By “I’m bad at meeting people.” “I’m socially inept.” “People dislike chatting with me.” “I’m a boring conversationalist.” “Others can see that I’m anxious which they’ll think is weird, or will make them uncomfortable.” “I’m an introvert. I shouldn’t be expected to mingle. Chit chat is for extroverts!” “I hate small talk!” These are common hot… Continue reading
By Approach or Avoid? If you have ever noticed your body tense up as you enter a social situation, your thoughts become focused around your self as an object of social evaluation and judgment, your attention scanning for possible signs of danger in the form of negative evaluation, and your emotions telling you to escape or… Continue reading
By One of the most challenging aspects of social anxiety are the thoughts that come with the experience. People struggling with social anxiety experience a barrage of negative self-judgments and the fear that others view them in that same negative light. Over time, these self-judgments lead to avoidant behaviors such as disengagement in social interactions, substance-use… Continue reading
By The biggest fear of individuals with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is that of being found to be deficient and judged for the deficiency. What does one do so that our deficiencies remain undetected and we are not judged for them? How do we remain safe? The best solution would be to avoid people and situations… Continue reading
By The Cost of Misperception One of the key components that maintains Social Anxiety Disorder over time is a pervasive negative self-image and related self-critical thoughts that are activated in social situations. Once activated, this negative self-image often leads to overly negative misperceptions of how one is coming across to others during social contacts. Increased apprehension… 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… Continue reading
By “Performance” anxiety, indeed! That’s precisely the problem: thinking of sex as a performance, as something we are doing that is being scrutinized and evaluated by an audience. This performance mindset leads many men to be self-conscious, self-critical, worried, tense and anxious while being sexual. This in turns often results in bringing about the very problem… Continue reading
By Social Media and the Evolution of Social Interactions If there is one thing the 21st century has brought more of into our lives, it is the enterprise known as “social media”. From things like Facebook to Twitter, or more picture oriented apps such as Instagram, the way people interact with each other has changed and… Continue reading
By Effective Communication Through Assertiveness Social anxiety is often associated with low self-confidence in relationships. While treating the anxiety ultimately leads to increased self-confidence, the development effective social skills can also facilitate this process. Effective communication is one of the most importance social skills that contribute to developing and maintaining healthy relationships. Whether you are talking… Continue reading
By Transitioning to College The transition from high school to college can be a very exciting time. You are taking a step out from under the watchful eyes of your parents and are suddenly dictating your own schedule. There are opportunities to meet new friends, join interesting clubs and possibly make some not-so-great decisions. While the… Continue reading
By Social anxiety is common in children and adolescents, and it often goes untreated. These students are often well-behaved, quiet, and do their work. Teachers (and some parents) are frequently unaware of the student’s anxiety until it becomes a crisis. Even then, because the anxiety-producing situation seems relatively inconsequential to others, adults may try to encourage… Continue reading
By School Refusal School refusal behavior is one of the most common childhood problems (Kearney, 2008). Too many absences in elementary school can delay necessary skills for friendships and academic success. Some students struggle with poor attendance year after year, resulting in inadequate preparation for the demands of middle school. Due to excessive absences, they miss… Continue reading
By What is Avoidant Personality Disorder? Avoidant Personality Disorder (avoidant PD) can be thought of as a more extreme and pervasive type of social anxiety that cuts across many parts of your life. For example, if you have social anxiety, you may have specific social fears such as public speaking, dating, making phone calls, fear of… Continue reading
By What is Introversion? Introversion is “the state of or tendency toward being wholly or predominantly concerned with and interested in one’s own mental life.” According to the Myers-Briggs inventory, introverts are more likely to think, “I like getting my energy from dealing with the ideas, pictures, memories, and reactions that are inside my head, in… Continue reading
By Have you ever found yourself making statements such as: – I’m an anxious person – I’m socially anxious – I’m a worrier If any of these statements sound familiar to you, you may be defining yourself by your anxiety. Of course, if you have high levels of social anxiety, this makes perfect sense. You may… Continue reading