Recovery from Social Anxiety and Related Conditions

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The distinction between social anxiety and social anxiety disorder is in severity. We are not all affected by the same symptoms or relentlessness. The characteristics and traits are equivalent. These conditions originate homogeneously, their trajectories differentiated by environment, experience, and the diversity of human thought and behavior. While comorbidities dramatically benefit, the recovery methods identified are for social anxiety and social anxiety disorder, and reference to one includes the other.       

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Affirmative Visualization

What is now proved was once only imagined.
— William Blake

Affirmative visualization is a neuro-scientific coping mechanism. Its purpose is to create and experience positive outcome scenarios in the structured imagination of our mental workplace.

Visualization plays a significant role in recovery from social anxiety and related conditions. Although it often extends into uncharted territory, our anxiety is primarily associated with social situations. We envision the productive outcome of an anxiety-provoking event and, through conscious repetition, ostensibly attain an authentic shift in our behavior and perspective. 

The Situation

A situation is a specific set of circumstances, including the facts, conditions, and events that affect us at a particular time and place.

Anticipated situations are those we know in advance will provoke our fears and anxieties. Situations vary widely such as social and networking events, classroom settings, public swimming pools, beauty salons, and other subjective triggers for anxiety. They can be one-time events like a job interview or celebration, or recurring, such as weekly meetings or daily work commitments.

Scheduled events empower us to take a proactive approach by pre-planning coping strategies and predetermined mechanisms and skills tailored to address and alleviate adverse responses.

“Dr. Mullen is doing impressive work helping the world. He is the pioneer of proactive neuroplasticity utilizing DRNI – deliberate, repetitive, neural information.” – WeVoice (Madrid, Málaga)   

Unexpected Situations

For unexpected situations that catch us by surprise, such as a plumbing disaster, an unexpected guest, or a traffic accident, we assemble an emergency preparedness kit of coping mechanisms to handle such events. Visualization is an ineffective strategy for unexpected situations because we lack a predetermined situation.

Plan Components

Before devising our plan, we create and control our narrative. We incorporate our plan components to include:

Initial SUDs Rating: we measure the intensity of distress we feel about the upcoming situation.

Purpose: we establish the primary motivation for attending the situation. What do we seek or hope to accomplish?

Persona: we identify the social face we present to the situation, designed to make a positive impression while concealing the nature of our social anxiety

Character Focus: we incorporate certain character assets or strengths to establish confidence and self-reliance during the situation

Distractions and Diversions: we establish physical and mental distractions and diversions to compensate for any unexpected triggers.

Group Small Talk: we predetermine transactional and mutual interest conversational skills to ingratiate ourselves and establish a comfort zone during the situation.

Projected Positive Outcome: we control our participation by setting optimistic outcome scenarios.

Projected SUDs Rating: we set a reasonable prediction or expectation of the decreased level of distress we will experience due to our advanced diligence.

Once we have established reasonable and successful expectations, we visualize the situation as a positive unfolding experience. We find a quiet place to close our eyes and mentally recreate our plan. We commit to this practice as often as possible before exposing ourselves to the situation.  

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“It is one of the best investments I have made in myself, and I will
continue to improve and benefit from it for the rest of my life.” – Nick P.

The more we visualize with a clear intent, the more focused we become, increasing the probability of achieving our objectives. After a while, it may become an unconscious activity. This practice instills a sense of accomplishment and confidence, making visualization a surprisingly powerful and effective tool.

The Science

An affirmative visualization is a neuroscientific coping mechanism. Its purpose is to create and experience positive outcome scenarios in the structured imagination of our mental workplace. We envision the productive outcome of an anxiety-provoking situation. And through conscious repetition, strengthen and consolidate our behavior during the actual event.

The more detailed and immersive the experience, the better, and repetition of the visualization is a key component. This repetition reassures us of its effectiveness, and we label the process “affirmative” because of our predisposition to set negative outcome scenarios.

Affirmative visualization is not just a concept, but a scientifically supported technique backed by studies and the neuroscientific understanding of our neural network. Positive personal affirmations (PPAs) are concise, predetermined, positive statements. Affirmative visualizations are positive outcome scenarios that we mentally recreate by imagining or visualizing them. Both are underscored by the Laws of Learning, a set of principles tested in real-world applications that identify the learning process.

Neuroplasticity

Affirmative visualization fulfills the requisites for neuroplasticity —  our brain’s remarkable ability to adapt and reorganize itself in response to information and experience. Active neuroplasticity happens through intentional activities. Proactive neuroplasticity is the deliberate, repetitive neural input (DRNI) of registered information. Through affirmative visualization, we envision behaving in a certain way. And by deliberate repetition, attain an authentic shift in our behavior and perspective.

