BBC radio show The Daily Bacon recently featured an interview with sports psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters about his new book ‘The Chimp Paradox’. Dr Peters has helped the British Olympic Cycling Team to improve their mental processes and has worked with hospital patients suffering from depression and other mental health issues for 20 years. So when he shares his insights on how you can improve your thought pro ...

If you suffer from social anxiety disorder, simple everyday activities, such as going to the shops or standing on a crowded bus, can seem daunting. Worrying about what other people think of you and if something bad will happen blights the lives of millions every day. Thankfully, I learned to overcome my anxiety through learning more about the mental triggers and the underlying causes. I created this website ...

Social anxiety disorder is a difficult problem to overcome. But not impossible. Once you've accepted that it's inaccurate thoughts causing you to feel anxious you can start working on changing them. Because changing the way you think will change the way you feel. My advice would be to look at it as a long term campaign you'll need to engage, rather than hoping for a short term 'miracle' cure from medication ...

Vladimir has recently overtaken the Shy and Quiet blog if you'd like to read a personal account on getting to grips with overcoming social anxiety. He's also bravely posted some videos onto YouTube, which you might  find helpful, in which he discusses the causes of his problem and his determination to overcome them. Whilst on YouTube I also stumbled upon this video featuring a former sufferer who has manag ...

Yesterday I watched the biopic 'About a Son' in which Kurt Cobain discusses his childhood, music career and views on life. An edited version of 25 hours of interview tapes recorded a year before he committed suicide, the film offers some insight into the negative thought patterns that seemed to be driving Kurt towards taking his own life. From the film  I got the impression that Kurt exhibited many of the c ...

[Photo courtesy of kalandrakas] If you suffer from social anxiety disorder, social phobia or depression then you might think it's other people or situations that make you feel nervous or unhappy. If people weren't rude or stared at you then you wouldn't need to feel miserable or anxious, right? Well, extensive clinical studies (400+ in fact) have shown that it's the unhelpful thoughts events provoke which m ...

You feel the way that you think, and now UK school children are being taught how to think more positively to help them cope with the stresses of teenage life. Initially, 1500 11-year olds from 22 schools are being given lessons on how to assess situations objectively, how to be assertive and many other skills that can help them cope better with emotionally difficult situations. If the scheme is a success th ...

[photo courtesy James Jordan] The brain is a complicated muscle, but one we're learning more about all the time. Most people aren't adversely affected by the changes in the weather as summer draws to a close, whilst some feel moody, drained and depressed with the arrival of cold winds and gray skies. In the news recently the results of research was announced that identified a biological reason why two milli ...

Along with food and water, giving your body a supply of air is essential for maintaining your heath and well being. If you're not breathing properly then this can cause imbalances in your blood and affect the way your body behaves. Poor breathing can cause dizziness, shortness of breath and shaking, which are all too familiar symptoms if you suffer from anxiety or panic. The key is to learn how to breathe d ...

Do you ever find it difficult to follow conversations? Does your mind go blank 'trying' to think of something to say? Or do you feel overcome by nervous whenever you enter or leave a room? If so then it's probably due to anxiety getting in the way. Social anxiety is rooted in the fear of what people think of you and causes you to worry about  everything you say and do. As a result, anxiety can cause you to ...