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Fears and phobias - social phobia (social anxiety disorder)
- Treatment of social phobia

In only a few sessions hypnotherapy can provide the stepping stones to allow you to become much more self-confident and self-reliant; to overcome social anxiety and to live your life to the full.

Social anxiety disorder ( social phobia) often goes undetected for years before treatment is sought. It's not just some silly fear but a real and debilitating problem.  The good news is that it responds well to treatment.

Therapists sometimes talk about ‘curing’ social phobia. Instead I much prefer to talk about assisting you to overcome your phobia.  As a therapist I provide you with the tools you need to deal with your social phobia.  To do this we use some quick and effective methods that are tried and tested.  I can't magically cure you, but using hypnosis I can certainly give you tools to assist you in making your phobia a thing of the past.

Many people have made hypnosis it a central part of their strategy for coping with social phobia.
	Hypnotherapy can help you understand why you suffer from social anxiety.
	It can help you understand your thought patterns, your concerns, your beliefs about yourself and the situations in which you find yourself.
	It can help you eliminate negative thoughts and beliefs associated with your social phobia.  Hypnosis can help you change your negative self-beliefs simply by discovering why they are there and then challenging them.
	Hypnotherapy can help you focus on the positive rather than the negative.
	It can help boost your self esteem.
	Hypnotherapy can help you come up with practical solutions for dealing with your social phobia
	Hypnosis can help you eliminate the physical symptoms of social phobia by teaching you how to relax.
	It can help you regain control of your life.
Any social phobia treatment involves your firm commitment and full participation in the therapy process.

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Medications and anti-depressants to treat social phobia

If you go to your doctor looking for help for your social phobia or social anxiety disorder he may give you medication. This can be a great help in the short term. However long-term use can often have unpleasant or harmful side-effects.

Benzodiazepines have anti-anxiety properties and are regularly recommended for the treatment of stress and social phobia. They are the most frequently prescribed medication for panic disorder. Unfortunately, whilst such drugs can initially help with the symptoms of social phobia, excessive use can make it worse. Overuse can also trigger the onset of panic disorder or aggravate the symptoms.

Many of my hypnotherapy clients who come looking for a solution to their social phobia are already on medication prescribed by their doctor but are keen to find a treatment which offers a more permanent way out and which is free from negative side-effects.

Pharmaceutical companies are keen to promote anti-depressants as the key.  At best, anti-depressants can only dull your anxiety, and usually the problem returns as soon as you stop the medication. Clinical trials show that therapy is more effective than medication in the longer term. Recently scientists have cast serious doubt as to the effectiveness of medication. To learn more you can read the truth about anti-depressants.

If your social anxiety is destroying your life, don’t suffer in silence. You can start the process of dealing with your social phobia and leading a normal life. Please contact me to find out more about how hypnotherapy can help.

.......And remember that your first hypnotherapy session comes with a guarantee. So go on, give it a try! Overcome your social anxiety with hypnosis and start living again!

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Shonagh Paterson (registered hypnotherapist) Stroma, Farr, Inverness, IV2 6XG
Hypnotherapist for Inverness and the Highlands and Islands