Posted by mattdds on December 8, 2002, at 9:19:59
In reply to Social Anxiety Disorder, depression and PTSD, posted by fuzzymind on December 8, 2002, at 4:04:03
Hey fuzzymind,
I had really bad SP during college, and even worse during high school. Now I'm in my third year of dental school, and things are much, much better. I would always get my food in the cafeteria to go because, like you, I was afraid of being seen alone or having to talk to somebody. I was afraid of stumbling over my words or looking stupid in general.
Man, that sounds like you had a tough time in college with that guy, what an ass! Sorry to hear you're having such a tough time.
Honestly, about 85% of my social phobia symptoms are gone because of the CBT! I had to work really hard to overcome my fears -- doing things that I never thought I could do as exercises. But, seriously, my experience with meds (you name the med!) was not good for SP. I think with SP you really need to work through distorted social- and self-perceptions that are at the heart of the problem, rather than just simply boost X or Y neurotransmitter. Social phobia is, in my opinion, much more complicated than that. Being socially competent (and confident) has more to do with developing a new set of skills and attitudes through hard work and practice, the old-fashioned way.
Don't get me wrong, I have found that Klonopin works very well for the residual 15% of symptoms. But by Klonopin alone, for me, couldn't have even touched my symptoms. Possibly it could have numbed me up a little, but it could not have possibly taught me the valuable set of skills and attitudes that CBT did. I think those were the underlying cause of the social phobia, rather than a deficiency of 1 or 2 neurotransmitters.
So, yes, CBT works, and there is a hell of a lot of research to back that up.
Try starting with the books, "The Feeling Good Handbook", by David Burns, as well as "Intimate Connections", by the same author. These books were written by an psychiatrist / former sufferer of SP. For me, they were invaluable! They really contain a wealth of information on social phobia, and the skills to overcome it. I'd love to discuss them with you, if you read them.
You sound like a smart guy, with a lot in store. So get motivated to try CBT, because it really does work!
All the best,
Matt
P.S. If you happen to be in New York City, some of the best CBT practitioners in the world are here. I feel lucky to live here.
poster:mattdds
thread:130982
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021203/msgs/130992.html