Elevation Behavioral Health

  By Steven Booth, Founder of Elevation Behavioral Health   How odd the world seems after spending a couple months cooped up at home. When it was finally okay to venture outside again, to many it felt like an alien world. Even driving a car felt foreign, and many felt a sensitivity to noise and felt over-stimulated in general being back out in the world. In addition to the strangeness of reentering society after the lockdown, many also experienced social anxiety. This can be so pronounced that some thought, “ I think I’m losing my mind !” Social anxiety is characterized by a sense of fear or dread when in a social situation. Symptoms of social anxiety include: Nausea Irrational fear of being judged or humiliated in public Blushes easily Shortness of breath Racing heart Feeling faint Dizziness Sweating Trembling The Anxiety and Depression Association of America has reported that approximately 15 million U.S. adults suffer from social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety can be cri...

  By Steven Booth, Founder of Elevation Behavioral Health   "Don't be a downer!"    "You're fine!"    "There's nothing to worry about."    We've all heard them. These mostly well-intentioned admonitions to suck it up, focus on the positive, and keep smiling that feel dismissive to our suffering. How long have we been fed the sugary-sweet mantra that we must go through life seeing the glass as perpetually “half full?” But some of life's problems are hardly solved with cheerful quips, and it's important to note that it's okay not to feel okay !   This mask of positivity is thus termed "toxic positivity". But how could it possibly be toxic to be a positive person, you ask? Well, in real life with real human beings, the expectation to hide our sad stuff is simply unrealistic. In reality, life is chock full of real ups and real downs, and to attempt to suppress any negative emotions we might experience will only come back ...