audio series: overcoming social anxiety step by step

a

I didn't have the handouts until later - just stick with it. I am actually only on session 9, but he warns that we should start completely over if we are just listening to the tapes and not reading the handouts.

Lying ANTs.

I am on session 9, too (and 19a attached). When I began this series, I wanted to be perfectly accurate and chose the day of a new lesson for the whole term of the therapy. But now, sometimes I let it "saturate" one more day or one or two days less.
This may be the key: I am persistent as much as I can as required but also a little free because I can't stand strict rules. I do not pay attention to the "half an hour a day" warning to be accomplished but I repeat as much as I can.
I like to play cards on my pc so this is another time for "audio practicing".

I write down the essence of the handouts each week, and read them instead of the handouts. This way I am not so bored, feel that I've done something, it is a bit personal, and not too long to read. When I feel I am going to give up, i just make another, even shorter note.

millenniumman75, if you feel like, you can write some sentences down from what you hear on the tape and repeat them. It will also do, handouts are almost the same as what you can hear.

Dr richards is an awesome psychologist and people with sa should try his therapy depending on how severe the sa is I personally found some general relief not so much for my sa/.

I have done most of the sessions and workbook I purchased it about a year ago and was seeing some good results. When I came to the part where it stated to talk about the importance of a behavioral group I became discouraged when I could not find anything in my area. At the same time I started using xanax for my social anxiety and it worked for me for a while. I have know started to build a tolerance toward xanax and Im starting the Dr. Richards tapes again. Sorry to ramble on so much, but I guess my advice to people using the tapes is dont get frustrated when you get to that point in the audio series. If you cant find a group still keep doing the tapes and practicing on stopping those ANTS. If you quit like me those automatic negative thoughts will return with a vengence. Thanks for listening to my ramble.

Whoa wait what're you guys talking about?

The audio series "Overcoming Social Anxiety Step-By-Step" by Dr. Thomas Richards. It is a series of cassette tapes that provide cognitive behavioral therapy. Basically, you listen to these audio tapes, read the handouts that accompany the tapes each day, and practice the techniques that the tapes and handouts teach you. The idea is that it will re-condition your brain.

The theory is that depression and anxiety are caused by focusing your thinking on thoughts from the sub-cortex of your brain (which is the part of the brain where emotions originate). When your thoughts are focused on your emotions, the brain tells the body to release chemicals that get you anxious. This is the "chemical imbalance" that drugs like Paxil, Effexor, and the like are supposed to treat. However, if you learn to be aware of when your thoughts are focused on the sub-cortex and learn to re-direct your thinking to the rational part of the brain, known as the cortex, then you can prevent the chemical imbalance from starting and, thus, prevent your social anxiety from flaring up. It takes practice and persistence to learn to do this, but it can be done.

Yeah sounds like something very time-consuming.

You are supposed to devote 30 minutes to an hour each day to practicing the therapy. It may sound time consuming, but if it enables you overcome SA, wouldn't it be worth it?

You don't have to devote 30 minutes each day. You could do just 15 minutes a day if that is all the time you have available. But it will take you at least twice as long to complete the whole series. When I was seeing a therapist they wanted me to work on my therapy at least 15 minutes each day. So no matter what you do, it takes time.