by Dan Stelter

Created on: April 20, 2009

Millions of people in our nation suffer from anxiety disorders, including social anxiety. Some seek treatment for their condition, while it seems that most do not. Of those that seek treatment, many decide that the road is much too difficult for them to handle and give up some time along the way. The following paragraphs will illustrate different reasons that people commonly give up, and strategies people can use that will help them to stick with it.

The first reason that many people give up is probably because the problem has been so prevalent in their lives that it seems that no matter what steps a person takes, the problem will never be solved. For example, a person may be unable to work a job, have friends, have a family, or so much as go to a store because of a severe case of social anxiety. No matter what small steps this person takes, it seems that the steps taken will be too small and insignificant to actually make a difference, and that recovery and the leading of a normal life is an unrealistic goal for this person. This is one good reason why people should enlist the help of a counselor or a supportive social network. Recovery on one's own is virtually impossible in severe cases, and having that friend or professional who has already navigated the road and knows how to handle the tough situations is a priceless asset to have. No problem is too large such that it cannot be solved. If a person lives in a difficult situation, it will simply take time to resolve the situation, but so long as the person sticks with it, the situation will be solved and one will eventually lead a healthy and happy life.

Another reason that people may be give up on treating anxiety is that they again try to do it on their own, but it just seems too difficult. Any little step taken to move outside of one's comfort zone seems to result in extreme anxiety, and then the person in question cites this as a reason to him or herself that he or she is simply meant to be a "loner." However, this view can be challenged in that most anxiety professionals and those who have recovered from anxiety know that when a person embarks upon a quest to recover from anxiety, the anxiety actually becomes worse in the short run. Some readers may now be asking the question, "So why even bother to try to recover at all?" Well, the answer is that a long-term view is needed in order to maintain one's motivation. Yes, it is true that anxiety will be worse in the short run; this is because one is moving

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