By While the idea of introducing yourself to someone new is a very common challenge for those who struggle with social anxiety, for many the greater and often overlooked pain comes from difficulty deepening relationships to a more meaningful level. Many clients I have had the honor of working with have reported making some progress with initiating contact… Continue reading
By Romance, a minefield of social anxiety triggers
Many aspects of pursuing romantic relationships are major social anxiety triggers for many people. How do you relate to these scenarios?
Initiating conversation with someone you find attractive.
Sending a first message online to someone you find attractive.
Conversing in person with someone you find… Continue reading
By Research, and common sense, tell us that hope is an important factor in recovering from an anxiety disorder – – including social anxiety. So, what makes the difference between an individual who has hope and one who doesn’t? One critical factor is “mindset”: how you view yourself and your situation in relation to others.
By mindset I don’t… Continue reading
By When faced with a dangerous animal, what do we do? We get away as fast as we can, fight the animal if we cannot get away, or become still and hope the animal will not notice us.
While this may have been a common occurrence in prehistoric times when humans lived in jungles with predatory animals, today we live in a human ‘jungle’ with human beings who… Continue reading
By As of 2019, 33 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws legalizing marijuana in some form. 11 of those have laws legalizing marijuana for recreational use, in addition to the country of Canada.
A Turn of the Tide for Cannabis in the USA
Social norms and the stigma of cannabis use are beginning to shift nationwide, particularly in places… 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… Continue reading
By Thoughts and Feelings in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Social Anxiety
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has repeatedly been shown to be the most effective treatment for social anxiety disorder for the large majority of people. A central principle in CBT is that what we feel—such as social anxiety—is created not directly by a situation we… Continue reading