If you want to know about the most popular and top 10 books for social anxiety, we recommend following the list below to get the best books for social anxiety. This book will help you a lot. Also, you are requested to read the whole article to know better about the insight knowledge of this disorder. All of these books are suggested by clinical psychologists, counseling psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health specialists –
Social anxiety or Phobia is the feeling of nervousness or shyness in social situations. Individuals suffering from social anxiety try to avoid social gatherings. They do not gaze at others and show fewer facial expressions.
Besides, they have difficulty starting or maintaining a conversation. Nearly 90% of individuals have shown symptoms of social anxiety at some point. The majority of these individuals are women.
Any individual having any social fear falls under the criteria of social anxiety. Age, culture, and gender significantly impact the severity of this disorder. Some associated disorders include anxiety disorders, mood disorders, autism spectrum disorders, eating disorders, and substance use disorders.
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What are the causes of social anxiety?
There are various causes of social anxiety. These are –
Genetic cause
People whose parents have suffered from a social anxiety disorder have a 30-40% higher chance of developing the condition.
Parenting styles
Negative parenting plays a significant role in developing social anxiety. Children of overcontrolling parents who criticize quickly or fail to show affection have less self-confidence and lower self-esteem.
Environmental influences
Environmental influences like physical/sexual/emotional abuse, domestic violence, bullying, parents’ death, etc., can give rise to social anxiety.
What are the treatment methods for social anxiety disorders?
Psychotherapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is beneficial for treating individuals with a social anxiety disorder. It reduces anxiety by teaching them different ways of thinking, behaving, and reacting to situations.
Support Groups
A support group is a group of people having similar types of disorders. In this group, they discuss their experiences and give you honest feedback without judging you.
Medication
Three types of medications are used to treat social anxiety disorder. These are – Anti-anxiety medications, Antidepressants, and Beta-blockers.
Best Books for Social Anxiety
According to mental health specialists, we collected the top 10 books for social anxiety. All the books will help you understand the diagnosis and treatment process. Also, the workbook will help you to manage social anxiety by self-practice.
1. The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook, by Martin M. Antony PhD
Martin M. Antony is a Psychology professor at Ryerson University, Toronto. He was the founding director of the Anxiety Treatment and Research Clinic and the Psychology Residency Program at St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton.
Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook is one of the best books for social anxiety. Learn about new techniques to overcome your phobia with the help of this revised and updated edition. The book also includes a new chapter on treatments based on mindfulness, edited medications, and other technological advances. In addition, it will help you find your strengths and weaknesses through self-evaluation.
You can personalize a plan and implement it to bring change to yourself. After completing this book, you will make new connections with the people around you.
2. Thriving with Social Anxiety, by Hattie C. Cooper
Hattie C Cooper is an American author of several anxiety-related books. As a victim, she knows very well how difficult it is to live a life full of fear and anxiety.
Cooper has written Thriving with Social Anxiety from her Generalized Anxiety Disorder experience. This book gives you advice like a friend in our situation. You will get practical strategies to identify and manage your anxiety. This, in turn, will help you to overcome the disorder. The author guides you to reframe negative thoughts, attain goals, and better understand your disorder.
This book will help you manage and overcome your anxiety with various therapeutic strategies and mindful activities. This is one of the great fiction books about social anxiety.
3. The Anxiety and Worry Workbook, David A. Clark et al.
David A. Clark is a professor of psychology at the University of New Brunswick, Canada. He has been practicing clinical psychology for over 30 years and provides CBT for various anxiety disorders.
The Anxiety and Worry Workbook perfectly matches those suffering from anxiety disorders. This book helps you overcome your constant unmanageable anxiety based on Cognitive Behavior Therapy treatment.
Dr. Clark and his fellow, Dr. Beck, bring the tools and techniques of CBT to your fingertips. Learn to tame your anxiety with the help of carefully crafted worksheets, exercises, and examples in this guidebook. Besides, it offers practical strategies to identify your anxiety triggers and face your fear.
It is a self-help book for social anxiety. As an MSc counseling psychology student, I read this book to apply to myself and my clients. This book will help you to overcome social anxiety and shyness.
4. Anxiety Relief for Teens, by Regine Galanti PhD
Regine Galanti, Ph.D, is a clinical psychologist excelling in anxiety and OCD in kids and teens. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Many teens’ biggest fears are getting good grades, keeping up with new social media trends, and maintaining friendships. These thoughts increase their anxiety, which makes them avoid social events or people. As a result, many teens are missing a more significant part of their lives.
Anxiety Relief for Teens is one of the best books for social anxiety. It provides you with CBT-based techniques and mindfulness exercises to manage your anxiety. These practical strategies will remove your negative thoughts and behaviors.
5. Overcoming Social Anxiety, Thomas A. Richards PhD
Thomas A. Richard, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist with 25 years of experience helping people overcome social anxiety.
Overcoming Social Anxiety provides you with different cognitive strategies to reduce social anxiety. After reading this book, readers will quit negative thoughts and learn to feel less anxious. In addition, it will guide you step by step to have control over your anxieties and overcome them.
