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WHY AM I AFRAID TO SAY “NO”? SOCIAL ANXIETY AND THE LACK OF ASSERTIVENESS

What do these people have in common: A savvy salesman who can’t sever the relationship with his business partner who takes advantage of him; a competent woman business owner who manages 20 employees but can’t say “no” to requests from her adult daughter; and a smart accounting executive who tolerates years of emotional abuse by his “friend?”
These… Continue reading

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ASSERTIVE DEFENSE OF THE SELF: BUILDING CONFIDENCE IN YOUR ABILITY TO HANDLE CRITICISM AS A PATH TO FREEDOM FROM SOCIAL ANXIETY

When we experience high levels of anxiety in social situations, or have urges to avoid or escape, it is typically because we are worrying that other people will criticize or judge us. A feeling of intimidation and vulnerability may persist due to thoughts such as “What if they notice that I’m nervous ?, What if they think I’m weird?, What if they ask… Continue reading

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UNDERSTANDING ASSERTIVENESS WITH SOCIAL ANXIETY: WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT

Assertiveness is something that many people, with and without social anxiety, struggle with. Many people fear that being assertive means they will come across as pushy, selfish, or argumentative. Particularly for individuals with social anxiety, negative, harsh judgements such as being seen as mean or pushy, are something to be feared and avoided as… Continue reading