• Home
  • Mental Health
  • Depression
  • Meditation
  • Stress Disorders
  • Anxiety
  • Mental Illness
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Natural Element
  • Home
  • Mental Health
  • Depression
  • Meditation
  • Stress Disorders
  • Anxiety
  • Mental Illness
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Natural Element
No Result
View All Result

SOCIAL ANXIETY, PERSONAL INSIGHT, AND SOCIOCULTURAL INFLUENCES

August 1, 2022


Consider this situation. You are seeking a therapist to help manage your symptoms of social anxiety. You may describe a typical day as follows: You wake up, roll out of bed, and log on to the computer for work. As the day progresses, you receive a phone call or two from a coworker and boss to check in about progress on a project. These calls pose a challenge to moving forward with your day though, since a sense of fear is present that almost prevents you from answering the phone in the first place. After several hours, you take a break and eat lunch while reflecting on the events from earlier in the day. Upon returning to work for a few more hours, you continually ensure that no reasons for further calls arise. At the end of the workday, you power down the computer and move to the next room for a TV show to further disconnect.

These days, the routine in this situation has become commonplace over the past two years. Employers and employees alike are reaping the benefits of working remotely by avoiding traffic, cutting travel costs, and regulating access to one another through virtual contact. You, however, believe that the decision for remote work was good because you hoped you could more easily manage the challenges of anxiety related to engaging your coworkers at the office.

Another factor to consider with this situation is that the shift in work environment may not provide much relief due to a possible increase in work communication. There may still be challenges interacting with coworkers and other individuals connected to work. You might be left feeling uncertain about how else to manage the dilemma since the transition to remote work seemed ideal. This situation creates an intriguing scenario: The methods by which many individuals are attempting to adapt are not necessarily avoidant nor maladaptive, yet the societal shifts to work and connection are significant when considering how to proceed with therapy and manage social anxiety.

Social Anxiety and Cultural Context

Cultural and social paradigms play an integral role in understanding mental health. On a global scale, the fields of psychology and counseling are inextricably linked to paradigms. From local community traditions to national ideals, culture informs mental health theories and awareness. At a diagnostic level, the adjustments and symptom management by an individual are assessed within their cultural context to determine appropriateness and fit. Considering these layers uncovers a complexity that can easily be overlooked.

For example, the aforementioned situation involves the appropriate adjustment to a more remote job given a shift in health safety and employer mandates. Additionally, the larger culture is adopting an increasing distance within communities in daily life. In part, this shift is influenced by the continued growth of technology and online accessibility. Another layer must be factored into the equation too: beliefs. The dominant belief in the United States persists as individualism and independence, which can lead to further acceptance of living and working remotely.

Inherently, these paradigms and beliefs carry no specific characteristic of being good or bad. However, the value placed upon what one does with their life and how milestone moments are achieved rests heavily on being a self-determined individual. Thinking about and understanding social anxiety can become difficult from these perspectives since some tactics used to manage social anxiety can be seen as socially adaptive and even praised in these contexts. Similarly, finding success or fulfillment in life does not always require frequent engagement with others, although an important aspect of personal development involves a degree of active engagement and communication with others. An individual could be satisfied with their independent lifestyle and make choices that logically create more isolation and avoidance of social situations as a result.

Therapy and Sociocultural Influences

So how does this cultural awareness become useful when pursuing treatment for social anxiety? For one, the awareness must extend into regular conversations with your therapist about major influences in your life. Recognition of sociocultural influences may not become apparent at first. One person could value the relationships they have with friends and family, yet actively minimize opportunities for strangers to impact their life. On the other hand, individuals experiencing social anxiety may adopt a “join them if you cannot beat them” mentality, which further cements the need to endure distress. In either case, considering the meaning and value you place on social interactions becomes paramount to creating change in your life. This meaning and value stem partly from social mores.

