When I told my doctor that the antidepressant medication he prescribed me wasn’t really helping my social anxiety, he suggested I go see a psychologist for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in conjunction with the medication. That sounded fair enough, except, because the medication didn’t work, I still had severe social anxiety, so I was too shy to contact a therapist. Continue reading
Some call it social anxiety, others call it social phobia. Both terms refer to the same fear of social situations and are often used interchangeably, but I used to always only call it social anxiety. Continue reading
A short story about a drifter who picks the wrong diner to stick up. Continue reading
Ever since I learned that social anxiety disorder was a thing, I’ve been in search of the Holy Grail. The instant cure. A magic pill that would get rid of my shyness and make me “normal.” Continue reading
What’s it about?: Choking Man is a psychological drama about Jorge, a young Ecuadorian immigrant with extreme social anxiety who works as a dishwasher in a Greek diner in Jamaica, Queens, New York. The story basically follows Jorge and his interactions with his diner co-workers, including an overbearing extroverted cook and a pretty Chinese waitress. Continue reading
As someone trying to overcome social anxiety, I often seek out information to learn more about the disorder. I read websites, blogs, books, interviews, listen to podcasts, audio books, and watch Youtube videos and documentaries. And since movies have always been my first love, I’ve naturally searched for films about social anxiety, as well. Continue reading
Many therapists and psychological experts say that our social anxiety fear of being judged by others is irrational. That people aren’t really thinking the negative things about us that we believe they are. While it’s true, you can never know what another person is thinking, we can’t ignore the fact that people do judge other people, often negatively. I know, because I do it myself. When I see someone do or say something foolish, I’ll negatively judge them— find them stupid, weird, or whatever else. Which is exactly what I and others with social anxiety are so afraid of other people doing to us. The irrationality of social anxiety comes with how much importance we give to those negative judgements of others. Continue reading
I’ve seen and read a lot of interviews where people talk about when they first developed social anxiety. For some, it was high school. Others, once they reached puberty. Or when they left home for college. But me? I don’t get that. Social anxiety isn’t something I developed. I’ve been debilitatingly shy for my entire life, or at least as long as I can remember. Continue reading
Future Fake News – February 1, 2065
ORLANDO BEACH, FL — The New England Patriots defeated the Dallas Cowboys last night, by the score of 31-28 to win Super Bowl XCIX. It was a back and forth game that came down to the wire, but the Patriots were able to hold on for the victory in the end. Continue reading
There’s a Catch-22 with social anxiety disorder that makes it different from other medical conditions, in that the medical condition itself prevents you from getting treatment for said medical condition. How are you supposed to call a physician to make an appointment when you’re too afraid to talk on the telephone, let alone in person? If I was able to call you, then I wouldn’t need to call you in the first place. Continue reading
T.Z. Barry 