Social Anxiety and Related Conditions
Robert F Mullen, PhD.
Director/ReChanneling
For each new subscriber, ReChanneling donates $25 for workshop scholarships.
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.
Social Anxiety is Not Our Fault – Assuming We Take Steps to Recover
Evidence is irrefutable that childhood disturbance is a significant factor in the development of emotional instability and insecurity.
While the phrase evokes images of apparent abuse, childhood disturbance is a broad term ostensibly involving trauma that hinders optimal physical, cognitive, emotional, or social development.
This can include experiences such as neglect, emotional or physical abuse, witnessing violence, or even more subtle forms of trauma, like a sudden change in the family structure or a significant loss.
When researching the origins of childhood disturbance, the likelihood that no one is directly responsible becomes evident. Consequently, blaming is a futile and irretrievable waste of energy. The disturbance may have been a one-time occurrence or a series of events. It may have been accidental or intentional, real or imagined.
I remember the giant tractor that terrified my childhood dreams before I discovered the encroaching engine noise was the pulsation of blood in my eardrum. The fear was real, the event imagined, but was it traumatic? Perhaps not in this case, but the suggestibility of a child is legendary.
A toddler whose parental quality time is disrupted by a phone call may develop a sense of abandonment or neglect, which can instigate social anxiety.
It is crucial, as we begin recovery, to relieve ourselves of the responsibility of inducing our condition. We did not make social anxiety happen. It happened to us.
This sociological model of blamelessness conflicts with moral models claiming our behaviors are responsible or that it is God’s punishment for sin. Those beliefs are sadly misinformed. Childhood trauma is not our fault. SAD is a consequence of childhood trauma.
So, let’s give up our sackcloth and self-flagellation. It’s time to stop beating ourselves up for something that’s not our causal fault.
“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)
Notwithstanding …
While we are not to blame for the infliction of our condition, the responsibility for recovery lies with us. We may not be accountable for the cards we were dealt in childhood, but we are responsible for how we play the hand we are left holding as adults.
Statistics
Roughly 124 million U.S. adults and adolescents experience anxiety disorders. 60% of those have depression, and many resort to substance abuse. Anxiety and depression are the primary causes of the notable increase in adolescent suicide over the last decade, a trend that underscores the urgent need for effective mental health interventions.
An estimated 40 million U.S. adults experience a social anxiety disorder, and roughly one in three college students has a lifetime anxiety disorder diagnosis. Social anxiety is not a rare condition; it is universal and indiscriminate, and our experiences are valid.
The negative cycle in which those of us with social anxiety find ourselves convinces us that there is something wrong with us when the only thing we’re doing is viewing ourselves and the world wrong – a unique symptom of our condition.
Causes of Social Anxiety
Emotional malfunctions such as the various strains of anxiety and depression are hereditary, environmental, or, in most cases, the result of trauma. The onset of social anxiety is not a result of our actions or choices. With rare exceptions like later-life PTSD or clinical narcissism, the susceptibility to emotional malfunction originates in childhood.
The continuation of our irrational thoughts, behaviors, and negative self-appraisal results from our inability or unwillingness to remedy the problem. Many experiencing social anxiety cling to a willful pursuit of ignorance, choosing to remain oblivious to SAD’s destructive capabilities as if, by ignoring them, they do not exist or will somehow go away.
Taking responsibility for recovery is not a burden; it is an opportunity to alleviate the symptoms and traits that significantly impact our emotional well-being. It’s a chance to regain control and lead a more fulfilling life.
We can hold onto shame and guilt for having social anxiety, but they are false assumptions. The condition originates before we have the wherewithal to make an informed choice. Still, internal blaming remains prevalent.
Even when aware that we bear no responsibility for its origins, we tend to blame our behaviors on perceived character deficiencies and shortfalls rather than the symptoms of our disorder.
Social anxiety disorder thrives on adverse self-appraisal brought on by negative core and intermediate beliefs. Our symptoms prompt us to label ourselves as inadequate, incompetent, or unattractive.
Until we respond rationally to our fears and social avoidance, we resort to defense mechanisms—unconscious strategies designed to protect us from threats to our emotional well-being. We deny, avoid, or compensate rather than identify the problem. We rationalize our behaviors, project them onto others, or displace them by kicking the dog.
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The Static Versus Dynamic SAD Individual
The acronym SAD is highly appropriate. Experiencing social anxiety makes us unhappy. It saddens us.
