What is Social Anxiety

Social Anxiety, according the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatric Disorders (DSM-V) is

significant fear or anxiety about one or more social scenarios in which the person is exposed to possible evaluation by other people.
Feared social scenarios may include:

job interviews
public speaking
going on a date
interacting with authority figures such as, e.g. bosses or teachers
being observed eating or drinking
having a conversation
meeting new people
participating in meetings
going to a party
using a urinal

The social anxiety sufferer may worry that they will be visibly anxious ( e.g. be seen to be sweating, shaking, blushing or their mind will go blank or their voice will tremble).They may also fear that they may act in some way that will be negatively evaluated as offensive and/or lead to rejection, humiliation or embarrassment.
The social scenarios almost always trigger fear or anxiety in the sufferer.
The social anxiety sufferer’s fear or anxiety is excessive to the social scenario and the context.
The social anxiety sufferer avoids their feared social scenario/s or endures them despite severe fear or anxiety.
The sufferer’s fear and avoidance cause them a lot of distress and impacts on their ability to: function at work , to socialise or carry out other aspects of their life.
The sufferer has been experiencing difficulty with fear/anxiety or avoidance for at least 6 months or longer.
The social anxiety/fear or avoidance cannot be blamed on the side effects of medication or drug abuse or another medical condition.
The social anxiety/fear or avoidance is not attributable to another mental disorder such as e.g. autism , body dysmorphic disorder or panic

Catherine Madigan, clinical psychologist is available to treat your social anxiety via online or face to face individual and /or group CBT sessions and can offer virtual reality exposure too.

During the COVID-19 (Corona virus) period Medicare rebates are available for online video sessions and telephone counselling if you do not wish to attend face to face sessions.
Call now on 0429 883671

4 Good Reason You Should Call Us!

Quick appointments no matter where you live in Australia. Online shyness, public speaking and anxiety treatment available.

Minimal out of pocket expense (Medicare & Health fund Rebates)

Clinical Psychologist with approx. 25 years of experience. Also offering virtual reality exposure therapy.

Business hours, After hours and Saturdays appointments

Frequently Asked Questions

Anxiety Treatment Australia

Anxiety Australia is an anxiety clinic in Hawthorn, Melbourne that is run by Catherine Madigan, who is a clinical psychologist. She primarily focuses on treating anxiety disorders and stress management techniques to individuals and businesses through one on one consultations and stress management workshops.

She offers professional, discreet and confidential treatment options that work.

Catherine’s effective anxiety treatments offered in Melbourne can help you overcome disorders such as:

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (excessive worrying)
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (e.g. this condition may develop after: a motor vehicle accident, an assault, or some other event where the individual was exposed to a life threatening or severely injurious situation which involved themselves or others).
Panic Disorder (anxiety attacks)
Specific Phobias (e.g. heights, dogs, spiders, blood etc.)
Social Anxiety (fear of being negatively judged or evaluated by others)
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (excessive preoccupation with one’s appearance, worrying about an imagined defect or blowing out of proportion a slight flaw in one’s appearance).
Hoarding

Call now for an appointment on 0429 883 671

The www.anxietyaustralia.com.au/ website provides information about anxiety disorders and the treatment options available. You will also find contact details for other psychologists around Australia who have substantial experience in and/or work primarily with anxiety disorders.

Catherine Madigan is a Melbourne based Clinical Psychologist. She is passionate about empowering clients with confidence. The reason her focus is primarily on the treatment of anxiety disorders is that she gains great satisfaction by witnessing the freedom and life changing results her therapies can deliver.

The Incidence of Anxiety Disorders in Australia

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders in Australia, with 1/7 people (14% of the population) reporting having had an anxiety disorder in the last 12 months. Women are more likely to have an anxiety disorder than men, 18% vs 11%. ABS National Survey of Mental Health & Wellbeing, Summary of Results 2007.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety or fear is a normal response to a present or imagined threat. Mild fear can be helpful as it enables us to respond quickly when faced with a dangerous situation and to be alert in difficult situations (e.g. exams). However, excessive fear may lead to people being paralysed e.g. soldiers under attack may be so afraid they can’t move to take cover, public speakers may find they go blank, forget their lines and are rendered speechless.

Anxiety is a normal emotion as it affects most people and is widespread. You would be abnormal if you didn’t experience fear sometimes. However, if your anxiety is out of proportion to the situation you are experiencing and/or persists in the absence of threat, e.g you worry about events months ahead or are experiencing anxiety long after the danger has passed, you may need professional help.

Why am I experiencing anxiety symptoms?

Some people are more prone to experiencing anxiety than others and it is not caused by just one thing but by a combination of factors including: genetics, family environment and traumatic life experiences. Sufferers may have unhelpful thinking patterns such as perfectionist standards. Nevertheless, you can learn to manage your anxiety more effectively.

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