Does Paula Abdul Have Social Anxiety? Video!

I am a huge American Idol fan, and after last night’s shocking episode, I’m wondering out loud: Does Paula Abdul have social anxiety? It’s not uncommon for celebrities to have social anxiety even though they are in the public eye.

Donny Osmond and Barbra Streisand both experienced social anxiety as well as hundreds more just like them; so again, it is not uncommon for celebrities to have social anxiety.

Some of the ways people have tried to deal with social anxiety are with drugs or alcohol. I am not saying Paula Abdul uses drugs or alcohol, I am just saying that is a common way of dealing with social anxiety.

Does Paula Abdul Have Social Anxiety?

If you have ever watched American Idol or have read the news at all about Paula Abdul, you know that at times she acts a little out of the ordinary. Last night’s American Idol episode was no different except that she really screwed up.

Read about her screw up HERE. Watch the video HERE.

Paula was acting very, very strangely and she also judged Idol contestant Jason Castro on two songs, despite him only singing one of the songs. Paula was very confused and said she thought he sang two songs.

I don’t want to surmise that she was under the influence of anything because I love Paula, but she really screwed up last night and that’s what got me wondering if she is trying to deal with social anxiety.

She is in the public eye; she gets scrutinized by the public A LOT; she acts very strangely sometimes like she’s really not all there; and she is always the “nice” judge, wanting to please everyone.

If Paula Abdul does have social anxiety, I hope someone can help her because social anxiety is awful to deal with every day.

Social Anxiety Sufferers | Stop Being Doormats!

Stop being a doormat! You know you are, because you are stressed and full of anxiety. Those suffering from social anxiety are higher on the list of doormat placement. Why, because those with social anxiety want to please everyone.

Social anxiety sufferers would rather be a doormat to those around them then to be judged by everyone around them. The problem is being a doormat can increase anxiety and depression.

Social Anxiety Sufferers Stop Being a Doormat!

Social anxiety sufferers listen up because you need this probably more than anyone. You will start following the items below and stop being a doormat today.

• Rehearse saying the word “no” as often as you possibly can. If someone asks you to do something and you planned on doing something else, then politely say no. You don’t have to go into a long drawn out explanation as that will only make you look weak.
• Take care of yourself. This is a big one for anyone, social anxiety sufferers too, as it makes people feel selfish. No one else is going to take care of you so you must take care of yourself; that is not being selfish. Do what you want to do whether it’s gardening, jogging, reading, or napping, take time every day and take care of yourself.
• Give yourself some time before committing to anything. If someone asks you to do something and you might have the time so you don’t want to say no, but you’re not sure, tell them you will think about it. If you are not ready to make a decision do not let anyone rush you.

One more important thing to look out for is to not let anyone manipulate you or make you feel bad for any of the above. You deserve respect, so start giving yourself respect and you will receive it as well.

Social Anxiety | Bullying Can Hurt You!

I’ve been reading that a new study has found that bullying can hurt you and cause anxiety and social anxiety in adulthood. Remember what you were told to say to bullies? “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Well, I guess that was all a lie!

Bullying in childhood can actually cause anxiety and social anxiety in adulthood according to this study. 210 college students were studied and the University of Florida researchers have found a link between social bullying in childhood to depression and anxiety in adulthood.

Bullying Can Cause Social Anxiety

I can see how the bullying and gossiping and shunning of children by other children can really affect the psyche of another child. Social anxiety is a fear of being judged by another, and that’s all bullying is to a certain degree.

When you’ve grown up being bullied and shunned by your peers, it sounds very normal that one would carry those feelings into adulthood, but now what do we do with this information?

Do we try to convince other parents and schools that bullying isn’t just child’s play or just a part of growing up? I can tell you from experience that probably won’t work.

My child was bullied many years ago, and it got to the point that she was even cornered in the bathroom. My husband and I had a talk with the principal at the time and she said my daughter needs to stop wearing her feelings on her sleeve.

Thank goodness my child doesn’t have social anxiety to the point I did when I was her age. Some children will develop severe anxiety, social anxiety, or depression, however, and I hope everyone reads this study so they can be aware.

After all, bullying can hurt you, and living with anxiety and social anxiety is nothing to laugh at.

Social Anxiety | Recipe For Success

I found the recipe for success for anyone, and especially those with anxiety, social anxiety, depression, procrastination, and just plain feelings of worthlessness.

Recipe for Success!

What are the ingredients for this recipe for success? Well, it is called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. There are only 7 ingredients in this successful recipe, but very, very highly effective ingredients.

This 384 page book is a manual for performing better in both your personal and business life. Covey takes you through a life change which affects how you see and act in several areas including time management and positive thinking.

Learning and applying the 7 habits in this book is a learning process as this book isn’t a quick-fix kind of book. Once you have mastered the lesson you will be successful in all that you do.

Over 500 people have given this book a 5-star review and it has sold more than 10 million copies. It has been called a powerful seminar in book form. Read more on this recipe for success HERE.

Social Anxiety | DASH Diet Laugh!

Contrary to what I originally thought, the DASH Diet has nothing to do with Mrs. Dash. You know the Mrs. Dash seasoning line? Go ahead and laugh. We all know it feels good to laugh. It helps release tension and it lifts our mood. So what better way to get out of our depressed state and social anxiety tendencies? Here is your laughter for the day.

Let me back up for a second. I am searching for healthier eating habits as I could stand to lose some weight. I gained a few pounds when I quit smoking (again) and I don’t want my weight to get out of control. I’m not looking for a diet because I hate that word, but some healthier food choices won’t hurt.

I was on the WebMD.com site looking for anything of interest as far as eating, or healthy foods, or what have you, when I came across the DASH Diet. I thought, the DASH Diet? I use Mrs. Dash all the time and it tastes good, but I haven’t noticed any weight loss. LOL

Well, the DASH Diet doesn’t have anything to do with Mrs. Dash. It actually stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It is a “diet” that helps with hypertension. And although I don’t have high blood pressure, it runs rampant in my family so I think I’ll give it a try.

I am not advocating the DASH Diet, but if you want more information on it, just click HERE. I just thought I would give you your laugh for the day.

Social Anxiety | The Bachelorette?

So what does social anxiety and The Bachelorette have in common? We all know social anxiety and dating go together like oil and water.

The Bachelorette fans out there probably remember Trista Rehn when she chose Ryan Sutter in the finale episode. Well, social anxiety has nothing to do with either one of them, but it does have something to do with Jamie Blyth.

Jamie Blyth was the first contestant to step out of the limousine to meet Trista, and he suffered from social anxiety. He even appeared on the Oprah show to talk about his problem, except he doesn’t have social anxiety anymore.

Jamie Blyth, like many others, has managed to overcome social anxiety and panic attacks. He is living proof that it can be done. Imagine going from locking yourself in your dorm room for a month like Jamie did to being a contestant on The Bachelorette!

He also wrote a book called Fear Is No Longer My Reality where he explains what worked and didn’t work on his journey to overcome social anxiety. It is also chock full of comments and advice from experts in social and other anxiety disorders.

Read more about Jamie Blyth’s book on how he was able to overcome social anxiety and panic episodes HERE.

Social Anxiety | Stress Zappers!

Social anxiety and stress seem to go hand in hand. Stress can come from several different areas in our life, and when it gets out of control, we need to zap that stress!

Do you work under pressure of deadlines at school or at your work? Is there an illness in your family or has there been a recent death? Do you have money problems? Or do you just suffer from social anxiety and everything seems to cause stress?

Stress can cause all kinds of problems from an increase in anxiety to a decrease in sleep. Obviously the benefits of reducing stress then are a reduction in anxiety, and better sleeping, which will increase your energy and focus.

If you can identify where your stress is coming from, the easiest way to decrease the stress is to be rid of the stress causing problem. If FiFi is causing you stress, maybe FiFi would be better off living elsewhere. I don’t think getting rid of FiFi would be very easy, though.

So we are going to learn how to relax instead. One way is to lie down in a quiet room and focus on one part of the body at a time. For instance, concentrate on your foot and only your foot, all the while telling your foot to relax. Allow your foot to fall slightly towards the floor as it relaxes. Once your foot feels warm and relaxed, continue this method to the rest of your body parts.

Another stress zapper is to picture in your mind a nice and relaxing place. Maybe you think the beach is relaxing or the woods or some special place you feel is relaxing. Immerse your mind into that scene. If it is at the beach, feel the sun on your face and the spray of water on your body. If it is the woods, smell the fresh air and the pine trees.

Some people over-look their diet when they are complaining about stress. How many cups of coffee or soda do you drink per day? Pay close attention to the caffeine you consume every day.
Still others need a little extra help to zap that stress, and that is okay too. Whatever it takes to reduce stress and live a healthier life is all that counts.

PureCalm is a natural way to promote inner calmness. Use this to help balance unsettled emotions from everyday pressure and stress.

Stress Management Training is a great tool to prepare you to handle stress, and to help bring stress down immediately. Instant Stress Relief is another great tool that will trigger the release of hormones and neurotransmitters that flood your body and mind with pure, cleansing relaxation.

It doesn’t matter which stress zapper you choose, as long as you choose to zap stress out of your life.

Social Anxiety | Compliment Time!

Oh, the dreaded compliments! If you have any kind of anxiety, especially social anxiety, you understand just what that statement means. Giving and receiving compliments is a great social skill to have, but it is the worst feeling when someone with social anxiety feels the compliment time approaching.

So, what is one to do when it comes compliment time? Well, if you are receiving a compliment, that’s great! First and foremost, accept the compliment, as compliments are gifts. Don’t try to minimize the compliment, don’t slam the compliment, and don’t disagree with the compliment. Accept the compliment graciously at least by saying Thank You.

It would be nice if you could add something to that like Thank you I picked it up (your outfit) at such and such store. Or, thank you I love working with little kids (great with kids). If not, the least you say is a thank you if you are complimented for something you have or for something you did.

If you are giving the compliment, please be genuine. If you tell someone you like their dress and you don’t, well, that’s not genuine and if might come across that way. Try to be specific with your compliment, also.

If you like someone’s jacket or shoes, what is it you like about the jacket or shoes? Do you like the color? Do you like the design? If you can be more specific with your compliment, it will sound more sincere and genuine.

Compliments are great when they are sincere, so if you suffer from some forms of anxiety, like social anxiety, keep these tips in mind the next time it is compliment time.