ANYONE WHO has experienced anxiety, whether daily or occasionally, can tell you it’s not a pleasant experience. The nerves and self-doubt can creep in, stopping you from being fully present or enjoying the moment. It’s a common occurrence, with about 31.1% of U.S. adults having one or more anxiety disorders in their lifetime.
One of the events that can bring on anxiety is meeting new people—especially romantic partners. Dating is a vulnerable experience, and dating with anxiety is even more so. It can cause you to question how you look, what you say, and if you’ll meet the right person.
“For individuals with significant social anxiety, fears about rejection can be so intense that a person doesn’t pursue dating at all,” says Dr. Tynessa Franks, a clinical psychologist who specializes in helping adults learn evidence-based strategies to improve problems with social anxiety. “Even for those who don’t have a clinical level of anxiety, the nerves that come up before, during, and after a dating situation can impact how a person initiates a date.”
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It’s all too easy to let anxiety stop you from pursuing things that could make you happy, such as finding a great partner. To help you navigate this, eight leading experts shared their best advice for dating with anxiety, from how to put yourself at ease to working through anxiety.
Expert: Danielle Tucci, LPC, a psychotherapist and a clinical supervisor at a behavioral health agency.
Anxiety is a common experience, and remembering this can help you feel less alone and cope. “One principle of self-compassion work discusses the concept of ‘common humanity.’ It is a helpful reminder that pain and discomfort is part of the shared human experience, something that we all go through, rather …….