By Me, my thoughts, and my emotions
Most individuals experience successes and failures during social interactions. Although it is helpful to be mindful of internal experiences and one’s own behaviors, too much focus on these things often exacerbates cognitive and behavioral symptoms of social anxiety.
A negative filter
When compared to individuals who… Continue reading
By The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Fifth Edition defines social anxiety disorder as:
A persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others. The individual fears that he or she will act in a way (or show anxiety symptoms) that… Continue reading
By The perils of beating ourselves up
“I can’t believe I said that! I’m such an idiot!”
“I made the conversation so awkward and boring!”
“I came across as so anxious and weird! How can I ever face these people again?!”
“I made such a terrible impression! I’m humiliated!”
These are just a few examples of the kinds of harshly self-critical thoughts with… Continue reading
By When you have social anxiety, being criticized can feel like being under attack in a war zone! It is your worst fear coming true. This is what you dread – facing the criticism nukes. Individuals with social anxiety would like to avoid all situations where there is even a small likelihood of being criticized. However, unless one chooses complete… Continue reading
By He probably thinks I’m an idiot for stammering my words.
They obviously hate me because they didn’t say hi when I walked by.
I won’t be able to go to that social event without everyone judging me.
Everyone is staring at me.
She laughed when she walked by, so she must be making fun of me.
I’m going to make a mistake and look stupid.
I won’t be able to… Continue reading
By Everyone has moments of fear over their performance on things like college exams and projects or they worry whether they’ll please their boss or colleagues. For those who suffer from social anxiety, however, concerns like these may not only impact their ability to learn, they may also lead them to make different education or career choices than they… Continue reading
By If you are a parent of a shy adolescent, it is common to wonder whether your teenager’s timid behavior is negatively impacting their future. A 2016 study by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that about half of all teens in the United States describe themselves as shy. Many parents worry whether shy behavior is limiting their child’s… Continue reading
By To see one in all and all in one is to break
through the great barrier which narrows one’s
perception of reality.
-Thich Naht Hanh.
The illusion of the self and learned beliefs
If you have ever experienced social anxiety intensifying to the point of significant distress or interfering with your goals in life, you are all too familiar with the… Continue reading
By For those struggling with social anxiety, there may be a myriad of different worries that lead to avoiding social or performance events. Worries such as “I won’t be able to come up with anything good to say” or “I’ll make a stupid mistake and embarrass myself” are very common. For some individuals, the worry that brings on the most fear is simply that… Continue reading
By Social anxiety can often contribute to people feeling like they are alone. Automatic thoughts such as, “I’m too awkward”, “I can’t make friends”, and “Everyone thinks I’m weird”, are hallmarks of social anxiety. These thoughts can make it difficult to reach out for help.
Core Benefits of Group Work
Group therapy for social anxiety has been shown to… Continue reading
By Have you ever suspected that someone you’re close to is avoiding a social situation because of anxiety? Feeling anxious in social situations is common for many of us, but for some people, it can be debilitating. Your friend or loved-one may be suffering from social anxiety. People often hide their symptoms, so if you notice that a friend is anxious,… Continue reading
By What is Your Comfort Zone?
We often go about our day without awareness of why we do certain things. We often create habits that ensure risk is minimized by keeping things familiar and somewhat predictable. Although this pattern might lead to less uncertainty, it also prevents people from creating new experiences and learning new things.
If people… Continue reading
By People are inherently social. We band together in social groups at work or in school, we pair up in relationships and bond with friends over sports games. We even go out of our way to join online games or social media groups themed around a common interest. This bonding is deeply ingrained in our psyche – it’s the connection that allows us to help… Continue reading