While it is perfectly okay to feel butterflies in the stomach in some social situations like taking an exam, going out on a blind date, getting married, etc, it is not okay to be under constant strain and feel tongue-tied even in the most prosaic ones like talking to someone on the phone, attending a party or introducing yourself to an audience because you fear being scrutinized or negatively judged by others. Such a mindset is bound to make you feel miserable while preventing you from doing and giving your best. People with the disorder develop avoidant behavior over time which can eventually disrupt their relationships, educational and career prospects, and even daily routines, among many others.
Though social anxiety is a fairly prevalent problem affecting millions, you need not live with it all your life. You must realize that it works like a parasite, slowly eating into your confidence and robbing you of your true self, and alienating you in the process. Learning correct techniques and helpful coping mechanisms will help you dissociate yourself from the disorder. Read on.
1) How To Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety
Author: Ellen Hendriksen
Print Length: 320 pages
Publisher: St.Martin’s Griffin
Language: English
How is it like ‘being oneself’? Why do people with social anxiety constantly need to be reassured and asked to be themselves? How can they bring themselves to it when they are prone to fears that are seemingly uncontrollable to them? After all, it is easier said than done, especially with people living with the disorder.
Dr. Ellen Hendriksen proposes a groundbreaking idea in the book. Read experiences about some real people (the author included) who have won over their anxiety and are happily living normal lives, free from unreasonable fears and doubts that once crippled them. The author makes her point unequivocally — sometimes with a brush of humor, and at other times with a sense of authority — as she talks about the underlying causes of social anxiety, why it endures, how you can rewire your brain through your behavior, and most importantly, how to quiet your inner critic (the root of all problems). Using her techniques, the book will prove to be very effective in bringing out your true, authentic self as you transform into a new, confident You who is confident and comfortable in any situation.
2) The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook
Authors: Martin M.Antony (Ph.D.) and Richard P.Swinson MD
Print Length: 272 pages
Publisher: New Harbinger Publications
Language: English
The book explores how excessive shyness and social anxiety can obstruct us from forming meaningful relationships, and can even get in the way of our education and career.
Signs of social anxiety are avoiding crowded places, speaking with strangers, addressing an audience, going for job interviews, and similar such situations where you are likely to meet people. The anxiety arises from a fear of being judged. It is not a one-off case; studies show that millions of people worldwide suffer from this disorder which could be off-putting. Fortunately for you, effective treatments are available and you need not continue to suffer silently. The book is a compilation of proven techniques that you can start using right away to live a better, fuller, more meaningful, and fearless life.
There are activities throughout the book that will help you discover your strengths and weaknesses, explore your fears and understand them in a better light, create a personalized plan for change, and put your plan into action through graded exposure to the very situations that evoke anxiety. In no time you will find yourself connecting meaningfully with people in the social world.
The book is a comprehensive program for anyone willing to take actionable measures to bring about a holistic change in thought and behavior patterns to overcome this disability.
3) You Care Too Much: Free Yourself From Social Anxiety
Author: Carl Vernon
Print Length: 228 pages
Language: English
Caring excessively about others’ opinions can be mentally and emotionally debilitating. Social anxiety stems from insecurity, worry, and self-doubt.
The book is a no-holds-barred wake-up call about what social anxiety is, how it negatively impacts life, and what you can do about it. You will be surprised how your vocabulary changes from ‘I care’ to a ‘can’t care enough’ attitude in a limited time after reading and practicing with the book. You will metamorphose into a completely new avatar as you gradually discover why you care too much and why it’s doing you no good; you will learn to ditch your insecurities and be yourself, abandon your need for approval from others, cut out the outside noise that troubles you within, spot and deal with toxic people who take digs at you, and set up boundaries. In summary, learn how to care less about people in general.
4) Managing Social Anxiety, Therapist Guide (Treatments that Work)
Authors: Debra A.Hope, Cynthia L.Turk, and Richard G.Heimberg
Print Length: 224 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Language: English
The authors advocate for Cognitive Behavior Therapy, or CBT, in the book to help people deal with a disabling problem like social anxiety. Psychosocial intervention is a powerful technique that yields amazing results. The guide provides foundational information on the nature of social anxiety, and concomitantly places CBT techniques to treat it. The book outlines the best ways to implement the techniques, and how to deal with challenges that arise during treatment. The book emphasizes a multicultural approach to practice, and gives more attention to client goals.
It is a go-to guide for all clinical practitioners who deal with anxious patients.
5) Essential Strategies for Social Anxiety
Author: Alison McKleroy, MA, LMFT
Print Length: 160 pages
Publisher: Rockridge Press
Language: English
This is an excellent book that teaches how to break free from social anxiety and embrace confidence. Social phobia can keep you from living your life to the fullest. Social connections and interactions are an integral part of life but self-conscious thoughts and feelings can limit living and trap you into a continuous loop of negative thoughts and avoidant behavior patterns.
In this book, you will learn to catch the bull by its horns and emerge confident across all social situations that otherwise give you the jitters, like – facing an interview, public speaking, holding a conversation, etc., using an effective toolbox.
The author outlines actionable techniques that are drawn from CBT, ACT, and mindfulness to help you face your inherent fears and bring about lasting changes in your personality. The book will further teach you to calm your body and mind, silence your inner critic, and restructure negative thoughts with practice dialogues, exposure exercises, meditation, and more. You will also get inspired by real-life anecdotes that will reveal how this easy-to-use manual has served as a pathfinder for many who have eventually achieved breakthroughs in dealing with social anxiety.
