1. Home
  2. Health
  3. Social Anxiety Disorder

Coping with Social Anxiety Disorder

Interested in learning how to cope with the effects of Social Anxiety Disorder? Looking for answers about how to get help for yourself or for loved ones? Read more to learn about coping strategies for SAD.
Tips for Teenagers With Social Anxiety Disorder
Being a teenager with social anxiety disorder can be difficult. Learn how to cope and how you can manage social anxiety on a daily basis.
Tips for Parenting Teenagers With Social Anxiety Disorder
Parenting a teenager with social anxiety disorder can be challenging. Learn how to help your teenager cope and how you can provide the best environment for improvement.
Tips for Teaching Teenagers With Social Anxiety Disorder
Teaching a teenager with social anxiety disorder can be more difficult than working with students who do not suffer from social anxiety. Learn about how to help the student with SAD cope in the classroom.
Social Anxiety and Musical Performance - How Musicians Handle Social …
Musical performance anxiety is a component of social anxiety disorder (SAD). Musicians who suffer with musical performance anxiety are not able to reach their full potential when performing in front of an audience due to physical symptoms of anxity. Readers respond about how they manage social anxiety during musical performnaces.
Muscial Performance Anxiety
Musical performance anxiety is a form of social anxiety disorder experienced by musicians before and during performances. Learn more about this fear and the underlying cause of this type of anxiety
Managing Anxiety During a Musical Performance
Anxiety during a musical performance can wreak havoc with your ability to perform. Learn how to keep anxiety manageable when you are performing.
Musical Performance Anxiety
Anxiety before a musical performance can be a problem even for seasoned performers. Learn what you can do to manage anxiety before a musical performance using self-help coping strategies.
Social Anxiety and Sports - How Athletes Handle Social Anxiet…
Social anxiety can interfere with an athlete's performance, even when the athlete has trained and is fully prepared to compete. Dealing with nerves during a competition can be tough, and managing social anxiety disorder (SAD) while competing can at times be nearly impossible. Readers respond about how they manage social anxiety during sports.
Social Anxiety at College - Handling Social Anxiety at College
Social anxiety disorder at college can be difficult to manage, particularly if you are moving away from home and trying to make new friends. Readers respond about how they are handling having social anxiety disorder at college.
Telling an Employer That You Have SAD - How You Handled Telling an Em…
Telling an employer that you have SAD can be anxiety-provoking for a variety of reasons. Readers respond about how they told an employer that they have SAD.
Eating in Front of Others - How Do You Handle Eating in Front…
Readers respond about how they manage anxiety when it comes to eating in front of others.
Fear of Eating in Front of Others
Fear of eating in front of others is common among those with social anxiety disorder. Learn more about this type of anxiety and how it is treated.
How to Practice Exposure Therapy for the Fear of Eating in Front of Others
Exposure therapy for the fear of eating in front of others is one method that you can use on your own to overcome your phobia. Learn how to carry out the steps of exposure therapy in a self-help model for this fear.
Three Tricks for Starting a Conversation With a Stranger
Starting a conversation with a stranger can be difficult if you suffer with social anxiety disorder. Here are some tricks to get you help you become better at opening conversations with strangers.
Social Anxiety Disorder at Work - The Impact of Social Anxiety Disord…
Social anxiety disorder at work can be difficult to manage, particularly if you have a job that involves a lot of interaction with others. Readers respond about how their work has been affected by having SAD.
Family and Friends With SAD - The Impact of Family and Friend…
Readers respond about how having a friend or family member with social anxiety disorder has had an impact on their life.
Public Speaking - How Do You Handle Public Speaking
Readers respond about how they manage anxiety when it comes to public speaking.
Social Anxiety Forums Worth Visiting
Social anxiety forums are places where those with social anxiety disorder can openly discuss issues and questions. Popular forums are a great place to connect with those who may have problems similar to yours. In addition, forums can be a place to learn from the experiences of others. Take a look around each of these forums and you will see that the social anxiety supportive community is alive, v…
Living With Social Anxiety Disorder - What People Should Know About L…
Readers respond telling us the most important things that they would like others to know about what it is like to live with social anxiety disorder.
Avoidance Behaviors - Examples of Avoidance Behaviors
Readers respond about the kinds of avoidance behaviors they have engaged in as part of suffering with social anxiety disorder.
Avoidance Behaviors
Avoidance behaviors are things that a person with an anxiety disorder does to cope with feared situations.
How to Talk to Someone With Social Anxiety Symptoms
