Department of Psychology
Combined Alcohol & Social Phobia (CASP) Treatment Program
BUILD SOCIAL CONFIDENCE WITHOUT ALCOHOL
**Please note: Program now closed to new participants.
Recruitment for the Combined Alcohol & Social Phobia Trial has now finished. Over the next 8 months the team will be completing the final treatment sessions and follow-up interviews to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. We will continue to provide updates on the website about the results and outcomes as they become available.
If you are seeking treatment for Social Anxiety, please visit: the Emotional Health Clinic.
If you are seeking treatment for problem drinking, our Resources and Links page provides links to treatment and information sites.
Why shyness & alcohol?
Many shy people drink alcohol as a way of coping with their anxiety. When alcohol use problems and social anxiety occur at the same time the problems are more severe, treatment is less effective and quality of life is worse. Alcohol use and social anxiety tend to feed each other in a vicious cycle, so it makes sense to tackle these two problems together.
Given that many people experience both problem drinking and social anxiety, our research team has received NHMRC funding to test two treatments to help reduce drinking and anxiety. Click here to read more about what treatment involves.
How do I know if I have an alcohol problem?
According to NHMRC guidelines, harmful drinking is considered 29 or more standard drinks of alcohol per week for men, and 14 or more standard drinks per week for women.
If you are relying on alcohol to get through or recover from social situations, and your drinking has caused problems with your health, relationships, work/study, or arguments with family or friends, then you are likely to benefit from our treatment program.
To find out more about how you fit in, take our ALCOHOL SELF-TEST, or read our Fact Sheet about Alcohol.
How do I know if I have social anxiety?
People who suffer what is often called social phobia or social anxiety disorder experience extreme shyness. That is, they worry a great deal about what other people think about them, and often feel that people are thinking negatively or judgementally. People who are socially anxious may feel uncomfortable in any situation where they may be the focus of attention. They worry that they will act in an embarrassing or humiliating way.
As a result of these worries, people with social anxiety often avoid social activities such as going to parties, attending meetings, giving talks, making telephone calls, being assertive and even writing, drinking or eating in front of others. Over time, socially anxious people can develop a restricted and unfulfilling lifestyle, including feeling lonely and isolated. As a result, people with social anxiety often suffer from low self-esteem.
To find out more about how you fit in, take our SOCIAL ANXIETY SELF-TEST or read our Fact Sheet about Social Anxiety
Browse our website to find out more:
This project is a collaboration between researchers from:
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| Centre for Emotional Health, Psychology Dept.,Macquarie University |
National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales |
Drug Health Services, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital |
Central Clinical School, University of Sydney |