Online Psychological Intervention: A Feasible Measure to Reduce Treatment Barriers

Social anxiety, also known as social phobia, is a feeling of fear and discomfort of being judged badly by other people. Anyone can experience this at work, school, special events, and even at doing everyday things. Many people have experienced a feeling like this and that is normal. But having a social anxiety disorder can have a huge affect in someone’s life style. The effects of having disorder can lead to bad results in life.

Social anxiety is something I have always had although I did not always know what it was. I thought it was only something that those living under a rock and had never seen people had. I now know that anyone can have it. When I was a little kid, people would tell me what beautiful features I have and I would be so shy and self-conscious that I would hide behind my parents. My parents thought I was just shy but that was only part of it. I have failed many times and wasted many opportunities to expose myself to my anxiety and maybe even overcome it. Although I have always had social anxiety it only escalates the older I get. There was a time where I did not want to face my fears. I was told by not only my mom but many others that I would become agoraphobic. I never tried to get better. Ignoring “the monster” as I call

Social anxiety is “a fear of humiliation or of being judged by others, and an avoidance of social situations where attention centers on the individual” (Martis). According to the Social Anxiety Institute, social anxiety has become the third largest psychological disorder, following depression and alcoholism (Richards). Commonly, victims of this social phobia have problems pursuing social environments, interactions, and relationships (“Social Anxiety Disorder”). The failure to fulfill daily requirements in jobs, social settings, and relationships often leaves them feeling “powerless, alone, or even ashamed” (“Social Anxiety Disorder”). Today in America,“15 million [people] suffer[from] the disorder” (“Social Anxiety Disorder”). Of the 15 million American adults affected, women and men are equally prone to develop the phobia (“Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)”). Currently, the prevalence rate for acquiring social anxiety disorder is “13-14% of all Americans” and continues to rise (Richards). As the number of people affected by social anxiety continues to rise, the understanding of social anxiety’s causes, effects, and treatments is crucial.

Internet-based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy has been used successfully to treat some of the relatively minor symptoms of anxiety, depression and social phobias. Advantages of computer and internet based therapies include easy availability, anonymity, accessibility, flexibility in self-direction and pacing, reduced travel time and costs.

Many people experience butterflies in their stomach, sweaty palms, pounding of the heart or a combination of all three in intimidating social situations. But for many, over 15 million American adults, “this anxiety causes extreme self-consciousness in everyday social or performance situations” (SAD Brochure, pg. 2). For these individuals, their anxiety occurs during simple tasks like ordering food or making a phone call. This brochure attempts to inform their audience about what Social Anxiety Disorder is, how this disorder affects these individuals, and how to get treatment for it. The ADAA has created this Social Anxiety Disorder brochure, that incorporates many “adapting strategies” (Penrose and Katz 2010, pg. 205), appeals

Therapy may be considered a client's maximum force in obtaining control of their problems they face during their lives. In current years therapy has evolved into a higher-level of treatment and can be taken online. Online therapy is cost effective, convenient, and helps with

Online Therapy is a service that helps people to obtain therapeutic services through an online database that is ran by a therapist or a group of therapists, who are in charge of the website. Therapeutic websites are very helpful for someone who isn’t able to get to an office setting to have face-to-face sessions. They are extremely convenient because one can have counseling sessions in the privacy of their own home with strict confidentiality and assertiveness.

This paper will discuss conduct and discuss three different online therapy sites. It will discuss the contact of each website, the professional involved, how the actual online interaction occurs. It will address how professional associations and state boards view online therapy.

Online support groups can help someone gain a sense of control or empowerment and reduce their levels of stress, depression, or anxiety by promoting open, honest sharing of personal feelings, mutual emotional support, comfort, “virtual” hugging, sharing of practical treatment information, coping strategies, personal experiences, and “success stories” by way of e-mails and Internet group discussion boards (Wessel, K, 1996).

I too began to consider ways online methods of therapy may be a better fit than face to face meetings for individuals in real life situations. It turns out there are many examples of people in my life who would benefit from online therapy versus traditional face to face sessions. For instance, my husband is moderately to profoundly deaf and found counseling after the death of his first wife to be uncomfortable and a “communication nightmare.” Under normal circumstances, he is able to read lips and communicate effectively, however when he is stressed or upset he is unable to process what is being said. Another example is my son who has high functioning autism. Face to face conversations with him are difficult, but when he texts he is able to “talk” about his emotions in a way that is unimaginable in a typical conversation. The final example I have is a friend who is prominent in our community. He is deeply troubled and desperately needs the support of a counselor right now however he is uncomfortable getting help near home and is driving to another town almost an hour away for counseling and is still terrified someone locally will find out.

Research proved that individual therapy was more effective than group therapy when treating SAD. Studies supported the idea that internet-therapy was more successful than face-to-face therapy with regards to SAD. Therefore, my new proposed study is aimed at proving that individual internet-based therapy is an effective treatment for SAD. While researching the three focus article, a common occurrence throughout the studies was self-reporting through questionnaires. Although questionnaires have their benefits like being relatively inexpensive and the ability to implement a large volume of participants, questionnaires can lead to bias. According to researchers, Elizabeth Austin, Ian Deary, Gavin Gibson, Murray McGregor and J. Dent, some questionnaires’ scales

Social Phobia, also called social anxiety disorder (SAD), is one of the most common, but misconstrued mental health problems in society. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), over 15 million adults suffer from the disorder. First appearing in the DSM-III as Social Phobia, and later in the DSM-IV as Social Anxiety Disorder, this newly established disorder denotes afflicting stress and anxiety associated with social situations (Zakri 677). According to James W. Jefferson, two forms of Social phobia exist: specific and generalized. Specific social phobia indicates anxiety limited to few performance situations, while generalized indicates anxiety in all social situations (Jefferson). Many people often interchangeably link this disorder to shyness––a personality trait. However, although they have striking similarities, the two are divergent. To begin with, SAD has an extensive etiology ranging from multiple factors. Furthermore, symptoms of various aspects accompany SAD. Moreover, SAD has detrimental impacts affecting quality of life. Lastly, SAD has numerous methods of treatment. Social Phobia is prevalent in both women and men beginning at the onset of puberty (ADAA).

Online therapy has emerged as a viable new option in the helping profession. Online therapy or e-therapy occurs when a therapist provides therapy and support over the Internet. E-mail, chat, video, or smart phone are all ways individuals can communicate through online therapy. Online therapy websites are abounding on the Internet, any individual seeking online therapy will surely find what they are looking for. This paper will evaluate and explain the content from

Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) can be described as an extreme, persistent fear of being scrutinized or judged by others in social situations. This fear may lead to feelings of embarrassment, humiliation and self-consciousness. People who suffer from this condition may “feel powerless against their anxiety” (ADAA). These emotions often interfere with daily activities, such as school, work and personal relationships. The person might begin to withdraw socially or avoid situations in which he or she is afraid. Millions of Americans endure this devastating condition every day of their lives. There are several causes, symptoms and treatments.