Red Face
How I Learnt to Live With Social Anxiety
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Canbury Press
Published:1st Apr '21
£9.99
Available to order, but very limited on stock - if we have issues obtaining a copy, we will let you know.
'Empowering and cathartic' – Dr Tracy Cooper, International Consultant on High Sensitivity
'Deeply moving and informative' – Lily Bailey, author
As an adolescent, Russell’s face and neck would turn crimson at the slightest thing. In his twenties he began suffering from an extreme form of blushing (idiopathic craniofacial erythema). It sent out all the wrong signals — to friends, family and to the opposite sex. And it triggered something worse: Social Anxiety Disorder.
Up to one in 10 people develop this irrational fear of other human beings. From university to the workplace, Russell desperately tried to hide his secret from everyone. In an attempt to be ‘normal,’ he grabbed every remedy going, from drugs to herbs to bottles of absinthe.
Through trial and error, he discovered a way to overcome social anxiety and live a fulfilling and rich life.
By turns wry and shocking, dark and optimistic, Redface is the eye-opening true story of how one man found his own way forward in a world built for others. It will fascinate readers who are socially anxious, their friends and family, and anyone who wants to know what it’s like to travel to the edge of human experience and back. Read this memoir and discover how to conquer your social anxiety and learn how to be yourself.
Reviews
'Immersive and raw in its emotional intensity, Norris's Redface invites us into his private world of avoidance, compensation and adaptation. Ultimately culminating in a deep awareness of himself and the world he moves through, it's empowering and cathartic for everyone who has experienced SAD.' – Dr Tracy Cooper, International Consultant on High Sensitivity
'Deeply moving and informative. I raced through it. Norris's portrayal of the cyclical struggle of Social Anxiety Disorder is stunning. This book is the perfect response to anyone who's ever said "don't we all get anxious about socialising?"' – Lily Bailey, Because We Are Bad: OCD and a Girl Lost in Thought
Extract
Chapter 1: Closed Door
I’m hovering just in front of a closed door. It’s in the office building where I work. I can see through the window of the door...
'Deeply moving and informative– I raced through it. Norris’s portrayal of the cyclical struggle of social anxiety disorder is stunning. This book is the perfect response to anyone who’s ever said 'Don’t we all get anxious about socialising?''
– Lily Bailey, author of Because We Are Bad
'Deeply immersive and raw in its emotional intensity. Norris’ Redface invites us into his private world of avoidance, compensation, and adaptation only to captivate us with his struggle with Social Anxiety Disorder... empowering and cathartic for everyone who has experienced SAD.'
– Dr Tracy Cooper, International Consultant on High Sensitivity
'An honest, brave and much needed account of what it feels like to live with severe social anxiety. Having a male writer dealing so openly with topics like social anxiety, shyness, introversion and sensitivity is sadly all too rare and makes this book all the more of a triumph.'
– Tom Falkenstein, Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist & author of The Highly Sensitive Man
'Having struggled with social anxiety, and blushing in particular, I found Redface to be extremely comforting. SAD can be incredibly isolating. However, Russell’s words gave me insight, as well as hope, at a time when I really needed it.
'Blushing is an issue that affects so many people, and yet is rarely talked about. For Russell to write so openly and frankly about his own experiences is bold and courageous. I’ve absolutely no doubt that Redface has, and will continue to, help many, many people around the world whose lives are blighted by social anxiety disorder.
'I would urge anyone who suffers with chronic blushing to read Redface. It is the most relatable book on SAD, and mental health in general, that I have ever had the privilege of reading.'
— Jonny Benjamin, a mental health campaigner in the UK
ISBN: 9781912454501
Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 25mm
Weight: 230g
288 pages