At Pollema Counseling Center, we are hearing from so many clients that there has been an increase in social anxiety. We suspect this is a combination of many things including the aftermath of COVID, the increase in social media usage, increase of work-from-home jobs, and the rise in online dating. Although these factors are not inherently negative, the combination of these can cause an increase in loneliness and can make it easier to stay inside and isolate. The world we live in has made it easier to numb through alcohol, food, substances and technology than work through anxiety and build connections.
The APA states “that loneliness and social isolation are linked to increased risk of mortality, stroke, and coronary artery disease, with the impact often compared to the health risks of smoking 15 cigarettes per day.” We are seeing evidence of something we already know which is that our mental state has a significant impact on our physical state. At the practice, all of our clinicians are trained in helping clients connect deeper to their physical bodies as they work through their mental health goals. As Jonathan Haidt mentions in the Anxious Generation, we are embodied people and we need embodied relationships that require in person interaction in a way that technology cannot provide. We are writing this blog to help people see that they are not alone in their anxiety and we have resources available for support.
In addition to individual therapy helping clients overcome their social anxiety, we also offer a Social Anxiety Group Therapy. Let's Talk Social Anxiety is a 6-week group therapy course designed for clients to develop communication strategies, reduce negative self talk and alleviate social anxiety as well as create connection with like-minded individuals. Feel free to reach out to us here if you are interested in individual or group therapy to help with social anxiety.
Let’s fight against the loneliness epidemic by joining together and building connections!
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