Ultimately, when seeking therapeutic services to manage distress, we must account for our biases through curious learning. Despite our best efforts to manage the perspectives that inform our work and lives, our culture and society shift continually and require flexibility. Western, developed culture is increasingly becoming built on unabated connectedness and ease of access. Outside access to one’s life remains high unless no digital footprint exists as well. Passive observation and evaluation of another person’s life can occur at the swipe of a finger. Let us not forget to seek what influences us on a larger scale and work to integrate our observations into how we understand ourselves. Our culture is not always set up for people who want or need to disconnect, be apart, and take a break from others. However, we can create space to find where those experiencing social anxiety have a place.

How to Get Help for Social Anxiety

The National Social Anxiety Center is a national association of Regional Clinics and Associates with certified cognitive therapists specializing in social anxiety and anxiety-related problems. We have compassionate therapists who can help you to reduce social anxiety. Currently, we have Regional clinics and Associates in San Francisco, District of Columbia, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, New York City, Chicago, Newport Beach / Orange County, Houston / Sugar Land, St. Louis, Phoenix, South Florida, Silicon Valley / San Jose, Dallas, Des Moines, San Diego, Baltimore, Louisville, Philadelphia, Montgomery County, Maryland / Northern Virginia, Long Beach, Staten Island, North Jersey, Brooklyn, Santa Barbara, Bixby Knolls, CA, Massachusetts (Children & Teens), and Denver. Call our national headquarters at (202) 656-8566 or visit our contact page to find help in your local area.

Written by,

Michael Ortenzo, MFT

National Social Anxiety Center of Pittsburgh



Source_link

Share120Tweet75Share30

Related Posts

Harnessing the Power of AI to Predict Brain Tumor
Anxiety

Harnessing the Power of AI to Predict Brain Tumor

March 30, 2023

In a study of more than 150 patients with diffuse glioma, the most common and deadly primary brain tumor, the newly developed system identified mutations used by the World Health Organization to define molecular subgroups of the condition with...

here are 3 that aren’t so obvious
Anxiety

here are 3 that aren’t so obvious

March 29, 2023

A recent ground-breaking series of reports in the science journal The Lancet unpacks what commercial determinants of health are, and how they affect public health. It uses a new, broader definition of the determinants: the systems, practices and pathways...

New Biomarkers Help Detect Alzheimer’s Disease Early
Anxiety

New Biomarkers Help Detect Alzheimer’s Disease Early

March 28, 2023

- created to break the skin barrier in a minimally invasive manner, similar to a nicotine patch. Their innovative design means they can be developed to identify and monitor specific biomarkers in the skin. This new major...

Digital Mental Health Interventions for Obsessive
Anxiety

Digital Mental Health Interventions for Obsessive

March 28, 2023

We’ve all wished at times that we could have a therapist in our pockets. Digital mental health interventions are bringing us closer to making this a reality. The development of digital health interventions— that is, psychotherapeutic interventions that are...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories

  • Anxiety (536)
  • Depression (157)
  • Meditation (251)
  • Mental Health (595)
  • Mental Illness (385)
  • Sound Therapy (2)
  • Stress Disorders (277)

Popular

  • Stress Level Of Americans Is Rising Rapidly In 2022, New Study Finds

    Stress Level Of Americans Is Rising Rapidly In 2022, New Study Finds

    302 shares
    Share 121 Tweet 76
  • How Stress Affects Your Vision

    302 shares
    Share 121 Tweet 76
  • 4 signs of burnout in your teen– and how to help them through it

    302 shares
    Share 121 Tweet 76
  • Helpful Resources During Suicide Prevention Month 2022 – My Brain’s Not Broken

    302 shares
    Share 121 Tweet 76
  • The Covid Symptoms No One is Talking About, But You Need to Know, Say Experts — Eat This Not That

    301 shares
    Share 120 Tweet 75

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Copyright © 2022 Naturalele.com | All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Mental Health
  • Depression
  • Meditation
  • Stress Disorders
  • Anxiety
  • Mental Illness
  • Contact Us
What Are Cookies
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT