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Designing your own recovery package.

Posted 11th March 2009 at 16:17 by acidcasual

The following is a list of material I put together for my SA group. SA can be overcome but from personal experience, and I've still got a long way to go, it takes a lot of hard work and perseverance. Some days you just don't want to be bothered, and it's okay to give yourself some slack now and again, but you really do need to keep at it. As the saying goes "it's use it or lose it." Combatting SA takes self discipline, dedication and the cultivation of an open mind. But not so open that your brain falls out.

If you cherry-pick from the following or better still, finances allowing, get and do the lot. You will develop, over time, better coping skills and really raise your mood. It ain't easy though. Personal growth and behaviour change is often very painful, but it's well worth it. It beats the hell out of staying stuck.

It's important to start where you are at though. Go at your own speed. Push yourself but not too hard. Reward yourself often for doing certain things. Build up your confidence and competence slowly. One task at a time. Think of it like building a house. Start with the foundation, then gradually progress one brick at a time. Four and a half years ago I was living in a half-way house. I was a shut in. Every waking moment was a living nightmare. My very first challenge was just to go to the corner shop and buy a mars bar. Four and a half years later. I have my own place, two voluntary jobs and a developing social life. I even went abroad on holiday by myself last August. It's been far from easy but I wouldn't want to swap places with anyone now. I have dreams and aspirations and can now even dare to believe that one day they might become a reality. So if you want to take responsibility for where you are at now and can dig deep to find the determination to get started. Design yourself a recovery package from the following:

TREATMENTS FOR SOCIAL ANXIETY

Medication

CBT (Cognitive Behaviourial Therapy). Link to wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.o...

REBT (Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy). Link to wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.o...

Rational New Zealand: An excellent website covering most of the aspects of CBT and REBT. http://www.rational.o...
This website is a wonderful free resource. Take the questionaire and get started on the program.

If you are looking for a therapist this web page has some links http://www.rebt.bham....

Self Help books, gradual exposure to feared situations.
Links to recommended books
A Guide to Rational Living; An excellent book on dealing with irrational thoughts. http://www.amazon.co....
This book is fairly decent Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness http://www.amazon.co....
This little gem of a book is full of ideas for what to do with all your leisure time The Joy of Not Working http://www.amazon.co....

This short movie by Brian Dunning is an excellent introduction to critical thinking. He succinctly explains the errors in cognition we are all prone to. It will help you get your head around the concept of irrational thinking. He's very much against alternative medicine which is understandable given that there are so many charlatans out there as well as those that use their skills for their own ends rather than to help others.http://herebedragonsm... The media player on the website is a bit prone to sticking so it would be better if you download the movie and watch it later.

Self-help programs/cds:
There is an excellent set of cd's available from the Social Anxiety Institute in America. Have a look at the website and see what you think.http://www.socialanxi...
I will warn you though it takes a lot of self-discipline to complete the series and do all the exercises. Plus Dr Richards has one of the most boring voices on the planet. There was a comedic charm to his voice for me though because he sounds like Elmer Fudd on mogadon.
But those quibbles aside they are an excellent set of cd's.


There is also a decent set of self help material called Attacking Anxiety and Depression by Lucinda Bassett and the Midwest Center. http://www.stresscent... Now this brief review relates only to the audio part of the program and it was an old set of tapes that I listened to. So I don't know what the updated material is like. I'm hoping that they haven't jumped on the complementary health bandwagon and incorporated a lot of woo into the program. They're not quite as intensive as Dr Richards and I have one or two minor quibbles with some of the material but those quibbles aside it's one of the better products on the market. She has a pleasant conversational style in contrast with Dr Richards' pedestrian delivery. What really stood out for me with Bassett's program was the relaxation tape it's an excellent resource. I just hope they haven't changed it. So it's really a matter of taste as to which program to go for. Again though it takes a lot of self-discipline to complete the series. And neither package is cheap.

Exercise and diet

Relaxation



[BNonsense therapiesl[/B]

They all have their supporters and their detractors. I've provided links from the scientific point of view. Have a look do a bit of research and make up your own mind.

Subliminal tapes, http://www.csicop.org...

E.M.D.R. (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, http://skepdic.com/em...

Acupuncture, http://www.skeptic.co...

Therapeutic Touch, http://www.quackwatch...
Variants of Therapeutic Touch
Reiki
Thought Field Therapy and Emotional Freedom Techniques http://www.csicop.org...
Crystal healing
Indian Head Massage
Reflexology

Aromatherapy http://www.csicop.org...

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) http://skepdic.com/ne...

Hypnotherapy http://skepdic.com/hy...

Homeopathy http://www.quackwatch...

Another useful website:
http://www.anxietyuk
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  1. Old Comment
    wow there is alot stuff out there but I dont think I am ready for it yet but well done to you
    Posted 11th March 2009 at 21:05 by mmru02 mmru02 is offline
 

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