Month: December 2022

Among the many anxiety disorders, social anxiety disorder is one of the most common. People who have social anxiety disorder often feel uncomfortable or nervous in social situations, such as giving a presentation or going on a date. It can be easy to mistake social anxiety disorder for general nervousness, which is what makes this disorder hard to spot. To better understand what is social anxiety disorder, here are 4 things you should know.

Understanding What a Social Situation Is

A social situation is any scenario that involves you and at least one other person. They generally fall into 2 categories: interpersonal interactions and performance situations.

Interpersonal situations involve interacting and bonding with others. Dating, meeting new people, going to social events, being assertive, and expressing opinions are all examples of interpersonal situations. 

Performance situations involve situations where an individual feels they are being observed. Eating in public, participating in meetings or group activities, performing in front of others, using a public washroom, and entering a room where everyone is already settled are examples of performance situations.

Symptoms of Social Anxiety

When in a social situation, people with social anxiety disorder will exhibit the following:

• Negative Thinking: They tend to think negatively of themselves and how others will react to them. This can lead to over-fixating on themselves, what they are doing and how they may appear to onlookers.
• Physical Symptoms: Physical sensations similar to those of nervousness will manifest. These include a racing heart, dry mouth, trembling, sweating, shaking, an upset stomach, dizziness, and the urge to urinate.
• Avoidant Behaviors: They may try to avoid or remove themselves from social situations. During a social situation, they may take precautions to protect themselves from negative feedback, such as not speaking to avoid saying something stupid and becoming embarrassed. 

Why Is Social Anxiety Disorder a Problem?

Experiencing the occasional nerves when doing something new is not a big deal. However, if it happens too often, it can be detrimental to daily functioning and many aspects of one’s life. Social anxiety becomes a problem when it affects:

• Work and/or school
• Daily activities
• Hobbies or recreational activities
• Relationships

Diagnosis and Treatment

Social anxiety disorder is first diagnosed with a detailed and comprehensive intake session neuropsychological assessment by a qualified health care provider. If need be, it can be followed by a neuropsychological assessment. They are Neuropsychological assessments may be conducted to evaluate an individual’s capacity to make decisions, as well as other skills linked to brain function. It is a good tool for diagnosing an array of psychiatric conditions including anxiety disorders in both children and adults. 

After the assessment, treatment plans often include:

• Psychotherapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the recommended type of psychotherapy for anxiety, where patients develop coping skills and slowly work towards facing situations they fear.
• Medications: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the common antidepressant drug for alleviating symptoms of social anxiety. Other drugs may also be prescribed, such as benzodiazepines (anti-anxiety medications) and beta blockers that limit the effects of adrenaline.

If you are looking for a diagnosis or therapy plan for social anxiety disorder, Wonder Years has various treatments available and a professional team of health care providers to support individuals with psychiatric conditions such as anxiety.

Depression is a serious but curable condition that affects millions of individuals of all ages and backgrounds. It interferes with daily living, causing immense anguish and affecting not just people who are suffering from it, but also everyone around them.

If someone you care about is depressed, you may be feeling powerless, frustrated, angry, dreadful, guilty, and in grief. All of these emotions are natural. It’s difficult to deal with the despair of a friend or family member. It might get be overwhelming helping someone with depression if you disregard your own health.

How Can I Help Someone with Depression?

Having said that, your companionship and support may be quite beneficial to your loved one’s recuperation. You may assist them in dealing with the symptoms of depression, overcoming negative thinking, and regaining their vitality, optimism, and pleasure in life. Begin by learning everything you can about depression and how to effectively discuss it with a friend or family member. But, while you reach out, keep your own emotional health in mind—you’ll need it to offer the complete assistance your loved one needs.

Understanding Depression in a Family Member or Friend

Depression symptoms are not personal. Depression makes it difficult to connect on a deep emotional level with anybody, including those they love the most. Depressed people are also more likely to speak say cruel things and strike out in rage. Remember that this is depression speaking, not your loved one, so don’t take it personally.

