In a previous post I discussed how to respond to criticism objectively, and in a realistic manner so it wont upset you. This time I'm going to focus on the flip side of the coin, and discuss why compliments should be accepted graciously as a gift, rather than shrunk away from if you're socially anxious. The problem with social anxiety, and the low self esteem that can accompany it, is that you tend to view ...

Social anxiety disorder is rooted in the chronic fear of being negatively judged or insulted. If you're suffering from the low self esteem that partners social phobia then criticism always seems spiteful and upsetting because it triggers your self punishing, painful thoughts. However, there shouldn't be any reason for you to live in chronic fear of barbed comments if you can teach yourself how to respond ob ...

(Photo courtesy of Steven Fernandez) The painful memories of feeling victimised, humiliated and isolated as a result of being bullied can hurt for a very long time. Whilst being bullied can have a massive influence on the way you viewed yourself as a child, that doesn't mean it has to be the way you think about yourself, or make you feel socially anxious, for the rest of your life. The impact of being bulli ...

It looks as though my overcoming social anxiety disorder website is nearly up and running at just the right time based on the recent news headlines. In the results of a survey, announced in Businessweek, it was discovered that potentially 15 million Americans could suffer from social anxiety, with it damaging their ability to live fulfilling social and romantic lives. The fear of encountering hostility or r ...

This new website is currently under development and needs quite a bit of tidying up before it's ready. When it's been give a facelift it will provide weekly articles offering advice on overcoming social anxiety disorder and social phobia using cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. Millions of people currently suffer from social anxiety and probably don't realize they don't have a medically diagnosed cond ...