Your Social Anxiety Bestie with Sadie

*Super important disclaimer: This post is not meant to influence your medication decisions one way or another. I just remember wishing I could find some first-person accounts of what life was like before and during medication. That's all this is. At all times, trust your doctor's expertise over mine.*

Medication is not a magical cure-all. But for me, it's been a science-backed help-a-lot.

I was afraid to take medication because of the potential side effects I read about online... until I realized that untreated anxiety had its OWN side effects, and those side effects sucked.

This episode shares some insight into my medication journey and opens the floor to questions and discussion!

Blog post version: https://www.patreon.com/posts/why-i-take-for-65593428

Links mentioned: 

Today you'll be hearing from Chris, a 29-year-old husband, dad, and software developer.

Chris shares how he has had social anxiety and OCD since high school, and how he pushes himself to incorporate mini-exposures and "experiments" into his busy day-to-day life as a dad.

He also candidly discusses how social anxiety impacts his parenting and what it was like to tell his wife about his anxiety and depression.

We touch on sweating as well, which I know many listeners will find reassuring (nope, it's super not just you). 

"Welcome to my hiding place. Shhh… Don’t tell anyone you found me..." Nicole is a member of the Social Anxiety Besties Club who grew up being told she was "shy" before she eventually learned that she experiences social anxiety. Today, she candidly shares her social anxiety journey on her blog and Instagram account (see below for links!). She has a background in theatre, is a mom to twin teens, and enjoys writing on a variety of topics. 

Spoiler alert: Nope. But my safety behaviours have definitely taken a back seat compared to my coping strategies.  Social Anxiety Safety Behaviors: https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheet/social-anxiety-safety-behaviors Book: Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry https://www.amazon.com/Rewire-Your-Anxious-Brain-Neuroscience/dp/1626251134 // 

In today's episode, I talk to clinical psychologist Dr. Tynessa Franks about dating, weddings, marriage, and sex while socially anxious. We discuss these questions: Dating: What can we do if we want to date but social anxiety is holding us back? Wedding: What should we do if we’re terrified at the thought of our own wedding? Let’s say one partner wants a traditional wedding but the socially anxious partner is terrified by that idea. Marriage: How can social anxiety impact a healthy marriage? Sex: What are some ways sexual intimacy can be impacted by social anxiety, and what can we do about it? About Dr. Franks: Tynessa Franks is a clinical psychologist and self-defined "shy girl". She realized a strong passion for helping people who struggle with worrying too much about what other people think and started Bashful & Bright in 2019 with this mission at the forefront. She creates videos, conducts group psychotherapy, and teaches a comprehensive online course to help women and men improve their social anxiety so they can start showing up, speaking up, and engaging in social interactions in a way that feels good. You can catch her weekly tips for improving your social anxiety @DrTynessaFranks on YouTube and learn more about her work at bashfulandbright.com. Dr. Franks’ website: https://www.bashfulandbright.com/ Dr. Franks’ YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/c/DrTynessaFranks/ Links mentioned in the show:  Virtual Social Anxiety Support Group on Meetup: https://imaginehealing.com/my-story-timothy-long/ The 36 Questions That Lead to Love: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/09/style/no-37-big-wedding-or-small.html

Thank you so much for the wonderful questions you submitted over on IG! If you have more questions, please feel free to reach out: sadie@yoursocialanxietybestie.com 

COURSE LINKS:

• Write Your Way to Freedom Copywriting Program: https://www.writeyourwaytofreedom.co/a/13857/YV7VbzWP (*affiliate link*) 
• Edit Republic's courses: https://editrepublic.com/courses/
• Translation course (it's been updated by it's still run by Corinne McKay): https://www.trainingfortranslators.com/ 

AT LONG LAST! The episode I have been promising for probably a year at this point. In this episode, I chat with my husband/safe person/best friend Jesse. We talk about what it's like when one partner in a relationship has social anxiety. I really hope you enjoy this episode! 

Before and after a call with a prospective client for freelance editing and translation! 

Video mentioned: How Do I Get New Clients If I Have CRUSHING Anxiety?!? by Sarah Turner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbWlZgK7O88 

Do I stay in the car? Do I offer to help?

I chat with my former personal trainer Chris about gym anxiety and the challenges of getting to the gym (or doing other forms of exercise) when social anxiety is in the picture. I hope you enjoy the episode! 

I wrote in my calendar: "Sit down and say words at the microphone." This is the result of that prompt. 

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Previous episodes that talk about social anxiety in children: 

When it comes to my relationship with my body, the Facebook status would be “it’s complicated.” Every day, I face an ongoing struggle to accept the body that has carried me through life and carried my babies into this world. ⁠Looking back at my teenage years, body image issues stand out clearly -- more clearly, in some ways, than social anxiety, shyness, or perfectionism. If I didn’t have the vocabulary and knowledge I have now, I’d probably describe my teenage self as self-conscious and shy.

It turns out, body image issues are actually quite common in people with social anxiety disorder. Let's talk about it.

THE PODCAST HIT 10,000 LISTENS!!!!! Thank you so, so much!!!!

Today I'm answering two questions from a wonderful community member on Instagram: Does social anxiety go away with practice? and How do I deal with shame after a social interaction?

There's the pre-party (dread), the main event, and the after-party (rumination). Let's break it down with my recent trip to a garden centre. (Mostly focused on anxious thoughts. I need to do an episode going in-depth on physical symptoms and behaviours too!)

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE: