In the U.S., 40 million adults have an anxiety disorder. Author Patricia Pearson is one of them: She is a regular visitor to Flu Wiki, an online community that fears an impending influenza outbreak. She ...

My 10-year-old son was bullied recently. He was told that he was an “embarrassment.” He was told to “shut up.” He was yelled at and scolded in a tone of voice tinged with disgust and ...

MJ's mother is worried. "She's so shy. Whenever we get together with people, I mean even one or two people, she hangs behind me. I don’t know how to encourage her." MJ is four ...

There is much evidence that strong friendships and relationships can positively influence health. But if you tend to become anxious in social settings, you may not be gaining the potential benefits. Social phobia or anxiety ...

Extroverts have easier lives, it would seem, than those of us who place more value on peace and quiet. Popular culture appears to be in love with noise and speed, with high-energy, fast-paced TV shows, ...

Many years ago, when I was a young adolescent, an adult in my life said that she dreamed about a great chasm, a chasm so deep that she couldn't see to the bottom of it, ...

I had a hero when I was a young girl: Loretta Young. On her 1950s television series, she represented all that was stylish, glamorous, and graceful. Each week, when she glided down those stairs in ...

How do you respond to other people? Do you know the difference between assertion and aggression? Is it ever appropriate to be aggressive or submissive? Which style do you favor? While growing up, we learn ...

It's the quintessential human emotion, says New Brunswick, N.J., psychologist Michael Lewis, Ph.D., in his writings. All extravagant behaviors are reactions to it, says Philadelphia psychiatrist Donald I. Nathanson, M.D. It's the root of dysfunctions ...

Shame has many faces. Is that one of them in your mirror? In "Shame & Guilt: Masters of Disguise," Jane Middelton-Moz, a Montpelier, Vt.-based trainer, consultant and community interventionist, lists the following as common features ...

Phobias are persistent, irrational fears of certain objects or situations. Phobias occur in several forms; the fear associated with a phobia can focus on a particular object (specific phobia) or be a fear of embarrassment ...

Phobias occur in several forms. A specific phobia is a fear of a particular object or situation. Social phobia is a fear of being painfully embarrassed in a social setting. And agoraphobia, which often accompanies ...

Do cocktail parties strike terror in your heart? If so, you are not alone. Although the ability to converse with others comes naturally to some, it is a skill that most of us must develop. Many ...

Anxiety disorders come in many varieties. Descriptions of some of the most common disorders follow: Generalized Anxiety Disorder: GAD is characterized by persistent anxiety unrelated to a specific event. People suffering from GAD cannot help worrying ...

Anxiety, worry, and stress are all afflictions of life in the modern world. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 10 percent of the American population, or 24 million people, suffer from anxiety ...