Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is one of the most common psychological disorders, but it is often misunderstood and belittled by non sufferers.
Many people will label it as just being shy, but it is much more than that.
If you have a friend that has been diagnosed with social anxiety there are challenges that he/she faces on a daily basis.
It is a mental disorder caused by environmental factors, genetics, psychological factors, or a combination of all three.
So simply telling a friend with social anxiety to just get out there and socialize won't work.
Having support from a friend can make the road to recovery much easier.
Before you can lend your support, you must first educate yourself about the disorder.
This article discusses 7 ways you can provide support to a friend with social anxiety.
1.
) Research the Disorder - There is plenty information available online that will help you get a better understanding of what it's like to live with SAD.
Learning as much as you can about the symptoms and the treatment options will better prepare you to be there for your friend.
2.
) Don't Be an Enabler - Your friend may have had SAD for as long as you've know him.
During the course of your friendship, you may have developed "enabling habits" such as speaking up for them or helping them avoid anxiety provoking situations.
Pay attention to possible enabling behavior and gradually stop.
It's a fine line between enabling and being sensitive; learn when to push and when to pull back.
3.
) Congratulate Small Steps - The road to recovery is a gradually process.
If you see your friend making positive steps (no matter how minor), congratulate them and give words of encouragement.
Positive reinforcement can help motivate your friend to keep working at overcoming their disorder.
4.
) Encourage Treatment - Sometimes a person has been living with SAD for so long they just give up trying to fight it.
It's possible that your friend doesn't know that there are many treatment options available.
Be careful not to try and force treatment, but once they do decide to give it a shot, encourage them to complete the treatment.
5.
) Be Patient - Sometimes overcoming SAD can be a slow process.
It may take several months to reverse behaviors that have been learned over many years.
Show patients; don't expect things to change overnight.
6.
) Don't Place Blame - Don't think it's your friends fault that he has SAD.
Trust me he/she didn't choose to have and would give almost anything to be able to overcome it.
7.
) Ask How You Can Help - If notice your friend is in an anxiety provoking situation, ask if it's anything you can do to help.
Working together with your friend will help you determine how much or how little you will need to participate in the recovery process.