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 and Dating

Social Anxiety and Dating, what a scary thought! Social anxiety and the thought of meeting people is scary enough, but when you add in the fact that you might like someone and want to make a good impression, dating can be above and beyond anxiety and turn into a full blown panic attack.

Practicing good strategies for meeting people is a great place to start. Good eye contact, smiling, learning small talk... Above all Stop Those Negative Thoughts!!!! Choose first date activities wisely. It might be better to go to an amusement park where there's lots of activities and things to do and talk about, rather than a quiet intimate dinner.

For those with social anxiety, it is very hard to meet people to practice good strategies. My suggestion earlier was to begin small, like with social networking sites online. Not so much to actually meet anyone in person from those sites, but to practice conversing.

It's a very scary thought to choose to get better, but it is so freeing, and it feels good. Good luck on your successful journey!