Reddit reviews Managing Social Anxiety: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach (Treatments That Work)

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) works but can be expensive. Seek out a psychologist with a PhD. Social phobia or anxiety is a common problem easily treated once therapy is started.
I worked in an anxiety clinic and Treatments that Work is an evidence-based, highly effective series for many forms of anxiety and fear (phobias).

No problem! The first book that kind of led me down the path to cognitive restructuring was "The Feeling Good Handbook" by Dr. Burns. This was really eye opening, and after reading about the 10 thinking fallacies and doing the 3 column technique that he describes (at my own discretion) I saw and felt noticeable changes.

Then I started seeing a professional, and they helped guide me and point me in the proper direction. The book we used in therapy was this one, and it was very good:

https://www.amazon.com/Managing-Social-Anxiety-Cognitive-Behavioral-Treatments/dp/0195336690

In general, the therapy is called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, CBT, and is the most effective form of treatment for social anxiety.

Here's a quick and dirty article about how it works:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/socratic-method-improve-depression_us_55ca2888e4b0f1cbf1e65731

I see, in reading the comments, that you aren't very motivated to seek counseling, which is fine. Frankly, it isn't for everybody.

I'm a strong proponent of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, due to the fact that it has completely turned my life around. This is something you can do WITHOUT professional help. There are many really awesome, step-by-step workbooks out there to walk yourself through CBT at your own pace. This one was the one I used primarily, and I think it's awesome. There are plenty out there, though, and I encourage finding what works for you. There is no one-size-fits-all thing for this kind of problem.

I'm currently working through this program.

http://www.amazon.com/Managing-Social-Anxiety-Workbook-Edition/dp/0195336690

My therapist suggested it, but she also says it's something that one could work through on their own. I looked at various medications, but all of them had potential side effects that I didn't want and no matter what, when you stop taking them, the anxiety comes back. This program teaches your brain to identify the triggers of anxiety, and to stop it before it spirals out of control.

I'm still pretty young, 27, but I've had social anxiety since as long as I can remember and I can say it has decreased significantly over time.

I don't attribute that to age though. I started educating myself about it in my late high school years and really started taking action on it college. Honestly, based on my understanding on anxiety, it probably won't go away if your constantly reinforcing it through your actions, such as avoiding social interactions to not have to experience the distress that comes with it. Not to mention, social ability comes with practice, children learn to socialize by doing it, so while it may seem awkward at first trying to jump back into it, it does get better with time if you persist.

If you haven't done so already, I'd highly recommend seeking therapy, specifically something like cognitive behavioral therapy, or at the very least something that includes an element of exposure. If something like that is cost prohibitive, I can suggest the book I followed when I went to therapy:

Managing Social Anxiety: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach (Treatments That Work) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195336690/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_jqXVzbGGY7KGB

If you can go to therapy though, I'd still recommend that just because I feel like having someone there to hold you accountable really helps.

I'm impressed you've stuck with it as long as you have! I also have social anxiety, and I sure as hell would not be making myself leave the house and go to a group where everyone made fun of me for my ADHD tendencies.

If you feel up to working on this on your own, I would recommend getting a CBT workbook for anxiety. Something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Managing-Social-Anxiety-Workbook-Cognitive-Behavioral/dp/0195336690

My own treatment plan right now is an SSRI for three months. My psychiatrist explained that it will take the edge off my anxiety, making it easier for me to learn new, healthier habits. Frequently, the new habits and greater confidence continues after the medication is discontinued.

I am finding it very challenging. Even thinking about times that I've felt anxious can make me feel anxious, and this method pretty much requires you to look at anxiety and dissect it. There's also substantial 'homework' in the form of one or two page worksheets where you try to identify the individual thoughts, feelings, behaviors, physiological symptoms (heart racing, tingling in extremities, tightness in the chest, and such).

I found a therapist that had some pretty impressive credentials on the internets, met with her and chose her out of the other ones I was checking out. Her assessment was to work on the social anxiety first since it is looking like my largest issue and to see what's left - she claims that often other problems like depression go away when you can handle your social anxiety. I agree with her, and am so far still impressed.

She started me almost immediately on a workbook she's used before titled Managing Social Anxiety. There are a couple of other social anxiety workbooks I've seen, but I'm focusing on this one first. And maybe last! I'm sure it's possible for someone to go through these sorts of workbooks alone, though I find the therapist really helps keep me honest - as in presenting to me things that I hadn't even realized I was avoiding.

The general idea for CBT (as far as I can tell, I'm no expert) is that you learn how to catch these thoughts and feelings and try to cast them in a more objective light to see if your reaction is reasonable. CBT can be effective for many other disorders, too.

I am hoping it will help.

Managing Social Anxiety: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach has helped me a lot and if you're in therapy I highly recommend integrating it into your treatment.

Hi!

When you say do you have a good read on anxiety symptoms? Do you mean do I have any good books to recommend on anxiety symptoms that are available worldwide?

A good resource would be the self-study, online course [Master Your Public Speaking Fear] (https://speakmeister.com/edu/product/master-your-public-speaking-fear/). I'm the author of this course, and it explains the symptoms in detail with video animations so you can see exactly how fear works and how to control it. You can take it at anytime from anywhere (it works like a Netflix movie where you can watch it immediately). I don't know of another resource that really explains the symptoms. That's why I created the course - I couldn't find much that gave a good explanation with animations. I'm happy to chat with anyone who takes the course for free (by chat, email or phone) to answer any questions and help you apply the material to your situation.

These books don't really go into the symptoms in detail, but they can be very helpful:

▪︎ [Books by Claire Weeks] (http://www.amazon.com/Claire-Weekes/e/B001HOT92I/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1)

▪︎ [Your phobia: Understanding your fears through contextual therapy] (https://www.amazon.com/Your-Phobia-Harry-Zane-Manuel/dp/0446346039/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469118949&sr=1-2&keywords=manuel+zane+phobia)

▪︎ [Triumph Over Fear: A Book of Help and Hope for People with Anxiety, Panic Attacks and Phobias] (https://www.amazon.com/Triumph-Over-Fear-Anxiety-Attacks/dp/0553374443/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469119054&sr=1-5&keywords=manuel+zane+phobia)

▪︎ [Managing Social Anxiety: A Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach] (https://www.amazon.com/Managing-Social-Anxiety-Cognitive-Behavioral-Treatments/dp/0195336690/ref=pd_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51%2B71pysxCL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL320_SR244%2C320_&psc=1&refRID=R91TS49Z6SX7TQYRDKRT)

Note: In the next week, I'll be publishing an ebook on Amazon that will contain much of the same material as the course with links to the video animations. When it's ready, I'll post the link here. If you want me to notify you, PM me here with your email or fill out the "Keep Me Informed" form on the bottom of the page at https://speakmeister.com/edu.