Back to School Creates Challenges for Children with Selective Mutism & Social Anxiety
GREAT NECK, NEW YORK The carefree days of summer are coming to an end. Outings to the beach, unlimited time with video games, and no homework are much easier to deal with than issues such as a child’s social anxiety, inhibited verbal communication, or social avoidance. Summer is a time that can enable parents’ denial […]
Toward an Understanding of “Reservoir” Implications in the Treatment of Social Anxiety
During my career which has spanned thirty eight years, during which I have provided clinical services to literally thousands of patients of all ages with social anxiety, I have discovered that the biggest source of confusion for sufferers is understanding how ingrained the problem becomes. Adding to this confusion are marketing efforts and promises from […]
Confessions of an “Avoidance Addict”
“Just the Way I Am”: Denial Is the Enemy of Social Anxiety Sufferers Confessions of an “Avoidance Addict” By Amy Lemley No one would ever call me shy. In fact, I am “the extrovert’s extrovert,” an attention-seeker, a ham. I love public speaking, being interviewed on television and radio, and having my picture taken. I talk to strangers. […]
10 Clinical Dynamics for Resolving Public Speaking Anxiety Disorder
The following are the primary dynamics that are needed to resolve public speaking anxiety. In treatment technique is combined with “core” work. The domains of physiology, behavior, thinking, and emotion are integrated into therapy. Think of F.A.T.E. (See Figure 1). Understanding the “physiology of performance”. Learning the adrenaline control methodology based on the paradoxical concept […]
“Flying Pop Tarts” & 20 Minute Processing Session with SM 8 Yr. Old
One of the biggest challenges in healing for one who is afflicted with social or performance anxiety is negotiating the defense mechanism of detachment. Detachment is the dynamic and process of disconnecting from thoughts, feelings, and behavioral challenges. Detachment is the gateway to avoidance. When you put this dynamic under the microscope so to speak, […]
The Magic Trick: The Psycho-Physiological “Mind Set” For Blushing Control
Patient x was an intelligent, attractive, athletic 20 year old college student who had recently been in a carjacking where he had been shot and almost killed. When he entered therapy with me it was absolutely incredible that this incident was hardly on his mind; what dominated his psyche was his uncontrollable blushing. This blushing, […]
Recovery from Erythrophobia: Letter to a Blush
For years I feared your arrival, like an unwelcome last-minute guest who spoils the party every time, humiliating me in front of all my other, important guests. At first I had a hard time seeing you coming and was always caught off guard; then I came to expect you, so I stopped planning so many […]
Blushing Anxiety Impacts Helpless Millions: Groundbreaking Program for Erythrophobia
In 2012 Brandon Thomas committed suicide. His parents said it was driven by his “unbearable blushing.” Soon after, Dr. Enrique Jadresic, who has been referenced as the world’s foremost Erythrophobia expert, publicly defined blushing as an “involuntary response,” adding “the best way to treat it is with a sympathectomy;” an invasive surgical procedure where nerves […]
Reflections on “Initiative”
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 […]
The Process of “Attachment” in Treating Social and Performance Anxiety
Recently I had a headache while driving on The Long Island Expressway from my home to my office. The headache was the result of “attaching” or connecting to stressful thoughts. So I said to myself, “I’m going to think about positive things”. The headache went away about 15 minutes later. The moral of the story […]