Do I need to be liked? Absolutely not. I like to be liked. I enjoy being liked. I have to be liked. Michael Scott What would life be without paradox and irony? I am an introvert - that means that social interaction drains my energy rather than increases it. I have social anxiety - I worry about… Continue reading I Want You to Want Me (But Maybe from a Distance): Struggling with Social Anxiety and Belonging
Tag: social anxiety
Sure, Sex Is Great (Unless You Have Social Anxiety and a Touch Aversion)
Yesterday was a "sexy" day. It came up as a topic of conversation among friends, and then I continued reading "The Shadow of the Wind" and its charming sex scenes. I have a strange relationship with sex. The topic does not bother me because I think it's perfectly natural and healthy. If anything, society does… Continue reading Sure, Sex Is Great (Unless You Have Social Anxiety and a Touch Aversion)
Medical Anxiety, Social Anxiety, and OCPD – Going to a Doctor When You Hate Medical Offices
TW: Brief discussion of a graphic injury Every time I sit down with a new medical professional, they will invariably ask how things are with me and I will struggle with a concise answer. Physically I am a picture of health. They take their vitals, and everything will look perfect. Mental health is another story… Continue reading Medical Anxiety, Social Anxiety, and OCPD – Going to a Doctor When You Hate Medical Offices
One Death: How One Event Shaped My Anxiety and OCPD
TW: death I feel like I learned the truth about death far too late in life, a combination of natural insulation from the subject and a consequence of my social anxiety. I cannot remember the exact age, maybe eight, but I was watching television in my living room while my mother ironed clothes. A life… Continue reading One Death: How One Event Shaped My Anxiety and OCPD
Social Anxiety and Animals (Especially Those We Call Humans)
I cannot stress this enough, not only on my behalf but also in the interest of all who share these descriptions. Those with social anxiety are anxious in social situations. Introverts lose energy in social situations. Neither of those things is misanthropy. It's quite possible to love people and see good in them while having… Continue reading Social Anxiety and Animals (Especially Those We Call Humans)
Parasocial Anxiety
Parasocial relationships play an ever-increasing role in our world. Whereas these sorts of relationships have always existed to some degree, the advent of social media, which allows direct communication and further personal insight, means that more people feel a deeper sense of connection in one-sided relationships. I am no expert in this field and have… Continue reading Parasocial Anxiety
I Hate My Body (Too)
Where does this even go in the spectrum of my mental health stuff? It's hard to say with any precision because the only person who knew any of it prior to this piece was my wife. Even the multiple counselors, many physicians, and two psychiatrists I have seen during my life do not know it… Continue reading I Hate My Body (Too)
Let It Go: Disney’s Frozen and Mental Health
Disney released Frozen at an interesting time during my life. Having grown up a devout Disney fan, I knew every classic up through Lilo & Stitch like the back of my hand. Then came high school, 9/11, and an intensification of my mental health issues that made Disney feel less appealing. Not to mention the… Continue reading Let It Go: Disney’s Frozen and Mental Health
Doctored If You Do, Doctored If You Don’t: Where Phobia Meets Anxiety
TW: Medical (including needles) Imagine waking up on a deserted isle completely alone. For the average person it would be a terrifying experience, but for you the real terror of the situation only compares with your two longstanding phobias: boats and planes. Imagine if the only way out of one awful situation was confronting another?… Continue reading Doctored If You Do, Doctored If You Don’t: Where Phobia Meets Anxiety
My Mental Health Diagnoses
Today is a more clinical post. While this blog explores the nature of living with mental health issues on a personal, anecdotal level, I thought I would take one post and share the diagnostic criteria behind my specific mental health issues (in order of diagnosis): generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality… Continue reading My Mental Health Diagnoses
Celtic Riverside 