Social Anxiety or Agoraphobia?


Hey everybody. Happy Thursday! And when it's Thursday … what is it? I'm doing an FAQ video or things in the media. There are a lot of things in the media. Many of you have commented. Don't think that I have missed it. But I had a couple of good questions today that I wanted to address. And I've been doing some thinking about videos, and I think I'm going to do my journal topics as separate videos.


I find many of you have let me know that you really like those short, clip videos, where it's just something inspirational to kind of help get you through your day. So instead of doing two videos a week, now I'll do three. And I'll do a, you know, journal topic inspiration. So share your ideas! If there's anything that you've read about, heard about, saw on Pinterest or something tweet it to me, leave it in the comments below. And I shall make a video about that. So today I have two questions, and both of these are really good. So let's get going. First question says, "Hey Kati. First of all very nice video." This person's referring to the agoraphobia video I put out on Monday. If you haven't checked it out, you should check it out.


"I have a question. Describing the disorder you really focused on embarrassment connected to the possibility of getting out of a stressful situation. Does this feeling have anything in common with social anxiety? And if so, what are the main differences?" Because if you remember correctly in my video I talk about agoraphobia being an anxiety disorder. Now the really awesome thing about the DSM … cause I have to put a different book under my thing, because I had to use this to reference … is that it shares with you differential diagnoses, which is really the way of saying how is this different from the other disorders. Because a lot of them seem very similar. How do we differentiate between the two? And it says, I'm gonna read this to you, 'cause I tend to blab so sometimes it's good if I just read you what it says.


So with reference to social anxiety disorder, or social phobia, it says "agoraphobia should be differentiated from social anxiety disorder based primarily on the situational clusters that trigger the fear, anxiety or avoidance, and the cognitive ideation." So in social anxiety disorder the focus is on the fear of being negatively evaluated. If you remember when I've talked about this in other videos, social anxiety is when we fear what other people are thinking of us, what they might say to others about us, that we could be negatively evaluated by them. Agoraphobia is more about trying to get out, having a panic attack, being embarrassed about trying to leave. Now I see how these kind of go together, but you can also see how they're separated. The social anxiety is more about how we're perceived by others, where as agoraphobia is just the fear, like it says the fear or anxiety or avoidance because we worry about how we'll get out if we have a panic attack.


Or that it could be really embarrassing, because we might stumble, like try to get out really quickly. I hope that that makes it clear. If you need more clarification feel free to re-ask the question and I can blab some more. Okay. Question number two, "Hey Kati my therapist told me she'd like me to see a dietician." Uhh, she didn't! "Only I'm not sure I really need it." You never think you do. Sorry I'll stop with my commentary. "I do some eating disorder behaviors, but I still eat enough most days. And the behaviors are only there for a few days, and then I have other behaviors. Different behaviors that switch off and on. And I've only seen my therapist for two times now. And I've only really told her what went wrong. I don't want to waste peoples' time going to a dietician when I don't really need it." This got so much chatter on the website.


Holy schmollies, you guys really had opinions about this. So I thought, let's talk about it. Now seeing a dietician is good. It's something that we can all, all of us who have any kind of eating disorder behaviors. I know you're thinking but I don't really think I have an eating disorder. I only purge sometimes or I only restrict, but it comes off and on. I have a video from like I don't know … any of my OG's out there? It's like two years ago, my original FAQ video. I'm wearing like a teal sweater. It says FAQ on the thumbnail so just search. Well no you can't, because all of my videos would come up. But anyway it says FAQs. One of them is If You Think You Have an Eating Disorder You Probably Do.


Just let that wash over you for a second. Because I know it's hard, and we always think "But it's not that bad. I don't do it all the time. It comes and goes." Eating disorders are sneaky. They like come in, I feel like they're like ink in water, where all of a sudden the water is turned a whole different color. But we're like but it only just started this little. It's crazy. It can get in there, morph, change. As soon as you think you understand where it comes from and what it's doing, it's already changing to something else. And so even when we feel like "it's not bad enough to get more help" we still need to get more help. Because the sooner we get the help, the better. And seeing a dietician, whether we binge, whether we purge, whether we binge and purge, whether we restrict, whether we over exercise.


It doesn't matter. We're using any kind of eating disorder behavior, a dietician can really help. They're not going to make you get fat. They're not gonna make you eat too much food. That's part of their job. They're going to work with you to put together a plan, set goals with you, and they're going to check in with you. And they're going to challenge you, but it's all part of the process. Just like with the therapist, I'm not going to make you go all the way at once. Like we're gonna go through this, just, you know, get through all this shit and move on. That's not how it works. It's a process, and they're going to work with you. And I encourage all of you, when you're therapist says you know you should probably see a dietician, do it. They are really helpful. They are amazing. They will definitely help you manage those symptoms. They'll ask you the hard questions about food and what you think about food.


Because we know it's not about the food, but we're using food to cope. And so they will work on that spot with you so your therapist can help you better manage the emotional stuff. Together you get the best results, so don't think you have to be on death's doorstep to get help. Don't think that you have to be really thick in your eating disorder to get a dietitian to help you.