I believe there are two distinctive types of individuals experiencing SAD: the Static and the Dynamic. The static SAD individual is immobilized, seemingly trapped in their distressing state, either unable or unwilling to break free. In stark contrast, Dynamic SAD individuals are in a constant state of flux, actively seeking ways to manage their condition and enhance their lives.
In his extensive examination of anxiety and depression, Aaron Beck, the pioneer of cognitive-behavioral therapy, posited that anxiety and depression generate feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and unworthiness.
The concept of undesirability revealed itself in our SAD recovery workshops. These negative self-attributions make us feel undeserving of recovery.
Additionally, many motivated towards treatment indicate an inability to afford it due to SAD-induced financial and employment instability. The high percentage of jobless people experiencing social anxiety disorder in the U.S. is related to SAD-provoked job inefficiency and instability, greater absenteeism, job dissatisfaction, and frequent job changes.
Individuals with SAD are more likely to be less educated, unmarried, and have lower socioeconomic status.
That being said, numerous discussion groups and recovery programs are available. ReChanneling offers scholarship support, and the weekly cost of the recovery program is less than the cost of a theatrical release and a box of popcorn.
The Dynamic SAD Individual
The Dynamic SAD individual is not resigned to their condition. Instead, we are actively engaged in our recovery, demonstrating resilience and determination. Here are some characteristics of the Dynamic SAD individual who inspires us with their courage and commitment to change.
The Dynamic SAD individual overcomes overwhelming hopelessness with renewed optimism, embracing possibility over the inconceivable. We subvert our core sense of helplessness by reanimating our self-reliance, courage, and determination.
Our confidence makes us approachable, which mitigates any irrational sense of undesirability. We are aware of our value and significance.
The Dynamic SAD individual does not confront their fears; they embrace them. Instead of meeting them with hostility or competing with hubris, we willingly and enthusiastically acknowledge and accept them as challenges that we can resolve rationally.
Our experiences are, and always will be, part of our identity. Accepting them fosters self-love and paves the way for transformation.
Embracing our condition is not acquiescence, resignation, or condoning; it is a genuine acceptance. It’s accepting who we are – imperfect beings with strengths, shortcomings, and vulnerabilities.
We embrace our totality, and in doing so, we enable ourselves to change. This acceptance is not about giving in; it’s about taking control and owning our destiny.
The Dynamic SAD individual is not just a problem-solver; we are creative thinkers. We are not just risk-takers; we are bungee jumpers. We are not just energetic; we are passionate. And we are not just self-empowered; we are the masters of our domain.
We are curious and adventurous because we have embarked on a journey of discovery. We have opened our minds to new concepts and perspectives. And we are flexible and adaptable because those are the qualities of someone who fearlessly challenges what may lie ahead.
We are Not Worthless
It’s important to remember that we are not worthless but integral and consequential to all things, distinctive in every aspect. There is no other like us. We are the totality of our experiences, beliefs, perceptions, demands, and desires with unique DNA, fingerprints, and outer ears.
There is and never has been a human being with our sensibilities, memories, motivations, and dreams. This uniqueness is what makes us valuable and significant.
We are not defined by our social anxiety disorder but by our character strengths, virtues, and achievements. When we break a leg, we don’t become the broken limb; we experience the discomfort of a broken bone. The same logic applies to our condition.
We are not our symptoms and traits. We are individuals experiencing the distress of an annoying mental health condition. This understanding liberates us from the shackles of our condition, allowing us to live our lives independent of SAD with a sense of pride and satisfaction.
SAD sustains itself by inflicting anxiety and fear, but they have no power on their own. We fuel them; we give them authority. Social anxiety is not our fault, assuming we take steps to recover.
We control our emotional well-being and quality of life, and only we can compel change. The onus of recovery is on us.
We have the means to mitigate our symptoms dramatically, and not taking advantage of recovery is irrational. Our unwillingness to remedy the situation is the only legitimate cause for self-accusation.
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WHY IS YOUR SUPPORT SO NECESSARY AND ESSENTIAL? ReChanneling develops and implements programs to (1) mitigate symptoms of social anxiety and related conditions and (2) pursue personal goals and objectives – harnessing our intrinsic aptitude for extraordinary living. Our paradigmatic approach targets the personality through empathy, collaboration, and program integration utilizing neuroscience and psychology including proactive neuroplasticity, cognitive-behavioral modification, positive psychology, and techniques designed to regenerate self-esteem. All donations support scholarships for groups and workshops.
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 absent 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.