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How can I help someone with social anxiety disorder?

20 May 2010 5 Comments
Katy asked:


I think my best friend has social anxiety disorder, she hasn’t been diagnosed with it, but I’ve been looking it up, because she acts so strange around other people, and the symptoms seem to match what she does.
Please can someone help me.. I don’t know what I should do, or how I can help her to be normal In front of others. Please help, she means the world to me…

5 Comments »

  • e m said:

    she might need to see a doctor. we cant do diagnostic from the net you know. be patient with her.
    if she feels panicked in some places , she cant count from 10 to 01 might calm her down than can take some more step to reach the place she needs to go .
    or she can start to breath in paper bag or her closed hands if no bag available.

    works great for me .

  • Sherri Frost said:

    Recognize that she can only be helped if she wants to be helped. She may not recognize that there is a problem. First, I would suggest that you be willing to accept her as she is and not try to change her. If there really is a problem, then you may want to sit down and have a quiet chat with her about it. You would want to gently open the subject by mentioning that you notice this specific behavior and that it is not getting the results that she wants. Find out what results she wants and then see if you can figure out what behavior will get that for her. Remember not to be accusatory but rather be supportive when you speak to her.

  • nmnf_43 said:

    Are you sure that her behavior around other people is attributed to a fear of them? It’s important to discuss this with her. If she is indeed experiencing a lot of anxiety in social situations and believes it’s interfering with her life, she should see a doctor about treatment. I’ve been in therapy for SAD and it helped me tons. If she’s not afraid of people though and she just behaves that way because she wants to, don’t try to change that. It’s part of who she is.

  • Francis said:

    You need to TRY THIS! its a must if you want help your friend. Leaving it like this can be brutal in the future! Anxiety disorder can drag on in a life time. Being a good friend and keeping an eye on her is best but I also recommend trying a system by Joe Barry. Its been helping anxiety sufferers for years and theirs been alot of coverage of this program on tel.

    The Panic Away eBook/eCourse has been around for over 7 years and is one of the top selling anxiety management courses you can find online. It offers a complete, detailed path to managing, and getting rid of an anxiety disorder.

    The primary focus of Panic Away is to help you recognize the signs and symptoms that lead to panic attacks, and eliminate them. Thus, instead of going after a problem, you will be going after the actual source of the problem – an approach that will work much better in almost any scenario.

    A doctor will usually prescribe you some medicines to manage your condition, but that is not really a permanent solution. The Panic Away eCourse offers remedial solutions that will help you get rid of your condition permanently, without resorting to addictive and harmful prescription medication.

    There heaps of things that this course offers, but i guess its best if you do some of your own research, combined with the links ill share with ya. I hope this offers you a place to start.
    Good luck! =D

  • Marci said:

    Only a therapist will be able to help you pinpoint the cause of your social anxiety disorder and then offer a treatment plan tailored to you. Here are some tips about overcoming anxiety (follow the source below)

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