Anxiety aware: Thinkwell supports Mental Health Awareness Week

If going out for a meal, speaking on the phone or using a public toilet are frightening prospects, then you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder.  This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week aims to make more people “anxiety aware” and promote ways to reduce anxiety in everyday life.

“A prolonged and marked sense of dread and worry about social situations is the main symptom of social anxiety disorder,” says Sarah Bateup, clinical lead for PsychologyOnline.  “There’s a fear of public embarrassment and that people will think you are foolish, stupid or incapable as a result.

“Living with a social phobia can be debilitating as it often means avoiding situations that make you fearful, for example eating in a restaurant or going to a busy shopping centre.  This can cause disruption to both personal and professional lives and leave you feeling lonely and isolated.

“Having to confront your fear may intensify the sense of dread and it’s not uncommon to experience physical symptoms such as a racing heartbeat, sweating, nausea, stomach pain and rapid breathing.  For some people this can develop into a panic attack which can be incredibly distressing,” Sarah adds.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence as an effective treatment option for social anxiety.  CBT helps you identify what it is about certain situations that worries you and provides tools and strategies to help you cope more effectively with the triggers and resulting symptoms.

If leaving the house or meeting new people is distressing, then Thinkwell from PsychologyOnline, could provide the help you need.  This internet-enabled CBT allows you to have therapy in the safety of your own home.  It uses secure instant messaging to allow users to converse confidentially to their therapist and sessions can be booked at any time of day, including evenings and weekends.  All you require is a computer or smartphone and an internet connection and you never need to meet your therapist. 

Sarah explains: “Face-to-face therapy is difficult for those with social anxiety disorder. People often worry about making eye contact, what to say to the therapist and how they might come across in the therapy session. With Thinkwell, the embarrassment factor is removed.  As it is all done with text it allows people to be more open and honest and this accelerates recovery.”

After the session is over – the transcript of the session is available to be read whenever it’s needed.  This helps to revisit the helpful parts of the session and reinforces the learning so the benefit is sustained.

The results speak for themselves.  PsychologyOnline’s data shows more than 74% of people recover from mild to moderate mental illness with on average 40% fewer sessions than is expected with “traditional” talking therapies. 

Social anxiety disorder is more common than is realised.  The Mental Health Foundation estimate 8.2 million people were diagnosed with some form of anxiety in 2010.  It often starts during a person’s childhood or teenage years, perhaps following an embarrassing public experience they cannot forget.

Thinkwell has been developed by PsychologyOnline and is available without the need for a GP referral via our website www.thinkwell.co.uk.  For more information on Mental Health Awareness Week, please visit: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/mentalhealthawarenessweek/