Social anxiety feeds off one main thing. Avoidance. When we fear criticism, judgment and rejection from others, it can feel like too much to put ourselves out there. It might feel easier to cocoon yourself in your own home and not risk rejection.
We all worry about what other people think, that is a human condition. But when you have social anxiety those thoughts consume you, devour you. With social anxiety we are on the hamster wheel of acceptance. We look for it, we analyze it, we tell ourselves we don’t have it – and the cycle repeats. But what if our kids could get off that hamster wheel of caring what other people think, or at least to the level that they do? What if they flipped it around and asked themselves, What do I think? How do I view myself? This is where the real work begins when trying to get rid of social anxiety. It begins with ourselves. In this week’s YouTube video I talk to kids and teens about how to shift their concern about what other people think to reduce their social anxiety.
Social anxiety and shyness are not the same. Yes, many people with social anxiety also struggle with being shy, but one is not the other. People struggling with social anxiety (myself included) have the fear of judgment, criticism and rejection. We are consumed with what people think, if we belong and how we fit in. Some people with social anxiety are shy, but many are not. In this week’s YouTube video I talk about the difference between social anxiety and shyness.
Social anxiety shows up differently for each person. Social anxiety is about the fear of rejection, criticism or embarrassment, but it goes much deeper than that. The core fear can be different for each person. I am raising three kids with social anxiety and have social anxiety myself. However, our core fears are all different. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I’ll explore the many faces of social anxiety and how to craft effective social anxiety exposures based on those fears.
We don’t get rid of our anxiety or OCD. We can make it super small. We can make it insignificant in our lives. But the whisper of anxiety or OCD is often still there. I like to look at my own social anxiety as a daily practice. It is a daily practice how I show up to the annoying whispers of “you are not enough.” It is a daily practice how I show up to the pleads to avoid uncomfortable situations. It is a daily practice to walk towards the things that overwhelm me with my head held high. In this week’s Youtube video I am talking to kids about my own social anxiety and what I do on a daily basis to keep the beast at bay.
The Solution to Social Anxiety in Kids is Not what People Think I have spent 47 years with Social Anxiety Disorder. It is an ugly, devastating disorder that tears you down from the inside out. It can demolish any shred of self-esteem you have. It can paralyze and isolate you. But the solution to social anxiety is not what most people think. In fact, I […]
Kids birthday parties. Play dates. Mommy groups. If those words create a small knot in your stomach you are not alone. Social anxiety is a major struggle, but when you add parenthood to the mix you can suddenly find yourself walking in a social minefield. Being a mom with social anxiety catapults you into a sea of social interaction that is hard to avoid. The guilt of not being social is now not only about you, but about your kids. Ouch. That makes it even harder to deal with it.
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