It can be hard to know what to do if you suspect someone you know has SAD. Here are some ideas to introduce the topic of social anxiety without causing your friend or family member embarassment.
How to Ask Someone on a Date
It can be difficult to know how to ask for a date when you suffer from social anxiety. Here is a relatively painless way to give it a try.
Assertive Communication
Assertiveness involves directly expressing your feelings and thoughts while taking in to account the needs of others.
How to be Assertive
Assertiveness is an effective means of communication and a skill that you can learn.
How to Make Requests
Making requests of others requires the use of assertive communication.
How to Refuse Requests
Refusing requests of others requires the use of assertive communication.
Social Anxiety and Weddings
Managing social anxiety when you are planning a wedding can be difficult. Read about how to manage social anxiety during your wedding.
Social Anxiety and Weddings
There are many reasons to have a receiving line at your wedding if you suffer with social anxiety. Here are five reasons why you may want to consider having a receiving line if you get married.
Social Anxiety and Weddings
Saying wedding vows can be more difficult if you suffer with social anxiety. Here are some tips to help overcome anxiety about saying your wedding vows.
Social Anxiety and Weddings
As a bride with SAD, you may worry about social anxiety while walking down the aisle. Here are some tips to keep anxiety at bay during this special time.
Social Anxiety and Weddings
Choosing a wedding party can be a little more difficult when you suffer with social anxiety disorder. There are no hard and fast rules about how to choose your attendants and allowing yourself some flexibility can help with this wedding task.
Social Anxiety and Weddings
Bridal shower anxiety can be a problem for shy brides, but for those with social anxiety disorder, nerves can become overwhelming. Here are some tips for managing worry and anxiety when you have to be the center of attention at a bridal shower.
Social Anxiety and Weddings
Wedding photos may be difficult if you suffer with social anxiety. Here are some tips to help relax prior to your photo shoot.
Social Anxiety and Weddings
Social anxiety during your wedding reception can make the process of meeting and greeting guests difficult. Use these tips to help manage anxiety and make mingling during the reception a little easier.
Social Anxiety and Weddings
Giving a wedding speech can be challenging if you suffer with social anxiety. Here are some tips for managing anxiety about delivering a speech at your wedding.
Social Anxiety and Weddings
The first dance at your wedding can be nerve-wracking, particularly for brides or grooms suffering with social anxiety. Here are five tips to ease your nerves before you step out on the dance floor.
Social Anxiety and Weddings
Managing out-of-town guests during your wedding can be challenging when you suffer with social anxiety disorder. Here are some tips to make sure that you don't become a tour guide instead of a bride or groom.
Social Anxiety and Weddings
Planning a wedding when you suffer from social anxiety disorder can be a challenge. Here are some tips to make the process a little easier.
Practice Exposure Therapy for Paruresis
Paruresis, also known as shy bladder, can be improved through the use of self-help strategies for exposure. Learn more about how to enlist the help of a partner to gradually overcome your fear.
Relaxation Techniques for Managing Social Anxiety Disorder
Relaxation techniques can be helpful in coping with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). Techniques, such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation, autogenic training (similar to meditation) and guided imagery, can be learned and practiced on your own or used as a part of a formal treatment program for SAD.
How to Practice Autogenic Training
Autogenic training is a form of relaxation training similar to the meditation that induces relaxation by influencing the autonomic nervous system. The technique involves a set of self-statements about the body and is used for reducing anxiety and improving other conditions.
How to Practice Guided Imagery
Guided imagery is a relaxation technique that focuses on visualization. By visualizing images of a serene and relaxing environment, the body, in turn, enters a relaxed state. Guided imagery is often used in combination with other relaxation techniques as part of treatment for anxiety disorders.
How to Practice Diaphragmatic Breathing
Deep breathing, or diaphragmatic breathing, is the practice of inhaling using the diaphragm rather than taking shallow breaths in the chest. Learn how to use diaphragmatic breathing for reducing symptoms of anxiety.
How to Practice Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a method of reducing anxiety through alternating tension and relaxation in the muscles. When practiced regularly and used in conjunction with behavioral therapy techniques, PMR can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety.
Giving Compliments
The art of giving compliments can be learned, even if you suffer from social anxiety. Learn how giving compliments can help to reduce your anxiety, start conversations, and develop friendships.
How to Accept a Compliment
