Members in the Media
From: The New York Times

The U.S. Is Opening Up. For the Anxious, That Comes With a Cost.

When the pandemic narrowed the world, Jonathan Hirshon stopped traveling, eating out, going to cocktail parties and commuting to the office.

What a relief.

Mr. Hirshon suffers from severe social anxiety. In the past, casual get-togethers and meetings came with a rapid heartbeat and clenched fists. He preferred to interact virtually, and welcomed the Zoom meetings that others merely tolerated. Even as he grieved the pandemic’s toll, he found lockdown life to be a respite.

“There is cognitive dissonance to feeling good in the middle of the pandemic,” he said.

Now with normalcy about to return, Mr. Hirshon, a public relations consultant, finds himself with decidedly mixed feelings — “anticipation, dread and hope.”

Read the whole story (subscription may be required): The New York Times

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