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 are not socially… 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… 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,… 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… 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… 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… 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… 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… 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… 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…. 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… Continue reading
By It is common for those struggling with social anxiety to want to avoid social situations that don’t feel good. While avoiding those situations may lessen your anxiety in the short-term, it is not going to make facing those scenarios any easier in the future. In fact, the avoidance can actually make the anxiety worse! Exposure… Continue reading
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