You can all benefit. If you're struggling with any eating disorder behavior please see a dietitian as well as a therapist. It gives you the best outcome. Promise. Okay. I love you all. I will see you, I'm not sure when I'll put out the journal topic video. You'll just have to subscribe, so you don't miss it. And then I will see you all on Monday. And some of you I'll see in New York. Yea! Okay, bye! Subtitles by the Amara.org community.



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5 Easy Tips to Beat Anxiety!

Hey everyone Today, I’m going to talk with you about five tips to beat anxiety, So stay tuned. So, like I said Today, I want to talk with you about five helpful tips to beat anxiety. I’ve heard from so many of you that you struggle with this, And there are so many ways that we can help ourselves, And this is only five. There are tons of ways, But these are just some helpful tips to get. You started Number one Keeping busy all day. I know that sounds really silly and simple, But often times our anxiety, loves and lives in the quiet When we have nothing to do And we are sitting at home And we are moping about It. Kind of takes a mole hill and turns it into a mountain When we have time to ruminate and think about things, It can make it so much worse. But if we are just going about our day, We’re doing things We’re making deals. We’re breaking hearts. We don’t have time to think about it. So I would encourage you if you are able plan your days out, Make sure you have things happening Back to back to back You,’re scooting on through The second helpful tip. Is what we call’feeling focusing 39, And this is something that we can do, no matter where we are, Which I love about tips, Because we never know when the anxiety may strike And feeling focusing is when we focus on the area in our body where We feel the anxiety For some of us. It might be our throat Our chest, Our stomach. It could be in our shoulders Wherever you feel it physically. I want you to focus on that spot And I want you to slowly breath into it And if you find your mind wandering Bring it back to that spot Keep breathing. Slowly – And I know this is just one of those things where you are like’Kati – that sounds really weird 39, But I promise you, by drawing your focus back to the area in your body. Back to that area Over and over Your anxiety will diminish It.’s because our mind can’t go out, searching for more things to worry us with It slowly, dissipates. The third helpful tip is exercise Now. Obviously I don’t want you to do anything to an extreme, But taking a thirty minute walk If you like to run and it’s not unhealthy, You go for a run. Maybe you jump some rope. Maybe you take your dog out. Maybe you walk with a friend, Maybe you do yoga Whatever it is. If you play tennis Play basketball There’s, so many things to do Just last week I went to Target and got Sean and I some tennis, rackets and basketballs. So we can play Anything. You can do to exert some physical energy Can help with anxiety, Often times when we have a lot of pent up. Energy Anxiety thrives So having an outlet for that. Even if it’s just nervous energy, Having an outlet like exercise Can really help bring it down. The fourth helpful tip is phoning a friend I feel like we are on Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, But it’s really important to contact people and to have people on what I always talk to my clients about on your’emergency call list’And this isn’t a real this isn’t like an emergency 39. I’m going to the ER I’m bleeding I broke a bone 39. This is 39. I’m feeling stressed I’m feeling overwhelmed. I don’t know what to do right now. 39. We need to have at least five people on this list. If you can, Because we never know who can pick up right, Some people might be in class. Some people might be asleep. Some people might be at work, We don’t know, But we want to make sure we have people that we can contact Even if it’s a text. I know now we text more than we actually call, But I want you to reach out to people Because having someone on the line Having someone talking to us, I think calling is the best Because hearing someone’s voice can be so soothing And sometimes when We feel like we are a ten on our anxiety scale. It can help bring us back down to maybe a six Or a five And the more we talk with them And the more we kind of vent to them about what’s going on with us. The better we will start to feel The fifth and final tip Is something that I don’t really talk that much about on my channel, And that is going to see a psychiatrist. And the reason that I wanted to put this in here Is because there are those of us who doing these things. This feeling focusing we’re exercising, We’re trying everything to help ourselves. We’re seeing our own therapist And nothing gives It’s not getting better, And sometimes it’s getting worse And seeing a psychiatrist. They can offer medications that can help with it. Now. Obviously, I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I’m, not a physician. I don’t prescribe medication, But it can be so helpful and so pivotal in your recovery And don’t be ashamed of it. Many people seek help from psychiatrists. How else would they even exist? They wouldn’t have a job or career People see them. When we can’t do enough ourselves, The medication can help us get there. I often tell my clients – and this still rings. True. All research shows that therapy and medication gives us the best possible outcome, Because sometimes our mind is running so quickly. Things are happening so fast That we can’t even think about doing anything to help ourselves. We’re just trying to stay afloat. It’s so overwhelming, And medication can help with that, Bring that anxiety level down enough That we can actually take action. We can start making steps towards our recovery, Putting things in place, Creating plans. It can give us that little bit of squish. We need to get started, So I would encourage you If you have tried a lot of things And that’s not helping Reach out to your psychiatrist Or your general practitioner doctor And let’s start working on recovery. As always, don’t forget to subscribe to my channel. I put out videos five days a week And you don’t want to miss them, And if you have any tips and tricks of your own That have helped with your anxiety. Can you let us know below, Because we’re a wonderful community Sharing in our experience And together we’re getting better And we are towards a healthy mind and a healthy body. Now don’t forget to like the video And if you click below there,’s a little share button. Don’t forget to share it on reddit. That will help more people, get the tips and tricks that we know about. It will help get that information out there And keep working with me Towards a healthy mind and a healthy body. The snaps don’t bug the Okay, I like to snap Subtitles by the Amara org community.