Besides, you will develop a sound and helpful belief system that will make you feel empowered. As a result, you can calm yourself down in social situations and have control over your life. With the help of this book, you can again live your life anxiety-free. You can read this book to get the solution to social anxiety.
6. Badass Ways to End Anxiety & Stop Panic Attacks!, by Geert Verschaeve
Geert Verschaeve is an author who has suffered from panic attacks and generalized anxiety for 14 years. In 2004, he opened his website ilovepanickattacks.com, where he helps people live anxiety-free lives.
Badass Ways to End Anxiety & Stop Panic Attacks! is one of the best books to deal with social anxiety or phobia. In this book, Verschaeve shows that only mindfulness and breathing techniques are inadequate to overcome fear.
This book discovers science-based and counterintuitive techniques to stop anxiety and panic attacks. You will be guided on what to think or respond to such situations. In addition, this book will teach you how to deal with the sensations caused by anxiety and overcome them easily.
7. The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook for Teens, by Jennifer Shannon LMFT
Jennifer Shannon, LMFT, is a licensed psychotherapist and a Certified Diplomat in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She has been in the field for over thirty years, treating children, teens, and adults.
If your children are shy and embarrassed in front of other people, this book is perfect for them. The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook for Teens has specific strategies to reduce shyness. Most teens miss a significant portion of their lives because of their shyness and social anxiety. They cannot make friends, go into a potential relationship, or have fun.
The worksheets and exercises in this handbook will help you manage your awkward social situations. As a result, you will gradually gain confidence and be able to strike off those anxieties within yourself.
8. The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Social Anxiety and Shyness, by Jan E. Fleming et al.
Jan E. Fleming is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, Canada. He also practices as a psychiatrist in the Anxiety Disorders Clinic at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
This book is one of the best books for social anxiety. Those who suffer from social anxiety or shyness try to avoid social situations. They fear people might humiliate, reject, and judge them for their appearance. Besides, they suffer from panic attacks, which makes the situation worse.
The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook provides Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to overcome your anxiety and shyness. Studies have suggested that this therapy is beneficial for treating social anxiety disorder. With its powerful techniques, readers can bring a difference in their lives.
9. Social Anxiety: Proven strategies for overcoming fear, calming anxiety, stopping worrying, and making positive self-esteem, by Jackson Moody
Jackson Moody is a renowned author who has written several books on social anxiety disorders.
Social anxiety can lower your confidence and make you feel like a loser. As a result, people with social anxiety tend to avoid talking to others or attending social events. Sometimes, their parents cannot help them as they do not know its root cause.
This book helps you understand social anxiety disorder, how to manage it, and finally, how to overcome it. You will learn about different forms of social anxiety that will help you identify your type. Then, you can stop negative thoughts and overcome weaknesses through techniques and mindfulness exercises.
10. Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness: A self-help guide to applying CBT, 2nd Edition, by Gillian Butler
Gillian Butler is an Associate of the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre and a Fellow of the British Psychological Society. She is also a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies.
Every individual feels imprudent, embarrassed, or criticized at some point. But this becomes a serious issue if it happens regularly. And this happens to people suffering from extreme social anxiety disorder and shyness. Their confidence drops down, and they become disabled.
Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness is one of the best books for social anxiety. It provides readers with a practical, easy-to-use self-help course to reduce anxiety. These therapeutic techniques will help you eliminate your psychological and physical disabilities. As a result, you will enjoy an anxiety-free life.
Conclusion:
Social anxiety causes a lack of confidence in individuals, believing they are unfit for any social group. In many cases, it has been found that social anxiety is the root cause of depression and suicidal thoughts. Most of the time, parents overlook this problem in their children. They think that it will be gone over time. But ultimately, it brings in a disastrous situation sometimes. Social anxiety is curable if treated at the right time and with the proper support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What triggers social anxiety?
Situations that seem reasonable can be provocative to individuals suffering from social anxiety disorders. Some of the common triggers for social anxiety are –
- Meeting new people
- Dating
- Communication with authority figures
- Interactions with extroverts
- Parties or large family gatherings where the sufferer is not familiar to the majority of the people
- Being teased or judged
- When someone unknown attempts to initiate an unexpected conversation in a public place
- Being watched while performing tasks
- Being asked to speak in front of others.
Q. What are the signs of social anxiety disorder?
Some of the common symptoms of social anxiety disorder are –
- Sweat, shake, blush, rapid heart rate, or mind goes blank
- Feel nauseous or butterfly in the stomach
- Rigid body posture and making little eye contact
- Speak in an overly soft voice
- Having a hard time and feeling scared to talk with strangers
- Feel self-conscious and embarrassed in front of other people
- Stay away from social gatherings.
Q. At what age does social anxiety begin?
Social anxiety disorder can usually be seen around the age of 13 years. It can be caused by physical or mental abuse, bullying, or domestic violence. Shy kids are more likely to become socially anxious adults.
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