Things Learned from therapy

[avocado]

Hi, guys. I'm new to this forum.

What are some things you have learned to do to combat your Social Phobia? I'm talking both behavrial and cognitive.

Here are some of mine that work good.
1. Asking yourself "What's the worst possible thing that will happen?" Most of the time the answer to that question is so silly.
2. Stop texting and using social networking sites when it's used as an escape from verbal communication.
3. Trying to start small talk anywhere (like when checking out at the grocery store and places like that)
4. Write. Before I go somewhere, I write about how I feel. It seems to take the edge off. Sometimes I see how irrational my fears are when they are written on paper.

Does anyone have trouble with body language? Like you don't know when a hug or handshake is acceptable? I had this issue, but realized that if you initiate the handshake or hug, then you have the control over the situation and you aren't "the victim." So,

4. Initiating the body communication.

I WILL not live like this forever.
Anyone else, have any thing that helps you?

 

[Noca]

Things I learned from CBT:

Answering doors
talking on phones
meeting new people (still kinda hard)
Socializing
going to the store
talking to clerks
eye contact
and much more that i cannot think of right now.

 

[avocado]

Awesome, Noca. Tell me about eye contact. Sometimes, I start to feel really uncomfortable when it comes to eye contact.

 

[Noca]

Awesome, Noca. Tell me about eye contact. Sometimes, I start to feel really uncomfortable when it comes to eye contact.

It was learned through CBT exposure therapy through a series of controlled exposures on eye conact with people.