Our brain is a remarkable organ, constantly learning and restructuring with new information. With each registered input, connections strengthen and weaken, neurons atrophy and others are born, energy dissipates and expands, and beneficial hormones are neurally transmitted.

By proactively engaging our brain with deliberate, repetitive neural information through affirmative visualization, we accelerate and consolidate learning (and unlearning). This process leads to a significant change in thought, behavior, and perspective, which becomes habitual and spontaneous over time. This reassures us that change is not only possible but natural and inevitable. 

Our Neural Response

It’s fascinating how our brain undergoes the same neural restructuring when we visualize an action as when we physically perform it. The fact that the same brain regions are stimulated in both cases is a testament to the power of visualization.

Our neural network does not distinguish between toxic and productive information and between real and imagined experiences. Visualizing raising our left hand is neurally indistinguishable from physically raising our left hand, and research reveals that mentally imaging muscle retention is almost as effective as actual physical practice.

The thalamus is a small structure within the brain located just above the stem between the cerebral cortex and the midbrain. It has extensive nerve connections to both, and all registered information passes through it. By visualizing activity, we increase activity in the thalamus, and our brain responds as though the activity is happening.

Our thalamus makes no distinction between inner and outer realities. It does not distinguish whether we are imagining something or experiencing it. Thus, any idea will take on a semblance of reality if repeatedly contemplated. If we visualize a solution to a problem, the problem begins to resolve itself because visualizing activates the cognitive circuits involved with our working memory.

Brain studies now reveal that thoughts produce the exact mental instructions as actions.  The mental imagery in affirmative visualization impacts many cognitive processes in the brain: motor control, focus, perception, planning, and memory. It encourages motivation, increases confidence and self-reliance, and enhances motor performance. Our brain trains for actual performance through visualization.

Research unequivocally demonstrates the transformative power of visualization. When we visualize an event in advance, we seize control of our mental and physical performance. By consciously sourcing information that aligns with our desired outcomes, we dramatically increase the likelihood of success in the actual situation, empowering ourselves in the process.

Like our PPAs, affirmative visualization is a mental exercise that gains strength with deliberate repetition. By visualizing the scenario repeatedly, we build confidence and, importantly, reduce our anxiety.

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Executing our Visualization

We visualize the event and its successful outcome, imagining each detail, our attitude, and the reactions of others. We imagine the influx of cortisol and adrenaline dissipating every time we take a deep breath, slow talk, or utilize another coping mechanism. And we set reasonable expectations, such as maintaining a calm demeanor while delivering the presentation without major interruptions. These expectations are achievable because we have a well-rehearsed plan that covers triggers and contingencies, making us feel prepared for the situation.  

We visualize the elements of our plan as we incorporate them into the situation. We mentally recreate our persona, the ‘social face’ we present to others. This is designed to make a positive impression while concealing the nature of our social anxiety. We establish a firm purpose – our primary motivation for exposing ourselves to the situation. We establish imaginary distractions and diversions and decide the best character focus to support our intentions. And importantly, we hone our communication skills for group small talk, a common social element that can be challenging for individuals with social anxiety. Through affirmative visualization, we experience successful participation in the event as envisioned.

Whether it’s mitigating anxiety, performing better, or becoming more empathetic and competent, visualization can help us achieve our personal goals. Affirmative visualization activates our dopaminergic-reward system, reducing anxiety and fear-provoking hormones while accelerating and consolidating the beneficial ones. Additionally, when we visualize, our brain generates alpha waves, which can significantly reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Whether mitigating anxiety, performing better, or becoming more empathetic and competent, affirmative visualization can help us achieve our personal goals.

Whether it’s mitigating anxiety, performing better, or becoming more empathetic and competent, visualization can help us achieve our personal goals. Affirmative visualization activates our dopaminergic-reward system, reducing anxiety and fear-provoking hormones while accelerating and consolidating the beneficial ones. When we visualize, our brain generates alpha waves, which can significantly reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Proactive Neuroplasticity YouTube Series

INDIVIDUAL RECOVERY. The symptoms of social anxiety make it challenging for some to participate in a collective workshop. Dr. Mullen works one-on-one with a select group of individuals uneasy in a group setting. ReChanneling offers scholarships to accommodate the costs. What is missed in group activities is provided in our monthly, no-cost Graduate Recovery Group. In this supportive community, graduates interact with others who have completed the program.  Contact ‘rmullenphd@gmail.com’.

Committing to recovery is one of the hardest things you will ever do.
It takes enormous courage and the realization that you are of value,
consequential, and deserving of happiness.