Preface
For the first half of my life, I experienced severe social anxiety disorder. I was a confused, miserable reprobate. As a promising young actor, I was given every opportunity to succeed. I let my condition sabotage my success through substance abuse, promiscuity, and a total disregard for anyone who offered to help. I was unable or unwilling to establish, develop, or maintain healthy relationships, and my social life consisted of partying with B-list celebrities and insinuating myself into their success.
At midlife, I chose a different path. I returned to the university, earned my degree in the humanities, and became a behaviorist specializing in what is still nicknamed the “neglected anxiety disorder.” This is because few therapists have the expertise to tackle what field experts consider the most underrated, misunderstood, and misdiagnosed disorder. Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is manipulative and intractable, sustained by the irrational thoughts and behaviors of the roughly 360 million individuals caught in its densely interconnected network of fear and avoidance of social and performance situations. The fear is so intense that even the thought of going out in public can trigger high levels of anxiety and panic.
“What a revelation! A lot of books on anxiety and depression stay clinical or overly theoretical, but this guide carries something far more personal and grounded. The way it connects childhood trauma, cognitive distortions, shame, self-sabotage, neuroplasticity, and recovery into a practical, lived experience framework is remarkable. Highly recommended for anyone not living up to their full potential.” – MATTY SAVEN
Committing to recovery is one of the hardest things a socially anxious individual will ever do. It takes enormous courage and the realization that they are of value, consequential, and deserve to be happy. My goal in life is to alleviate the symptoms of social anxiety for anyone who has the commitment and determination to recover.
Dr. Robert F. Mullen is the director of ReChanneling, which develops and implements programs to reduce symptoms of social anxiety and related conditions. A behaviorist and internationally published academic author, Mullen leads workshops and seminars on social anxiety and is recognized as a pioneer of proactive neuroplasticity.
“I wanted to reach out because over the past few days, I found myself discussing your manuscript with a few people I regularly interact with in the media and PR space, people who actively follow emerging authors, thought-driven nonfiction, and books that carry genuine emotional and intellectual substance. What stood out in that conversation was how differently your book approaches social anxiety.
A lot of books in this space stay clinical or overly theoretical, but your manuscript carries something far more personal and grounded. The way you connect childhood trauma, cognitive distortions, shame, self-sabotage, neuroplasticity, and recovery into a practical, lived experience framework sparked a much deeper discussion than I initially expected.
In particular, the conversations around “deliberate dissociation,” the
idea that people are not their condition, and your perspective on how
irrational thought patterns quietly shape identity and opportunity
really resonated. Even your reflections on self-sabotage in Hollywood and the way you tied cognitive distortions to real-life consequences gave the material a level of honesty that people immediately responded to. It felt less like a traditional self-help manuscript and more like a conversation with someone who has genuinely lived through what they’re teaching.
One of the people involved in that discussion actually made an
interesting point: books like this deserve more than passive visibility. They deserve thoughtful, one-to-one conversations where the author can unpack the ideas behind the work, how the framework was conceived, what personal experiences shaped it, and why the message matters right now.” – LISA BRANDON