By In today’s fast-paced world, change is constant and inevitable. The rise of technology, cultural shifts, and the impact of events such as the pandemic have all contributed to swift and significant changes. These changes affect many areas of our lives, from dating to social customs, work relationships, and beyond. As a result, anxiety has… Continue reading
By Can you guess what concern these three individuals have in common?
A 63 year-old man who is terrified about speaking at his daughter’s wedding.
A 32-year-old woman who’s afraid of getting sick when she flies.
A 26-year-old dental student who gets scared whenever his professors watch him doing procedures.
Each one of them is afraid of being observed,… Continue reading
By The postpartum period is often marked by hormonal fluctuations, lack of sleep, and stress as parents navigate their new roles. For approximately 10% of parents (moms and dads alike!), this stress progresses into an anxiety disorder, with generalized anxiety disorder being the most commonly diagnosed followed by social anxiety disorder (SAD).
However,… Continue reading
By First dates can be nerve wracking for many people, whether or not they have social anxiety. People often have thoughts about whether the other person will like them, find them attractive, interesting or boring, and of course, will there be enough to talk about or a lot of awkward silences?
After all, social anxiety is rooted in a fear of negative… Continue reading
By Experiencing social anxiety in the midst of managing a chronic health condition can pose many challenges, particularly regarding developing and maintaining a strong social support system.
Feelings of doubt and insecurity regarding one’s sense of belonging, acceptability and freedom to know and be known by others are often core features underlying… Continue reading
By “I don’t measure up.”
“I’m different than others and don’t fit in.”
“I’m socially inept / I’m bad at meeting people and making small talk.”
“I come across as nervous and awkward, which others see as weird and weak.”
“People find me uninteresting / unattractive.”
“In order to be accepted and liked, I must always… Continue reading
By Many professionals, managers and executives with social anxiety hesitate to use the term “social anxiety” because they are high achievers and they feel shame associated with lacking confidence at work. Many times, they come in using the words “stress and anxiety” generically. However, when I probe on why they are anxious, it often comes back to… Continue reading
By You finally got up the nerve to attend that party and now you’re in a slightly awkward conversation about travel. You work hard to stay focused on what’s going on around you instead of the little voice in your head that says you sound ridiculous. Before leaving, you decide to say thank you to the host instead of disappearing. You leave feeling tired… Continue reading
By Have you ever felt bogged down by worries, physical symptoms, fears, and avoidances? Do these things prevent you from living the life that you want to live? Do you end up feeling overwhelmed or defeated? Does it all feel as if it’s too much to bear? Are these things draining your motivation to work on your social anxiety? If you answered yes to any or… Continue reading
By Acknowledging Uncertainty
In the 1600’s, the famous French philosopher René Descartes set out on a journey in an effort to discover truth. The question he asked was: what can one know—with certainty—is real? At the end of this philosophical journey, he came to the conclusion that there was almost nothing in life of which he could be truly certain. His… Continue reading
By Facial blushing: is it normal?
Rosie checked into a hotel for a weekend getaway with her partner. The hotel receptionist noticed it was Rosie’s birthday and said, “Welcome to our hotel. I see it’s your birthday tomorrow. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” The nearby receptionist added his birthday wishes as did the people behind her. Rosie sheepishly thanked them. She… Continue reading
By My colleagues and I have noticed a dramatic increase in anxiety and anxiety-related disorders over the past two pandemic years. While apprehension is a typical response during times of strife, as we return to more normal lives many people have been caught off-guard to realize how uncomfortable they now are in social situations – especially if they were… Continue reading
By Labels
For many who aspire to change their current social life dynamics but struggle to do so, having a name for the struggle can be helpful, even relieving. A constellation of symptoms outlining what someone grapples with can facilitate a sense of being understood. It can also create a metric to reference while engaged in their personal growth…. Continue reading
By A New Future
Even referencing the future as ‘post-COVID’ feels a bit misplaced. It insinuates that in the future we will be ‘over’ or ‘past’ the COVID pandemic. By now most of us can acknowledge that COVID will leave an everlasting impression on society as we know it. We are accepting (with some parallels to pre and post 9/11) that there is no going… Continue reading
By Smile for the camera
Most of us can remember when reality TV was still in its incubation period before it exploded into every family room across the globe. Debates have been had on when the exact advent was of what can be referred to as “reality TV”, otherwise known as unscripted entertainment in the style of real-life interactions.
Try thinking… Continue reading