Selective mutism is one of the most misunderstood childhood anxiety disorders. A child with selective mutism may speak freely at home or with a close trusted friend, but may become silent or feel unable to speak in other environments such as school, social gatherings, or public places. To outside observers, it can look like stubbornness or defiance. In...

Many people experience much social anxiety when speaking a language that they did not grow up with among native speakers of that language.
According to Ethnologue, an organization that maintains a comprehensive database of the world’s languages, there are approximately 7,159 living languages spoken among the world’s 7.6 billion people (as of 2025). The...

Deemed the “F*ck It 40s” across pop culture, women often hear lore that they will reach a magical time when they no longer care what others think. While this may be the experience of some, many find the opposite to occur, especially those with a pre-existing anxiety disorder.
As women reach their 40s and into their 50s, perimenopause and menopause...

Paruresis, also known as shy bladder syndrome, describes a form of social anxiety in which a person experiences distress and/or difficulty urinating in the presence of others. Specifically, a worry regarding being judged by others or “exposed” as having difficulty or not being able to pee “normally” is often at the core of great apprehension and...