What You Must Think of Me A Firsthand Account of One Teenager's Experience with Social Anxiety Disorder

"We've all felt occasional pangs of shyness and self-consciousness, but if you are a teenager or young adult with social anxiety disorder, then you know that the dread of being scrutinized and criticized can reach disabling proportions. What You Must Think of Me is the first person account of Emily Ford's struggle with social anxiety disorder (or SAD). Now an adult, Ford candidly reveals how she struggled with - and eventually overcame - the obstacles of social anxiety disorder as a young person. With the help of medical adviser Michael Liebowitz and science writer Linda Wasmer Andrews, Ford couples her own story with the latest medical and scientific information about SAD. Here you will find easy-to-understand science about SAD, including its causes, symptoms, and diagnosis. You'll also learn about the various psychotherapies available for young people with SAD, with tips on how to seek - and make the most of - professional help, as well as such issues as how to manage psychiatric medications, how to handle difficult social situations, and how to talk to family and friends about mental illness."--BOOK JACKET.

Emily Ford grew up in a rural farming community in the most northern regions of New York State. She has a Master's Degree in Secondary English Education and is involved in mental health consumer advocacy. She lives in Washington, DC with her dog Zsa Zsa. Michael Liebowitz, M.D. is Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University. He is also the author of Chemistry of Love and Social Phobia: Diagnosis, Assessment, and Treatment. Linda Wasmer Andrews is a freelance science writer. Her books include If Your Adolescent Has Depression or Bipolar Disorder: An Essential Resource for Parents, with Dwight Evans (OUP 2005), and If Your Adolescent Has an Anxiety Disorder: An Essential Resource for Parents, with Edna Foa (OUP, 2006).