Here’s something you can try on your own. The first time I did this, I was amazed at the difference it made.
Pick a day when you are feeling good. This is important because, if you have things on your mind, or you have just endured some negative experience, this won’t work. Fortunately, everyone eventually has [...]
Society operates according to its own rules when it comes to social interaction. Regardless of how we would like things to function, we, nevertheless, must tailor our approach according to a protocol that has been thousands of years in the making.
And what if we don’t conform? Well, I’ve personally tried the rebel approach and did [...]
Social anxiety disorder has been a problem for me since early childhood, but it’s only recently that I’ve discovered it is the result of bad programming and bad habits. I apologize to anyone that thinks I’m over-simplifying matters. As always, I’m relating my discussion to my own personal experiences.
I’ll talk about bad programming first.
Social anxiety disorder had won the first round, but I was back to try again. This seemingly insignificant achievement made me proud. In previous years, I would have found a way to get out of there and avoid any further punishment. I would have gone into a full-blown depression for a week or so, running [...]
Have you ever had days where you feel completely uninspired? When even the simplest of tasks seems overwhelming, and any effort to make a difference and accomplish something (anything) is lost in a sea of indifference, mediocrity, and hopelessness.
I would venture to guess that just about everyone (SA or not) gets a little down [...]
My long-term goal is to overcome social anxiety disorder and start living a normal life.
Well…Duh!
Ok, an overly simplified, but true, statement. It’s just too bad that getting there wasn’t as simple.
The fact of the matter is that I may never reach that “ideal” stage – well, at least not without some kind of [...]
Social anxiety disorder, for me, is a force to be reckoned with. It has dominated my life for 30+ years, and although I’ve managed to develop ways to start living a somewhat normal life, I fear that it will always be there to some extent.
Most self-help books and tapes have dedicated at least one chapter to relaxation techniques. Breathing exercises, positive self-talk, soothing music, mental imagery, and grounding techniques are among the most popular. Most of these methods are built on solid scientific research, and there is no doubt in my mind that they are an invaluable resource in [...]
For the past year or so, I’ve been trying to make a conscience effort to be 100 percent genuine. Rather than allowing society to dictate the person I should be, I’m following my instincts and determining the person I want to be, entirely on my own, without any outside influence.
One point of clarification: Society does [...]
There are numerous techniques, tips, tricks, and methods that I have tried throughout my life to deal with my social anxiety. Everything from professional therapy, to mail-order “miracle” cures. I have also developed a few coping techniques of my own through years of trial and error.
The conclusion I’ve drawn, after implementing many of these coping [...]