Explainer: what is exposure therapy and how can it treat social anxiety

Most of us experience a level of social anxiety at some point in our lives. We worry about what people think of us, about being excluded, about being judged or humiliated. Social anxiety is characterised by an excessive fear of negative evaluation or judgement, triggered by social or performance situations. For social anxiety to be considered a disorder, the person must also be distressed by their social concerns or report a disruption in their life. They may find it difficult to interact with work colleagues, to make friends, or even to have brief conversations with others. Excessive social anxiety makes us feel lonely and reduces our quality of life. Social anxiety disorder is the most common anxiety disorder and begins as early as 11 years of age. Exposure therapy where people face their feared social situations, with the guidance of a therapist is one form of treatment that can be used to reduce excessive social anxiety symptoms. So how does it work?