Overcoming Shyness and Social Anxiety

by Ruth Searle, Oliver Rixon

The number of people with some form of shyness has increased, and research now suggests that up to 50 per cent of people experience it. Many of these are "shy extroverts" - people who are publicly outgoing, but privately experience painful thoughts or feelings. Social phobia, the more chronic form of shyness, is now thought to affect about 13 per cent of people. People who are shy are also at increased risk of depression and anxiety. The growth in shyness may be partly due to increased reliance on technology as a means of communicating, leaving people less adept at face to face interaction. As children are increasingly forced off the streets and families become smaller so there are fewer opportunities for unstructured, unsupervised interaction. Finally, automation is replacing human contact in many areas of life from ATMs to the notorious telephone answering services.This book looks the anthropological and cultural contexts of shyness; social development and personality; the benefits of shyness such as more committed relationships; how to increase confidence; dealing with social anxiety; finding friends and romance; and, shyness and longer-lasting psychological problems.

Genres: Psychology, Self Help, Audiobook

128 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2008

About the author

Ruth Searle is one of those archetypal creative types. If she’s not writing, she’s covered in paint in her art studio.

Her writing now focuses on intensely emotional psychological thrillers and there's no shortage of gruesome murders, grisly medical scenes and plots with lots of twists and turns.

Ruth's debut thriller, NO PLACE TO HIDE is the first in a series of fast-paced, emotional thrillers featuring surgeon, Daniel Kendrick. Published by The Book Guild on 28th March 2023.

She has written several academic courses on marine biology subjects as well as several books on self help and business.

She had a long nursing and midwifery career, mainly in neonatal intensive care, and she also studied marine biology at Swansea University. She has a PhD for her humpback whale research. She's travelled the world swimming with whales and sharks and painting with elephants but has finally settled down to be what she's always wanted to be - a thriller writer! She lives in the Monmouthshire countryside with her husband, cats, rescued hens and turkeys.

www.ruthsearle.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...

Also writes as Oliver Rixon.

Reviews

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very informative. I came away enlightened about what I considered a crippling behavior. Historically how our personality traits were passed down from our cavemen ancestors as survival tools. Bottom line, my shy tendencies should be embraced as assets. This was a great introduction into the topics of shyness and being introverted, for they are not one in the same. Now that I have my facts straight I will be moving in the right direction to not overcome my shyness but to being more comfortable with it as a part of myself and developing tools through cognitive behavior therapy to overcome my false or negative thoughts.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the most engaging, but educational- a good introduction to the science of neural plasticity and the benefits of cbt in relation to social anxiety and shyness.

[L.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bardzo fajna książka. Trochę inna niż wszystkie jakie o tym przeczytałem, bo w tej dużo jest o mechanizmach lęku i nieśmiałości ale przede wszystkim pod kątem ewolucyjnym - to nieco inne spojrzenie, ale dużo daje, przynajmniej moim zdaniem, to takie jeszcze głębsze wchodzenie w podstawy, może naprawdę trafi do mnie jak wiele z tych mechanizmów jest pozostałościami ewolucji i tylko dlatego się uruchamiają, choć w dzisiejszych czasach już zupełnie nie pasują ("Nie walczysz przecież z lwem na śmierć i życie, tylko idziesz na obiad z partnerem w interesach" - czy jak to tam było :D ).
Fajne było też omówienie mechanizmu "zajadania stresu", zwłaszcza słodyczami (węglowodanami), może dlatego tak lubię węglowodany ;)
A potem są rady, które są już trochę bardziej typowe ale też jakoś świeże wydały mi się niektóre.

[excalibur1974 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book very informative. It deconstructs exactly what shyness is. It makes it clear that there is not much that can be done about as it's primarily genetic, but also focuses on some of the positives that it can bring.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of it didn't apply to me (like finding a partner if you have social anxiety), but much of it apply to me. The speed with which I finished this book indicates, perhaps, how much I need it.