as told by Bill's Synapses
A short synopsis of each blog post is listed below. This is a great way to catch up without having to read every blog post! If a particular post piques your interest simply click on the title to read it in its entirety. Throughout the blogs Bill uses humor via conversations between his inner negative and positive voices and himself. Although funny, the intent is to show how one's negative inner voice plays a vital role in keeping the SAD sufferer down.November 6, 2011
Welcome
This blog post helps the reader understand a little about the writer (Bill) and what he is trying to accomplish via this blog. It is important to note that when this blog was published the information contained in the links in the "Pages" section (to the side of the blog) were embedded into the Home blog page. The reader at this time would have seen these various sections before reading the first blog post and therefore it would be beneficial for you to review this information yourself (the links are Disclaimer, Definitions, Goals & Reviews, Flowchart and About Me).
In this blog Bill wants his readers to know that Social Anxiety is a devastating disorder which ranks as the third highest mental disorder in the world. Only Alcoholism and Depression rank higher and many people with SAD are affected by Alcoholism and most if not all people with SAD suffer severe Depression. Bill asks you to imagine what your life would be like if you suffered an intense fear of interacting with other people. Bill points out that one of the most basic needs of humans is to interact with and form lasting bonds with others. Those suffering with SAD have a difficult (if not impossible) time interacting with and forming bonds with others. This leads to a feeling of complete loneliness even in a crowd.
Finally, Bill asks you to help him in his desire to educate as many people as possible simply by letting your friends and family know about this blog. People with SAD can't get the help they need unless this terrible disorder becomes known throughout the world. Those suffering from SAD cannot spread the word about this disorder because of the disorder. Bill wants to speak out on their behalf because he knows the pain and suffering that SAD sufferers go through daily.
November 14, 2011
Bill talks about his childhood and how he felt "shy" rather than anxious throughout most of this time. Near the end of sixth grade, shortly after turning 12, Bill recalls how he missed a lot of school because he felt "sick". This was the beginning of the intense anxiety that Bill would start feeling on a daily basis in the coming year. The summer before entering 8th grade, at the age of 13, Bill recalls the daily intense anxiety that began to plague him. He had no interest in doing anything with friends that he had once played with on a daily basis prior to this time. Bill stayed at home most of the time, by himself in his bedroom or the basement and only exited the house to go to school or when he was with his parents.
Bill's parents got him involved in competitive swimming the fall of the same year. It turned out to be an experience that might have saved him from being extremely isolated from others in the years to come. Bill loved the sport and had to force himself to deal with the anxiety of being around other people and race in front of crowds of people. Bill learned to "cope" in public situations despite the anxiety. Bill was still very much a loner and didn't interact with others unless they initiated an interaction.
Bill ends with a message to those with SAD and SM. Bill grew up in a time period when SAD did not have a name. The disorder wasn't officially named until Bill was 22 years old (although Bill knew nothing about the disorder until he was 44 years old). During Bill's younger days he was considered "extremely shy". Shyness was treated by desensitizing the individual (i.e. putting the individual in situations where the "shyness" was felt with the belief that the increased exposure to these situations would reduce the "shyness"). Bill also points out that he grew up in a time before the internet and therefore never knew anyone that was even remotely like him. He always felt that he was the only one in the world that suffered the way he did.
Bill's parents got him involved in competitive swimming the fall of the same year. It turned out to be an experience that might have saved him from being extremely isolated from others in the years to come. Bill loved the sport and had to force himself to deal with the anxiety of being around other people and race in front of crowds of people. Bill learned to "cope" in public situations despite the anxiety. Bill was still very much a loner and didn't interact with others unless they initiated an interaction.
Bill ends with a message to those with SAD and SM. Bill grew up in a time period when SAD did not have a name. The disorder wasn't officially named until Bill was 22 years old (although Bill knew nothing about the disorder until he was 44 years old). During Bill's younger days he was considered "extremely shy". Shyness was treated by desensitizing the individual (i.e. putting the individual in situations where the "shyness" was felt with the belief that the increased exposure to these situations would reduce the "shyness"). Bill also points out that he grew up in a time before the internet and therefore never knew anyone that was even remotely like him. He always felt that he was the only one in the world that suffered the way he did.