People who suffer with social anxiety disorder tend to respond poorly to compliments from others. Receiving compliments is an important skill and the steps to responding well to compliments are straightforward. Learn more about how to receive compliments well.
Anxiety and Athletic Performance: Strategies for Calming Game-Day Nerves
The symptoms of social anxiety disorder (SAD) can be just as devastating during a tough athletic competition as in any other performance situation. Learn about strategies for managing anxiety during sporting events and what to do if anxiety is seriously interfering with your ability to compete.
Anxiety and Athletic Performance: The Basics
Many athletes experience anxiety when faced with athletic competitions. If not properly managed this anxiety may lead to more severe symptoms warranting a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder. Learn how anxiety and athletic performance are related and how elite athletes protect themselves from game-day nerves.
Dating Anxiety: Where to Meet People
People who suffer with social anxiety disorder or who are excessively shy often remain single and tend not to date. Part of the problem stems from a lack of social contact and not knowing the best ways to meet new people. In this article, the best ways for shy and socially anxious people to meet potential romantic partners are discussed.
Dating Anxiety: Where to Go on a First Date
First dates are nerve-wracking even for the most socially confident among us. For those with social anxiety disorder, they can be downright distressing. Choosing first date activities carefully can turn a potential dating disaster into a potentially enjoyable evening.
Public Speaking Anxiety: Preparing to Give a Speech
Public speaking is a common fear among people with social anxiety disorder (SAD) as well as in the general population. One strategy for reducing speech anxiety is to prepare well before a speaking engagement. Here are some tips for making the most of your prep time.
Public Speaking Anxiety: Tips for the Big Day
If you have social anxiety disorder (SAD), public speaking can be a nerve-wracking experience. Read more to learn about coping strategies that you use to help manage anxiety and put your best foot forward on the day of a big speech or presentation.
Tips for Managing Public Speaking Anxiety
Fear of public speaking is one of the most commonly reported social fears. For people with social anxiety disorder (SAD), the fear may be so intense that it interferes with daily living and affects career choices. If you are living with anxiety about speaking in public, there are strategies that you can use to help cope with your fear.
Coping With Social Anxiety During the Holidays
Do holiday parties and family gatherings fill you with anxiety? Are you feeling particularly lonely during the festive season? For people with social anxiety disorder (SAD), the holidays can be a stressful time of year. Here are some tips to help manage social anxiety during the holidays.
Developing Good Eye Contact
People with social anxiety disorder (SAD) often describe looking someone in the eyes as anxiety-provoking and uncomfortable. Still, good eye contact is one of the keys to successful social interaction. Use this quick tip to make sure that you are taking advantage of this useful social skill.
Becoming a Great Conversationalist
If you have social anxiety disorder (SAD), talking to others may be stressful. Having a great conversation with someone can be as simple as doing something together to stimulate conversation.
Self-Care for Family Members of Social Phobics
If you have a family member diagnosed with social anxiety disorder (SAD), it can be hard to balance supporting your relative with taking time for yourself. Learn more about how to ensure that your own well-being is not compromised.
Helping a Friend or Family Member Diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder
If a close friend or family member has been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder (SAD), he or she will face many challenges. Learn what you do to be supportive and help your loved one through social anxiety disorder treatment and recovery.
Tips for Living With Social Anxiety Disorder
Living with Social Anxiety Disorder can be an ongoing challenge. Here are some tips to help you cope.
Social Anxiety Disorder: Tips for Getting Help
Learn about where to go for help and what to ask the mental health professional once you get there.
When a Family Member Has an Anxiety Disorder
This article from the Freedom From Fear Web site contains a list of coping skills for family members of people with anxiety disorders. Some suggestions include discouraging avoidance behaviors, making time for yourself and the activities that you enjoy to avoid resentment, and encouraging your family member to seek out and follow through with therapy.
Help for Partners and Families
From the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, this article provides information for partners and families of people recently diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Included is a section about when and how to explain to your child that you have an anxiety disorder.
Explore Social Anxiety Disorder
About.com Special Features

Learn how you can reduce your your numbers with these nutrition and exercise tips. More >

Keep yourself, and your family, happy and healthy this fall with these tips. More >

  1. Home
  2. Health
  3. Social Anxiety Disorder
  4. Coping

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.