Where does social anxiety come from? Written by a licensed therapist in Long Beach.

Social Anxiety can stem from a multitude of things. A lot of times it comes from worrying about what others might think of you. It can cause fear, concern, even the jitters in some cases. But one thing that is important to remember is that people’s opinions are just that, and not based on facts.

If you look up the social media account of any celebrity (even very well-liked ones), you will find people who don’t like them.  There will always be someone with a viewpoint or perspective that is negative towards you, but it is important to remember that YOU don’t like every single person you meet and also that not every person who meets you will like you.  That is okay, but it is also important to not focus on those people.

The way to increase your chances of having a good social experience is to take a look at yourself and change the things you don’t like about yourself and strengthen the things you do like about yourself.  It is important to also keep in mind that no one is perfect and all we can do in life is identify things we would like to change about ourselves and work towards changing them.

What are the things that make you happy? What makes you smile and feel good?  Think about your goals; what dreams would you like to bring into reality?  When you find other people who share these preferences with you, it will be much easier to connect with people.  For example, if you love going to museums and you meet someone who also likes going to museums, not only does it give you a lot to talk about but it gives you an idea of how you can spend time with each other.

Asking yourself these questions are essential to overcoming social anxiety. And your answers will be the focal points to you conquering your worries.

Another thing to take note of is the people in your life. Who are the people you hang around and how do they make you feel? The company you keep is very important to your mental health.

If you have amazing people in your life but you still feel anxious hanging out with them, I would recommend working with a therapist to learn ways to reduce this anxiety so that you can enjoy more fully the people in your life.

If you have difficulty meeting people because of your anxiety, therapy can also help in these situations by helping you figure out what causes the anxiety, changing the anxious thoughts, and developing strategies to overcome the anxiety.

Since we believe the best therapist for anxiety is the one who you feel safest with, we have options of different therapists so that you can get the one you feel the most safe/comfortable with to start your journey of healing.  Because of this, we have several options of different therapists for you to choose from.  To take the first step, call Long Beach Therapy to schedule an appointment.

If you live in California and have been searching for “a therapist near me”, please give us a call at Long Beach Therapy: 562-310-9741.