November 18, 2011
The Definitions link under the Pages section will provide detailed information about SAD and SM. Dr. Richard Thomas, Psychologist and a former SAD sufferer himself relates what SAD is like on his website for Social Phobia / Social Anxiety Association: "In public places... people with social anxiety feel that everyone is watching, staring, and judging them (even though rationally they know this isn't true). The socially anxious person can't relax... and enjoy themselves in public. It always feels like others are evaluating them, being critical of them, or "judging" them in some way. It's sometimes impossible to let go, relax, and focus on anything else except the anxiety and fear. Because the anxiety is so very painful, it's much easier just to stay away from social situations and avoid other people altogether."
Bill recalls the first day he was in public and did not feel the intense anxiety that was always with him. He felt that he was in an episode of the "Twilight Zone" because everything looked the same but his feelings were so foreign to him. For the first time in his life Bill was able to describe what SAD was like to him because he never experienced anything that he could contrast it to. He always thought that other people were able to deal with the intense anxiety better than he was able to. Finding out how it felt to not have intense anxiety made Bill realize why people like to be social!
Selective Mutism is not a disorder in itself. It stems from the anxiety that SAD sufferers and other anxiety disorder sufferers feel. Despite what the name suggests, people do not consciously "select" when to be "mute". The anxiety causes the mutism and the sufferer has no control over it. It is really more accurate to say that it is Situational Mutism. For Bill he became mute when initiating communication with others. He could respond to someone when they initiated the conversation albeit with as few of words as possible. For many SM sufferers they can't even respond to certain, or in some cases all, people. They are often dismissed as being stuck-up, snobbish, rude and the like.
Bill relates that for him SM did more to destroy his self esteem than SAD did. He could deal with being in public situations and learned to "cope" with the anxiety. The SM however was a menace. He relates that he knew how to talk and therefore felt so frustrated and angry when he had the words he wanted to say in his mind but could not get them to exit his mouth. Experiencing SM made him feel like he was "stupid" and completely different from everyone else.
Bill recalls the first day he was in public and did not feel the intense anxiety that was always with him. He felt that he was in an episode of the "Twilight Zone" because everything looked the same but his feelings were so foreign to him. For the first time in his life Bill was able to describe what SAD was like to him because he never experienced anything that he could contrast it to. He always thought that other people were able to deal with the intense anxiety better than he was able to. Finding out how it felt to not have intense anxiety made Bill realize why people like to be social!
Selective Mutism is not a disorder in itself. It stems from the anxiety that SAD sufferers and other anxiety disorder sufferers feel. Despite what the name suggests, people do not consciously "select" when to be "mute". The anxiety causes the mutism and the sufferer has no control over it. It is really more accurate to say that it is Situational Mutism. For Bill he became mute when initiating communication with others. He could respond to someone when they initiated the conversation albeit with as few of words as possible. For many SM sufferers they can't even respond to certain, or in some cases all, people. They are often dismissed as being stuck-up, snobbish, rude and the like.
Bill relates that for him SM did more to destroy his self esteem than SAD did. He could deal with being in public situations and learned to "cope" with the anxiety. The SM however was a menace. He relates that he knew how to talk and therefore felt so frustrated and angry when he had the words he wanted to say in his mind but could not get them to exit his mouth. Experiencing SM made him feel like he was "stupid" and completely different from everyone else.
December 4, 2011
Bill explains what he sees as the difference between being shy and being socially anxious. The difference is in the intensity of fear or anxiety. A shy person may feel anxiety in a social situation but will become somewhat or completely comfortable over time. A socially anxious person may not even be able to enter the situation or if they do their anxiety will not ease with the passing of time.
Bill gives a short narrative of what might go through the mind of a socially anxious person within the first few seconds of a party he attends with a friend. Anxiety sufferers also go through a lot of pre-worrying and pre-anxiety for several hours/days/weeks or even months that preceded the event.
Bill describes shyness to him as being in the "gut" or the proverbial butterflies in the stomach feeling. Whereas for SAD Bill says he feels it in his head, thoughts racing so fast for so long that it is difficult if not impossible to think clearly.
Bill gives a short narrative of what might go through the mind of a socially anxious person within the first few seconds of a party he attends with a friend. Anxiety sufferers also go through a lot of pre-worrying and pre-anxiety for several hours/days/weeks or even months that preceded the event.
Bill describes shyness to him as being in the "gut" or the proverbial butterflies in the stomach feeling. Whereas for SAD Bill says he feels it in his head, thoughts racing so fast for so long that it is difficult if not impossible to think clearly.
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