Social Anxiety Support: Living with Social Anxiety Disorder

I know what you’re thinking:  “Why do I have this disorder?  It’s going to rob me of my life.”  Well, only if you let it!

If you done any research at all on this disorder you probably know that millions suffer from it.  However, did you know that even some celebrities have Social Anxiety Disorder too.  Yes, that’s right, people that make their very living by constantly being in front of people.  Here’s a few celebs that have admitted to having S.A.D.–yet have not let it ruin their careers:

Barbara Streisand:  Whether your fan or not–you’ve got to give this golden-voiced diva her due for admitting she’s a S.A.D. sufferer yet still sings to thousands of people at a time.

Ricky Williams:  Miami Dolphins Running Back Ricky Williams has battled a crippling case of social anxiety disorder throughout his career in the NFL. Often judged as aloof by the media, Ricky was known for leaving his helmet on during interviews and avoiding fans. On the suggestion of a friend, he entered into therapy and began taking Paxil. Ricky has shared his story openly with the hope of helping others with S.A.D.

Donny Osmond:  At the age of 6 Donny recalls the beginnings of what would later develop into a full-blown case of Social Anxiety Disorder.  Soon Donny’s stage fright became overwhelming. No longer able to cope, he sought help and received both medication and therapy as part of his treatment. Donny has spoken very candidly about his experiences in his autobiography and in interviews.

So there you have it:  YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

We can beat this!

Ok, so if you’ve got Social Anxiety Disorder you probably spend a lot of time, like I do, bemoaning the disease and wondering “Why me…??”. Well, I certainly understand that question and am often perplexed as to why I have this debilitating disorder. Unfortunately, sitting around worrying about it usually gets me nowhere. Sometimes, it helps if we can just laugh at ourselves for having this irrational condition.

That being said, here are a few things to think about that you will hopefully make you smile…and even laugh at yourself and the consequences of this disease. I like to call this list:

Thank God for Social Anxiety Disorder

1. Thank God for Social Anxiety Disorder…as I now have a perfectly legitimate medical excuse to get out of stale social events like weddings of people I don’t like and funerals for people I liked even less.
2. Thank God for Social Anxiety Disorder…as I now never get asked to make a toast or give a presentation at work…especially since I passed out during my last public speaking opportunity. People who know me now know to never ask me to speak in public…ahh, refreshing!!!
3. Thank God for Social Anxiety Disorder…as I’m too afraid to ask a girl out so I don’t have to get married, watch the relationship fall apart, get divorced and give half of my 401k to woman that I will eventually despise.
4. Thank God for Social Anxiety Disorder…as I’m so quiet and shy that my neighbors never come over to ask to borrow things like my lawn equipment, a cup of flour, or 2 egg whites.
5. Thank God for Social Anxiety Disorder…as it’s definitely better than having erectile dysfunction. However, if I get older and get erectile dysfunction I’ll then have much more to worry about than having Social Anxiety Disorder…at which time I’ll start a list called: “Thank God for Erectile Dysfunction”.

There…now laugh at yourself and go have some fun!

We can beat this!!!