

Shyness is not necessary to have social anxiety. There are many extroverts that feel anxious in social situations and fear the negative evaluation from others. Social anxiety causes avoidance of social situations which leads to impairment in different parts of life. The most important difference between shyness and social anxiety is the intensity of the fear of the social situations, the level of avoidance, and the degree of impairment from symptoms.

Shyness

Shyness is a personality trait. People that are shy do not experience the negative thoughts associated with social anxiety disorder. A person that is shy may not like to be the center of attention but will not necessarily avoid social situations. A person that is shy may also become less shy over time depending on who they are with. Shy people can be fully functional and are not impaired by the shyness itself.

Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder

According to the DSM-V, the diagnostic criteria for Social Anxiety Disorder is as follows:

  1. Marked fear of one or more situations where the individual is exposed to scrutiny by others. May include interaction, observation, or performance situations.

  2. Individual fears they will act in a way or show anxiety that will lead to being negatively evaluated.

  3. The social situations almost always provoke anxiety.

  4. The social situations are avoided or endured with intense fear or anxiety.

  5. The fear/anxiety is out of proportion to actual threat.

  6. The fear/anxiety/avoidance has lasted 6 months.

  7. The fear/anxiety/avoidance leads to significant distress or functional impairment.

  8. The fear/anxiety/avoidance is not due to a medical condition, drug, or another mental disorder.

Begin Care with a Leading Social Anxiety Treatment Center in Tampa

Our anxiety therapists at Anxiety Center of Tampa are specialized in providing treatment for anxiety disorders. Every client we work with has been diagnosed with an anxiety condition, which means starting treatment here gives you direct access to the evidence-based care needed to make meaningful progress. While many therapists offer CBT, only a few in the Tampa Bay Area are trained in delivering the ERP techniques essential to effective treatment.

As a trusted social anxiety treatment center in Tampa, we individualize care based on your needs. Your schedule, session length, and treatment frequency are all considered when planning your care. During your intake session, you and your therapist will explore your needs and any obstacles, helping you build a strong foundation for success.

Call Anxiety Center of Tampa at 813-773-5807 to learn more or schedule your first appointment. You can also reach us through our contact page.

Here are the easy steps to help you get your life back on track:

  • Contact us to set up an intake session.

  • Meet our anxiety therapists.

  • Learn how to cope with anxiety and live a meaningful life.