Coping With Social Anxiety Disorder
By Arlin Cuncic, About.com Guide
Work and School
Living with social anxiety disorder can be difficult, particularly if you are attending college or are in the workforce. Read more to learn about how to effectively cope with SAD at work and at school.
- SAD and College
- SAD and Work
- Telling Your Employer You Have SAD
- Teaching the Teenager With SAD
- Teaching Students With SAD
- Advice for Parents of Teens
- Preparing Your Child for School
- Coping With Test Anxiety
- Job Interview Anxiety
- 10 Tips to Cope With Job Interviews
- Meetings at Work
- Business Lunches
- Business Conferences
- Making Cold Calls
- Performance Evaluations
- Office Parties
- The 10 Worst Jobs for People with Social Anxiety Disorder
- The 10 Best Jobs for People with Social Anxiety Disorder
Relationships
Whether they are with friends, family, or romantic partners, all of your relationships are affected when you suffer with SAD. Learn more about how to develop and maintain relationships, and how best others can help you cope.
- Helping Someone With SAD
- Coping for Friends and Family of People With SAD
- Finding Love
- Getting Married
- First Date Ideas
- How to Ask Someone on a Date
- How Parents Can Help Teens
- How to Make Friends
- 5 Ways to Be a Friend to Someone with SAD
- How to Talk to Someone Who Has SAD
Social Skills
Social skills are the tools that will help you navigate social situations. Just like any other skill, social skills can be learned. Although not everyone with social anxiety disorder lacks social skills, many will benefit from social skills training in addition to medication or therapy.
- How to Improve Social Skills
- How to Make Eye Contact
- Conversation Tips
- How to Manage Anxiety at Parties
- Telephone Calls
- How to Accept Compliments
- How to Give Compliments
- Three Tricks to Start a Conversation With a Stranger
- How to Join a Conversation
- How to Leave a Conversation
- How to Make Introductions
- How to Remember Names
- Example of Active Listening
- How to Practice Active Listening
- 10 Good Topics for Small Talk
- How to Deal With Neighbors
- 10 Topics to Avoid During Small Talk
- How to Ask Follow-Up Questions During Small Talk
- How to Build Social Rapport
- How to Present Yourself Online
Assertiveness
Assertiveness is an important aspect of building social confidence. Learn how to become more assertive.
Performance
Performing might include such activities as giving a speech, competing athletically, or playing a musical instrument. Learn how to perform in front of an audience without breaking into a cold sweat.
- Beating Athletic Performance Anxiety
- Calming Game-Day Nerves
- Managing Public Speaking Anxiety
- Preparing for a Speech
- Delivering a Speech
- Public Speaking Skills
- 20 Public Speaking Tips
- Musical Performance Anxiety
- Calming Anxiety Before a Performance
- Managing Anxiety During a Performance
Special Occasions
Special occasions might include birthdays, holidays and other special events. Learn how to manage social anxiety during special occasions.
- Alone at Thanksgiving
- Alone at Christmas
- Alone on Valentine's Day
- Alone on New Year's Eve
- Alone on Your Birthday
- Weddings
- 10 Gift Ideas for Someone with SAD
- New Year's Resolutions
- What Are Your New Year's Resolutions?
- Halloween Costume Ideas
- How to Cope With Trick-or-Treaters
Celebrities / Personal Stories
Reading personal accounts of others' experiences with SAD can help you to feel less alone. Social anxiety is not limited to any one type of person -- even celebrities can suffer with SAD.
- Celebrities With SAD
- Famous Recluses
- Barbra Streisand
- Donny Osmond
- Ricky Williams
- Ricky Williams' NFL Time Line
- Zack Greinke
- Dontrelle Willis
- Khalil Greene
- Susie O'Neill
- Kim Basinger
- Jamie Blyth
- Sir Laurence Olivier
- Jonathan Knight
- Interview With a Recovered Social Phobic
- A Day in the Life of Someone With SAD
- Blogs about SAD
- Movie Characters With Social Anxiety
- Shy Politicians
- Shy Comedians
Readers Respond
Looking to have your voice heard? Interested in sharing your experiences or reading those of others? Reader respond pieces are the perfect place to get involved.
- Readers Respond
- Public Speaking
- Living With SAD
- Treatment Stories
- Avoidance
- SAD in Friends/Family - The Effect on You
- SAD and Your Career
- SAD and Your Upbringing
- Eating in Front of Others
- College Experiences
- Have You Told Your Employer?
- Athletes and SAD
- Job Interviews
- Worst Thing Someone Has Said to You
- How Do You Open Up to a Therapist?
- How Do You Handle Dating?
- How Do You Handle Sex?
- Most and Least Favorite Places
- Best Conversation Starters
Readers Respond
Here are some more reader respond articles for you to share your experiences and read about the stories of others.
- How Do You Handle Using Public Restrooms?
- How Do You Talk to Your Doctor About Social Anxiety?
- Share Your Best or Worst Doctor Experiences
Show and Tell
Show and tell is a chance to describe to other readers how you did something related to your social anxiety. Perhaps you stumbled on a great coping strategy or lived through a terrible anxiety attack and have advice for others. Share your knowledge, experience and advice here.
- What Helped My Social Anxiety
- My Worst Public Speaking Experience
- How I Was Diagnosed With SAD
- My Daily Struggle With SAD
- What triggers My SAD
- Best Jobs for People With SAD
- My Spouse Has SAD
- Tell Us About Your SAD Blog
- My Proudest Moment
- Best Speech I Gave
- Tips for Attending Parties
Resources
A variety of resources for social anxiety disorder.
