Understanding and Managing Social Anxiety

Anxiety is described as one’s anticipation of a threat real or imaginary.

The Diagnostic Statistical Manual 5 (DSM 5), (a clinician’s bible) lists a number of anxiety disorders. The prevalence rates between genders for many are listed as equal or higher among females. Social anxiety disorder is no exception.

Yet, an interesting fact about social anxiety disorder is that during research in clinical trials more males appeared to have social anxiety versus females.

The highest area of social anxiety for males is interacting with individuals they are attracted to.

Why the discrepancy? One reason for this could be that men are less likely to use medical services such as a mental health therapist. Mostly likely because of the associated stigma of mental health therapy. It could be that experiencing social anxiety is normalized in our culture of men.

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Hey Lost Boys, It’s Time to Leave Neverland

  
Written by: Jeff Craig

I grew up loving the story of Peter Pan. I remember fantasizing about the idea of a magical land where I could stay young forever and anything was possible. I imagined I was one of the Lost Boys, working along side Peter Pan as he thwarted Captain Hook’s evil schemes. I dreamed of flying over my neighborhood without a care in the world.

Now, in adulthood, the story of Peter Pan takes on a whole different meaning for me. I have come to realize that Neverland is real and there are many men out there still living in it as Lost Boys.

Lost Boy Syndrome or Peter Pan Complex are popular terms used in the mental health field. They are used to describe adult men who refuse to to grow up, despite their obvious physical appearance. They avoid responsibilities and only seek out the fun in life. They have no interest in finding a career, starting a family, or living a life of purpose. 

Our Existence is Humbling

Written by: John Glass

The last few weeks, I have been so focused on all of my jobs and tasks that I must get completed, that I have begun to feel exhausted. I know this feeling all too well. I am approaching burn out. I am getting close to the shutdown that creates feelings of giving up on all the tasks so that I can binge watch Netflix.

I am sure many of you have experienced a similar situation. You have your nose to the grind stone working as hard as you can to complete all the goals and tasks set before you.

The problem is, there will never be a completion of everything. There is no final thing to check off your list. There will always be something to do in your life.

No One Has It Figured Out: Reinventing Your Checklist

 Written by: Jeff Craig

I remember my first year of college. It was a new and exciting time for me. It was also the first time I felt real pressure. My first year of college was filled with new experiences.  It was the first time I lived away from home, it was the first time I was legally considered an adult, and it was first time people expected me to know exactly what I wanted to do with my life.

Since childhood, many of us have been raised on a particular framework of how life is supposed to go. You start school, pick a major, graduate, get a job in a prestigious field, get married, etc., etc., etc. The expectation was to follow this framework, check items off the list, and at the end of your life, turn the ticket into the big man upstairs.

The problem is, life doesn’t always work out the way you plan. Sometimes it takes longer to check items off the list. Sometimes, certain items never get checked off.