Posted by bleauberry on November 22, 2008, at 18:16:25
In reply to Re: Antipsychotics for Social Phobia, posted by HyperFocus on November 22, 2008, at 1:57:53
The kind of SP you described is exactly the kind I have. Somehow readers interpreted a crowd and guitar and automatically assumed performance anxiety. Wrong diagnosis. Bad example on my part though which probably led to the faulty diagnosis by both of you.
The point is, if you are afraid of everyone's eyes being on you, then forcefully get in a situation where that happens. Avoiding the situation only compounds and reinforces the illness, gives it fuel to affect your life even more. If you're afraid to say HI to the neighbor, force one foot in front of the other, step by step, a little close to that neighbor, and with a great deal of purposeful effort, say "HI". Nothing more, nothing less. A light movement of the lips. That is a TON better than draggin one's head into seclusion without making an effort to fight back against the SP monster. The next time will still be hard, but a slight tad bit less hard. That is called retraining the mind. In no way is it a cure, but it is a positive direction in handling one's handicap.
A lot of psychotherapy has to do with this very topic. Avoiding the problem is not conducive to healing.
> Agreed. I have SP and it has nothing to do with performance anxiety - personally I would feel less anxiety standing to give a spech anywhere, than I do when crossing the street. SP is about not going to class because you can't stand the microsecond everyone's eyes will be on you as you walk into class late. It's about not being able to say Good Evening to your neighbour simply from the fear of the awkwardness. CBT combined with meds is the only treatment for it. Some people, including me, have no conscious ability to fight SP.
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> > Sorry, this is simply false for some people.
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> > -d/r
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poster:bleauberry
thread:863799
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20081114/msgs/864735.html