Recognizing Depression Symptoms in a Loved One

In the struggle against depression, family and friends are frequently the first lines of defense. That is why it is critical to recognize the signs and symptoms of depression. You may recognize a depressed loved one’s condition before they do, and your influence and concern may push them to get assistance.

How to Approach Someone with Depression

When talking to someone about depression, it can be difficult to know what to say. You may be concerned that if you express your issues, the individual may become upset, feel offended, or dismiss your concerns. You might be unclear about what questions to ask or how to be helpful.

If you don’t know where to begin, the tips below may be useful. However, keep in mind that being a sympathetic listener is far more essential than offering advice. You don’t have to “fix” your friend or family member; simply be a good listener. Often, just chatting face to face may be enormously beneficial to someone suffering from depression.

How to Encourage Someone to Get Help

Offer to assist in locating a doctor or therapist and accompany them on their initial session. Finding the correct treatment provider may be tough and typically involves trial and error. It is a tremendous aid for a depressed individual who is already low on energy to have assistance making calls and researching choices such as counseling and therapy.

Choosing between depression treatments such as SPRAVATO® (esketamine) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) can be a tough decision to make. Get in touch with Wonder Years today to begin discussing your options.

What is anxiety? Anxiety is a state of uneasiness that can range from minor to severe. It can affect anyone of any gender and age, including infants, toddlers, and preadolescents as well. 

Working with a mental health expert can help you achieve better mental health. Therapy is the most effective treatment for many anxiety problems. Therapy can assist you in identifying the root reasons for your anxieties and phobias, learning how to relax, and developing healthy coping strategies and problem-solving abilities. Essentially, therapy provides you with the skills you need to conquer anxiety and teaches you how to utilize them.

What Kinds of Therapy Are Used to Manage Anxiety?

Unlike anti-anxiety medicine, psychotherapy cures more than simply the symptoms of anxiety. The self-reflective process of therapy assists patients with anxiety disorders in understanding, identifying, and transforming their anxiety. When anxiety symptoms flare up, it is vital to employ appropriate coping mechanisms.

Some of the most frequent forms of therapy used for anxiety treatment include cognitive-behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and interpersonal therapy. 

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most commonly used therapy for anxiety disorders. CBT is based on the idea that our ideas, not external events, influence how we feel, think, and behave. In other words, your perspective of the circumstance determines how you feel, not the issue itself.

CBT targets negative ideas and behaviors that affect how we see the world and ourselves. Cognitive-behavioral therapy consists of two major components:

• Cognitive therapy investigates how negative beliefs lead to anxiousness and anxiety.
• Behavior therapy investigates how your actions and emotions in stressful situations cause anxiety.

CBT tries to identify problematic ideas and beliefs, question them, and replace them with healthier, more constructive thoughts and beliefs through a combination of homework assignments, goal-setting, group therapy, and organized treatment sessions.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy, as the name implies, exposes clients to fearful items or circumstances. Clients gain control over dreaded events via repeated exposures, and excessive concern becomes more controllable with time.

There are two approaches to exposure treatment. Therapists may ask clients to picture scary circumstances, or clients may face frightening events in real life gradually. Exposure treatment can be used independently or in conjunction with cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Recognizing negative patterns of thought and behavior that are founded on prior experiences is part of psychodynamic therapy. Psychodynamic therapists often employ open-ended inquiries and free association to allow clients to communicate whatever is in their thoughts.

Clients and therapists collaborate throughout treatment sessions to detect unconscious patterns of undesirable behavior.

Neuropsychological Assessments

Neuropsychological assessments can also be used to evaluate an individual’s capacity to make decisions and for medical and legal purposes. Wonder Years provides comprehensive neuropsychological assessments for children, adolescents, and adults to evaluate multiple domains of functioning, such as memory, intelligence, achievement, executive skills, visual-spatial, attention, and psychomotor functioning, among others.