Jun 04 2007
Are there any practices or relaxation techniques you can recommend for a person with social anxiety?
Strange Design asked:
Say, things they can do so that they are less anxious in public, or with groups of people?
Say, things they can do so that they are less anxious in public, or with groups of people?
5 Responses to “Are there any practices or relaxation techniques you can recommend for a person with social anxiety?”
I concentrate on my breathing the whole time, making sure I take deeper breaths, for one it helps to keep anxiety way down and for another your not concentrating on your anxiety.. it helps me
i take in deep breathes … but i also pop in a xanex most of the time
The enduring solution to social phobia really requires getting to the basis of it. The process of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is very successful. Rational Emotive Therapy is another approach. In essence, both approaches involve an increased ‘mindfulness’. To be aware of your own thoughts and feellngs as they role out in the social situation and conscously challenging their validity.
So instead of simply accepting a sense of ‘worthlessness’, ‘uselessness’, or other negative feelings in comparison with others in the social situation, to be AWARE of those feelings and deliberately and consciously monitoring them.
Such as: …so and so just said a very witty thing, and I’m feeling that I could never compete (etc, etc) with that. . What are the alternatives then?
Well, for example, in THAT situation, one thing you could do is to say something like: …hey, (Fred, Gladys, whoever), that was very clever, I admire that ability, I’m afraid I always think of witty comments two minutes too late.
What is happening is that you are contributing to the social ‘flow’ by making an appropriate comment (that makes the other person feel good, and feeling good towards you into the bargain) and ‘including’ yourself into the conversation at the same time.
there are a 100 such little techniques that involve you in playing a very positive and supportive role towards someone else that has the effect of boosting the positive energy of the entire group, includes yourself into the group, and COMPLETELY reverses the …I’m no good, I can’t do anything, everyone thinks I’m an idiot type of negativity. ASKING other people relevent questions is another very useful technique. Everyone likes the implied compliment.
Before you know it, you are involved in a postive interaction, you’ve forgotten your ‘nerves’ and the ”Social Phobia is on the way to the dustbin!
This is a very condensed explanation, and oversimplified, but I think you see the ‘drift’?
All it takes is practice.
my son and i both suffer from this condition, it is horrible, the concerns of what they think, how do i look, did i say the right thing. the stress is sometimes overwhelming.
what workes for me when i have these episodes is an antidepresant called zoloft.
but it may be different for you, go to your doctor and talk to him about how you feel, dont hold back, let him know what your dealing with becouse he can’t help you if he does’t know!
Hey, why not check out this site:
It has helped many people stop panic/anxiety attacks….
All the best…