Psychiatrist Michiel Bosman edits the web site Open Forest.
This month, the site is focusing on the topic of anxiety. Dr. Bosman
asked me to share either the overview page or one of the blog posts, and
I would like to share this article:
Helping Your Partner with Severe Social Anxiety: 5 Experts Weigh In
Something that Michele Paiva said in the article stood out to me:
“Social anxiety can be a wedge in an otherwise healthy relationship,
and bring on patterns that lead to dysfunction. Imagine having a partner
that refuses to, or creates stress around, family visits, going to a
child’s school play, attending a holiday performance, going to work
picnics, or simply being cordial to neighbors.”
A lot of the advice in the article sounds reasonable: be supportive,
set small goals with your partner, and understand that your
socially-anxious partner may need time to recharge.
One of the contributors, Carolyn Dean, says that magnesium can
alleviate anxiety and “will go a long way in keeping a person calm in
social settings.” I’m neither endorsing that claim nor criticizing it,
since I don’t know enough to evaluate it. But she has links and a book,
if you are interested.