Toward a Resolution of Selective Mutism: Understanding Obsessive Compulsive “Syndrome”
I believe I have interacted with more individuals with avoidant personalities than anyone in the world! I’m neither bragging nor complaining. It’s just a fact: It’s my job. As a psychotherapist with more than 35 years’ experience specializing in social anxiety—which is commonly comorbid with avoidant personality disorder—I have treated thousands of people with this […]
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High Achievers: High Anxiety
When Perfectionism Drives Public Speaking Anxiety Disorder “Al”, a trainer in the banking industry, often facilitated group training with 100s of individuals at a time. Bill was a high tier military professional and security consultant. Kate was a top lawyer in an international media conglomerate. Tom was a sr. vice president in an international construction […]
“The Other Half”: Forbes.com & Crucial Therapy Tip”
Here’s an important tip for anyone considering entering treatment for social anxiety: A tremendous cliché related to treatment is the over-used reference to cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognition is thinking. Obviously this is very important. So is behavior. However; if emotions and physiology are not integrated into therapy, the process will reach the point of diminishing […]
A Functional Definition of “Success”
A 42 year old client; a successful professional in corporate marketing, described “success” as “money and power”. A 16 old female patient defined it as “a Mercedez”. I define “success” as “being in a good mood”. There are many, many variables that determine mood. For some it is “power and money”. For many it’s having enough […]
The Ten Key Points To Know About Selective Mutism
Selective mutism is a social anxiety disorder characterized by not speaking to specific people or in specific venues. It is a specific variation of obsessive compulsive disorder. “Obsessive” refers to the conscious and non-conscious worrying. “Compulsive” refers to the verbal shutdown. The problem varies in degrees of severity. In addition to children many adolescents and […]
The Public Speaking Anxiety Disorder-Selective Mutism Paradigm
A fascinating dynamic is the reality that there are so many intelligent, highly achieving, successful adults who strive for perfection so obsessively that they have serious problems with the performance anxiety of public speaking. In fact, fear of public speaking is the #1 phobia in the world! Concurrently, there are so many intelligent children who […]
Thoughts about Adult Selective Mutism by Jonathan Berent
Charles (not real name) age 42; father of two, software programmer, was in the basement of his home working when his wife came downstairs to engage him in a conversation regarding her anger toward his mother for not sending their children birthday cards. Charles did not respond. His wife stormed upstairs furious again that her […]
“Cross Training” for the Resolution of Selective Mutism
At age 56, I have been exercising for most of my life; primarily a healthy obsession with aerobic activity. I recently hired a trainer. I told him that my objective was to be able to play basketball a couple of times a week without back and knee pain. Three months later, after a regimen of […]
Toward a Clinical Understanding of Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder As Etiology of Social and Performance Anxiety
Credit: http://www.social-anxiety.com / SocialAnxiety.com Written by: Jonathan Berent, L.C.S.W., A.C.S.W. Published by: SocialAnxiety.com on 12/20/2015 Unlike the similarly named Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) seldom receives research interest except in studies examining several of the 10 personality disorders or else specifically Cluster C personality disorders (which also include avoidant and dependent personality disorders) as identified in the Diagnostic and […]