How to Deal With Social Anxiety

There are some quick tips you can learn that will help you to start to overcome your social anxiety. When you are feeling anxious, the best things to focus on are your emotions, thoughts and behaviors. You can deal with your anxiety by learning to focus on these three areas and soon you'll be able to feel more relaxed in various social settings.
Cognitive behavioral therapy can be useful and you should check into it if you have time. But if you want some quick tips that you can try out right now, continue reading this article.
Step one in dealing with your anxiety is to accept it and know it's there. Understand how it makes you feel. Part of social anxiety is a feeling of inferiority to others. Once you realize that you feel that way, and accept those feelings along with who you are, your anxious thoughts will begin to diminish. It sounds a bit contradictory. But part of any type of anxiety that makes it even worse is an amount of denial, which intensifies the anxiety.
Many people who suffer from social anxiety think too much and are always worried about what others may think of them. Stop thinking so much! You'll be able to greatly diminish your socially anxious thoughts by thinking about other things and not focusing on what others may be thinking about you.
If you suffer from this type of anxiety, it's not uncommon to feel alone and depressed. The manifestation of these emotions usually drive away potential friendships or relationships. It's human nature not to be around people who are constantly depressed. People want to be around fun and happy people. To counteract your social anxiety, try smiling and laughing. Talk with people and be happy. You'll soon notice others being drawn to you. Once you form a few solid friendships, your social anxiety should begin to melt away.
Never be afraid of having anxiety. Most people have a little anxiety in social settings from time to time. The trick is to face your fears and work to overcome them. Remember to try deep breathing and relaxation exercises. They will help to calm you and make facing a social setting a little easier.
Some people find online self-help programs to be useful and others prefer to seek professional counseling. The key is to do whatever feels most comfortable to you. You need to take small steps and win minor victories. Each little victory will give you a little extra confidence. The more confidence you feel, the less socially anxious you will be.

Chad Klass is an author who has suffered from anxiety and social anxiety over the years. He now wants to do what he can to help others deal with the problems of social anxiety. For social anxiety resources, check out Chad's blog.

Depression in Men: Myths Vs Truth

Depression in men occurs less often than depression in women, but it still affects a great portion of the country. Once thought to be a "women's disease," depression actually affects around 6 million men every year in the United States alone. Many experts also feel that those numbers are still too low thanks in part to the large population of men with depression that go undiagnosed every day. Whether they deny their symptoms or don't fully understand them, depression is a very serious illness that can be quite devastating to one's life without treatment. Since May is National Depression Month, we saw it fit to debunk some well-known myths and misconceptions about depression in men.
Myth # 1: Depression in Men Looks the Same as Depression in Women
If you have depression, then regardless of gender you're just really sad for extended periods of time, right? This is a big misconception about depression. While it absolutely affects both sexes and can cause serious disruption in their daily lives, the way men and women express their symptoms of depression is actually very different. While it's fairly well-known that depression in women can cause feelings of sadness and worthlessness, depression in men is actually more likely to cause sufferers to be irritable, aggressive or hostile.
Myth # 2: He Seems So Happy, He's Not Depressed!
If only if were that simple. Someone can seem to be as jovial and happy on the outside as a kid on their birthday, but that in no way means that they're not suffering from severe clinical depression on the inside. We have to remember that on average, depression affects one out of every 10 people in America and the majority of them continue on with their daily activities all the while suffering silently. Depression in men, especially when left untreated, can get so bad that they become unable to function, but most are much harder to identify from the outside.

Myth # 3: People with Depression Can Just Snap Out of It
This is a myth that is due to the extreme lack of understanding the general population has about the mental illness of depression as a whole. If a loved one suffers from clinical depression, as bad as they might want to, they can't just snap out of it or suck it up. Depression in men is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and there is no snapping out of that without treatment. Would you expect someone with diabetes to just snap out of it? No, you probably wouldn't and shouldn't for someone with depression either.

Myth # 4: Wealthy People Can't Get Depression
If you were fortunate enough to be born into money or have a high paying job, then you must not be able to suffer from depression as you have everything you need, right? Again, a giant misconception. Depression is a mental disorder that crosses all socio-economic bridges and boundaries. There is no gender, nationality, educational background or amount of wealth to shield you from the possibility of depression.
Depression in men is a serious, but treatable condition that should not be taken lightly. Untreated depression in men has been known to cause reckless and dangerous behavior like substance abuse.

Ben Brafman, LMHC, CAP is the President and CEO of Destination Hope, a licensed dual diagnosis substance abuse treatment center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Ben has more than 20 years of experience in the addiction and mental health fields, which led him to develop a combination of innovative treatment protocols at Destination Hope. He has been published on various topics including dual diagnosis and chemical dependency, and gives back to the community by educating other addiction counselors at his Academy for Addiction Professionals.

Am I Bipolar

Is this a question you have been asking yourself? It must be or you wouldn't be here. Right? Maybe you took a bipolar test online, and the results have you wondering. Maybe you have just learned about some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder and you are thinking that "this could be me" Maybe you have been labeled as "bipolar" by someone other than a professional and it has you wondering. Or maybe you have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder by a psychiatrist or another expert in this field.
Sometimes we find ourselves identifying with one of the many famous people we hear about who have bipolar disorder and this once again has us asking ourselves "am I bipolar"? If you are seeing a professional and have been given another diagnosis such as borderline personality disorder or any one of the other psychiatric disorders and you find that your medication is not working, this may also have you asking yourself, "am I bipolar."
Whatever the reason you are asking yourself this question, you obviously want answers and that is the best place to be. People who are in denial and don't want to know the truth are the ones who suffer needlessly. Consider yourself ahead of the crowd, because you are making your mental health a priority. If you have for instance taken an online bipolar checklist test, it is just that, a checklist. It is just a guideline.
At this point you need to start a journal and record the symptoms you have noticed and that match the symptoms available online. This is a list you need to take with you when you speak to a professional, a skilled clinician who has plenty of experience with these disorders. You want the best help you can find. An expert who has spent time treating other clients with these disorders and who can help you sift through all of the feelings and symptoms you have noticed. But being honest with the professional is essential.
If possible take along another person who knows you, and who has spent a lot of time with you who might be helpful both in helping you remember things about you or your history and also who can be an extra set of ears when the Dr. or therapist provides answers or suggestions to you. I know from experience that anytime a person goes to a Dr. or another important appointment, when you get home and attempt to relay the information that was shared with you, it is sometimes hard to remember all that you were told.
This is where it is helpful to have another set of ears that can help you sort the information out once your appointment is over. In order to have a reliable diagnosis, you must share a number of things which include your feelings, your thoughts and any bipolar behavior you have experienced. This helps to avoid misdiagnosis. Misdiagnosis sometimes happens because bipolar behavior can also resemble other mental health disorders, such as borderline personality disorder, ADHD bipolar disorder connection or bipolar depression symptoms.
One final thought on the question "am I bipolar"? Always remember that it is your mental health at stake here, you must do due diligence and educate yourself as much as possible. No one cares about your health more than you.

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