Tiffany Werhner hosted and moderated a panel discussion on Social Anxiety and Hypersensitivity. Panelists: David Aguilera, Kirk Patrick Miller, and James Prescott.
Hear the hopes and intentions to live a less anxious life. An open and free-flowing conversation with mental health advocates, talking with vulnerability and honesty about the challenges they face particularly related to being hypersensitive and having social anxiety. We learn a bit about each other as they introduce themselves, then the conversation is more free-flowing.
Tiffany had a few specific questions to keep the conversation focused. Our show Guests were David Aguilera, Kirk Patrick Miller, and James Prescott. All three of these gentlemen suffer from hypersensitivity as well as anxiety and live their day-to-day lives with these underlying mental health issues. The guests were all on the show to talk about social anxiety and hypersensitivity, something they all share in common. Each had his own history of dealing with the issue and touched on a number of subjects in regard to how this level of anxiety leads to being hyper-aware.
With anxiety and hypersensitivity, one is literally taking in every single input there is around them, and overwhelming their own ability to process it all. It affects everyday activities, relationships, and can often lead to physical ailments. While some of the effects were common across the panel, others were not. Everyone experiences anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and rumination differently, to different degrees, and also depending on the situation.
Each of our panelists has taken their experiences and turned them into methods of helping people. After a phone call from Jennifer, who asked for the panelists’ opinions on her hypersensitivity that is so severe it makes her stay physically curled in a ball in her bed. Specifically, she talked about making a mistake or saying something incorrectly in a social situation, which probably anyone who has ever had anxiety could identify with. The panel immediately responded with understanding, positivity, and kindness. The group was in agreement that we are our own worst critics, noticing every single mistake we make, and dwelling on them for hours when in reality, most other people have already forgotten about them. There’s so much more in the show, so please, take a watch, and if you can’t do that, ask your smartphone or smart speaker to “Play the Moments of Clarity with Tiffany podcast” so you can take a listen.
