Posted by JonW on August 18, 2003, at 9:20:13
In reply to School shy, fear rejection, posted by Budgie on August 15, 2003, at 21:04:16
> How have other people dealt with these issues? I'm sure fear of rejection must be almost a universal thing with people suffering problems like ours. School shyness just seems like early stage social anxiety, which I've suffered from full-blown for 7 years now. What techniques or changes in perspective have people found helpful, besides and in addition to meds, for SA?
CBT for social anxiety disorder can change your life. It is crucial that you have a CBT therapist who specializes in social anxiety disorder. The best place in the country to do CBT for SAD is the AACT at Temple University. If you are anywhere near Philadelphia, do it there! The people at the AACT are the leading researchers for CBT for SAD. They have all sorts of programs designed for all different kinds of people in different situations. It's a process that starts by just meeting with the therapist each week, but then they bring other people into the sessions and set up "exposures" for you to face in a safe environment. You use the "exposures" to practice and learn from and then face slightly less difficult situations in real life between sessions. The insights of the therapists there can be invaluable. They are so exact, and their knowledge is the product of some very focused research. It's a gradual and very effective process. I've done CBT with other therapists, but going to the AACT convinced me that CBT actually works. If you don't live anywhere near Philly, you may still want to contact them for a referral. Here's their website:
http://www.temple.edu/phobia/old/index.htm
Good luck,
Jon
poster:JonW
thread:251193
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20030814/msgs/251806.html