the issue of smiling and social situations (from a 1st-timer!)

[bob_sleigh]

im a new poster - hi! - long story cut short im a 22 year old male who has just started working in a fairly good job with much socially-intensive activity. i've been suffering from social anxiety all my (adult) life but have only noticed in last couple of years and now that i can afford it i took the big step of seeing a cbt psychiatrist, which has worked wonders for me, however...

i was at an all-day conference today in my field with many coffee-breaks and group discussions. the group discussions weren't as painful as the small-talk informal breaks. getting to my point points...

1) i find i can't smile when talking to people or laugh at jokes - i find i am most comfortable in serious mode where i dont have to express any attention-grabbing emotion. but when other people crack a joke i cant smile comfortably and gurn like an idiot, which causes the other person to be put off (i put this conclusion down to lack of eye-contact thereafter). does anyone have this problem and if so are there any solutions?

2) also, i find no matter how hard i try i just cant be bothered with the banal small talk and unfunny jokes - why is it that everyone else finds it funny and not me??!?! (i actually have a very good sense of humour)

anyway, would be great to have some feedback from fellow sufferers