Hi everyone 
,
Do you drink alcohol to cope with your social anxiety? Or to become more outgoing?
Maybe you have a few drinks before you dare go out with friends?
Maybe some "dutch courage" helps you become the life of the party?
Or maybe you drink after social events because you feel rejected or sad?
I am a clinical psychologist and researcher at the Centre for Emotional Health, Macquarie University, and I am posting to let you know about a free treatment program in Sydney for socially anxious people who also drink alcohol above recommended levels.
Previous research studies tell us that social anxiety and drinking often go together. Alcohol is widely used at social events, and commonly considered part of a good night out. Shy people may believe that alcohol helps them to feel more confident in social contexts, or helps them fit in. Social anxious people may also drink after a negative social experience, as a way of self-medicating feelings of sadness or shame. Over time, this can lead to a reliance on alcohol, and additional problems, such as relationship issues, problems at work, and health problems. Although many people believe that alcohol relaxes them, excessive drinking actually increases agitation and anxiety, so alcohol use and social anxiety tend to feed each other in a viscous cycle.
When social anxiety and harmful alcohol use go together these problems tend to be worse, and standard treatments are less effective. Because these two problems often go together, our research team has received research funding to develop and trial a new treatment for people with social anxiety and alcohol problems. As part this research, we offer free individual cognitive behavioural treatment to adults with social anxiety in the Sydney (Australia) area.
Treatment sessions are conducted with experienced clinical psychologists, and our treatments are based on the most up to date research findings and knowledge of social anxiety and alcohol problems.
To find out more, please visit our website:
CASP - Combined Alcohol & Social Phobia Treatment Program
As well as more information about the program, our website has fact sheets and video links about alcohol and social anxiety, and an online survey so you can assess whether your current drinking is harmful.
The CASP team (Mikki, Sonia, Kris, Andrew) and I would be happy to answer any questions you have about the research or treatment program, or to discuss whether it is likely to be of benefit to you. To contact us:
Phone: (02) 9850 8670
Email: [email protected]
We understand that making that first call takes a lot of nerve, so if it is too difficult - shoot us an email instead!
Thanks for reading my post. I welcome any thoughts or comments you have on this topic.
All the best,
-Lexine
P.S. According to the most recent Australian NHMRC guidelines, it is recommended that women and men drink no more than two standard drinks on any one day in order to reduce the lifetime risk of alcohol-related harm. To read these guidelines in more detail, see:
Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol (2009)
,Do you drink alcohol to cope with your social anxiety? Or to become more outgoing?
Maybe you have a few drinks before you dare go out with friends?
Maybe some "dutch courage" helps you become the life of the party?
Or maybe you drink after social events because you feel rejected or sad?
I am a clinical psychologist and researcher at the Centre for Emotional Health, Macquarie University, and I am posting to let you know about a free treatment program in Sydney for socially anxious people who also drink alcohol above recommended levels.
Previous research studies tell us that social anxiety and drinking often go together. Alcohol is widely used at social events, and commonly considered part of a good night out. Shy people may believe that alcohol helps them to feel more confident in social contexts, or helps them fit in. Social anxious people may also drink after a negative social experience, as a way of self-medicating feelings of sadness or shame. Over time, this can lead to a reliance on alcohol, and additional problems, such as relationship issues, problems at work, and health problems. Although many people believe that alcohol relaxes them, excessive drinking actually increases agitation and anxiety, so alcohol use and social anxiety tend to feed each other in a viscous cycle.
When social anxiety and harmful alcohol use go together these problems tend to be worse, and standard treatments are less effective. Because these two problems often go together, our research team has received research funding to develop and trial a new treatment for people with social anxiety and alcohol problems. As part this research, we offer free individual cognitive behavioural treatment to adults with social anxiety in the Sydney (Australia) area.
Treatment sessions are conducted with experienced clinical psychologists, and our treatments are based on the most up to date research findings and knowledge of social anxiety and alcohol problems.
To find out more, please visit our website:
CASP - Combined Alcohol & Social Phobia Treatment Program
As well as more information about the program, our website has fact sheets and video links about alcohol and social anxiety, and an online survey so you can assess whether your current drinking is harmful.
The CASP team (Mikki, Sonia, Kris, Andrew) and I would be happy to answer any questions you have about the research or treatment program, or to discuss whether it is likely to be of benefit to you. To contact us:
Phone: (02) 9850 8670
Email: [email protected]
We understand that making that first call takes a lot of nerve, so if it is too difficult - shoot us an email instead!
Thanks for reading my post
. I welcome any thoughts or comments you have on this topic. All the best,
-Lexine
P.S. According to the most recent Australian NHMRC guidelines, it is recommended that women and men drink no more than two standard drinks on any one day in order to reduce the lifetime risk of alcohol-related harm. To read these guidelines in more detail, see:
Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol (2009)
