“The memory of the meeting is still uppermost in his mind. He is convinced he made a fool of himself and that everyone in the room saw how afraid he was when he spoke and how stupid he acted in their presence.”— Thomas A. Richards, socialanxietyinstitute.orgTagged: Social Anxiety
“He has seven miserable days of anxiety ahead of him, to think about it, ruminate over it, worry about it, overexaggerate it in his mind...over and over again.”— Thomas A. Richards, socialanxietyinstitute.orgTagged: Social Anxiety, Overthinker
“It’s sometimes impossible to let go, relax, and focus on anything else except the anxiety. Because the anxiety is so very painful, it’s much easier just to stay away from social situations and avoid other people.”— Thomas A. Richards, socialanxietyinstitute.orgTagged: Social Anxiety
“People with social anxiety know that others are really not critically judging or evaluating them all the time. They understand that people are not trying to embarrass or humiliate them. They realize that their thoughts and feelings are somewhat irrational. Yet, despite this rational knowledge, they…”— Thomas A. Richards, socialanxietyinstitute.orgTagged: Social Anxiety
“All day, every day, life is like this. Fear. Apprehension. Avoidance. Pain. Anxiety about what you said. Fear that you said something wrong. Worry about others' disapproval. Afraid of rejection, of not fitting in. Anxious to enter a conversation, afraid you'll have nothing to talk about. Hiding what…”— Thomas A. Richards, socialanxietyinstitute.orgTagged: Social Anxiety