Social Anxiety Anonymous/Social Phobics Anonymous offers free telephone conference support groups each week:

People call in from all over the world. The support groups telephone meetings are in English and meet at the following times (listed in North American time zones, remember to convert if needed to your own time zone):

Wednesday Night Group: 6pm Pacific Time, 7PM Mountain Time, 8PM Central Time, 9PM Eastern Time)

Saturday Group: 2pm Pacific Time, 3PM Mountain Time, 4PM Central Time, 5PM Eastern Time

Sunday Night Group: 6pm Pacific Time, 7PM Mountain Time, 8PM Central Time, 9PM Eastern Time

The phone number & access code for the groups are: Phone: (712) 432-0075 Access code: 936-308
PLEASE NOTE, THE PHONE NUMBER SOMETIMES CHANGES. Please check to see if it has been updated: http://www.healsocialanxiety.com/spa...ou Do NOT Need

Here also is a list of tips for using our free telephone groups: http://www.geocities.com/seanphilib/...oneGroups.html

SPA/SoCAA uses a 12 Step Approach for aiding recovery from social anxiety problems. We are not opposed to other treatment modalities, but our groups are primarily 12 Step in nature. We use a gentle and non-pressuring approach to healing social anxiety problems.

More Info: http://www.healsocialanxiety.com/
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 970-222-5380

I'm so tempted to try this, because I have a really hard time talking on the phone even to family members. Well, if I do I'll share my experience. By the way, the new number is (218 -895-3918.

I called on Wednesday, and for some reason it wasn't working for the first 20 minutes... Then this man starting talking saying that they've been having that problem happen a lot lately, so he's thinking of switching to a different conference service. Then he asked if anyone wanted to read the 12 steps from their website, and then there was a few minutes of silence. Nobody did, I was tempted to but I was too nervous. Then he came back on saying that he wouldn't mind reading, and so he did. Then he asked if anyone wanted to read a piece of literature from their site, and nobody answered again. So he read. I had to get off the phone before open discussion started. I'm going to call it again and see if the open discussion is good.

Hi!

I justed wanted to let you know that the technical problems have been worked out and the groups are going without hitches again.

They have helped me a lot by the way.

July 2010-

Hi guys,
anyone know the new access code? One site said it was 1,2,3,4? Gonna try it tonight... hopefully it'll work.

*******
Feb 2011-
Wow so it's been half a year in my recovery. After dozens of calls I've really grown to appreciate the support group. It's run under the twelve step program so it's not really for socializing until the end of the group when you can chat freely. I've spoken a few times in sharing periods. The most helpful thing for me is being in the "presence" of other people with social anxiety. Some sort of support is really essential. There is also ways to connect with people within the group if you want to build friendships, you can email the SPA people, and they will allow you to have a penpal friendship or even phone call someone in the group, but this is just an option. I hope everyone's recovery improves! We can do this TOGETHER. ;-)

Hey has anyone here tried this? I'm going to this weds... do I need an access code??

Edit: I'm going to try this tonight-- I think I called it about 3 years ago and didn't call back, though I probably should of because every thing helps.

If anyone wants to try tonight too it's http://www.healsocialanxiety.com/ I'd say just try it out guys. I think when I tried it 3 years ago I just had to give my name and after that just listened and didn't even say anything for the whole hour. It's a step in the right direction if you're too scared to go into therapy.

I'll keep you all posted on how it goes. See ya!

Just tried it. I'd recommend it to everyone. i remember I called into it a few times over the past 4-5 years. I think I was motivated less then...felt lazy, felt like this shi* wouldn't work etc... so i didn't give it enough time or listen in for long enough. I think a lot of us don't want to even start help/therapy because we kinda know that it's a long process to change ourselves. With our negative mindset we feel that if it fails then we fail, and may never get better...or it's not worth wasting our time. Also we feel defeated, because we are also often depressed and feel helpless...this call group is a GREAT first step towards a getting better and more a lifetime process of being more social.

So I'm not saying this is some magic pill that will take you to freedom from social anxiety, BUT it's a first step (or tenth or 100th step) in a long and steep trail to social freedom.

This time I listed in for the whole time, and even participated in the discussion

First you should go here: http://www.spalibrary.info/
read as much as you can and familiarize yourself with their ebook. All the blue links are the articles they go over, which are very much like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, positive thinking/ crushing negative automatic thoguhts etc. During the discussion the organizer refers to this a lot and members read different exerpts.

I think you have to be motivated and just do it (whether it's going to therapy, listening weekly to these calls, or reading books, or slowly pushing yourself to do small exposures...then work your way up to more scary stuff)

How the call went...
For the first few minutes I heard a lot of sounds and was a little confused. Just keep your phone on speaker and you'll be fine. Then the organizer comes out and describes it a little bit. That you can choose to share your story, or read from http://www.spalibrary.info/ or just listen in. Then after about 30-40 min of reading the articles he opens it up to open discussion, where you can just talk about your day, your experience with SA, etc. This lasted another 30 minutes. Then at the end youre free to just talk with other group members. I talked to a guy at the end for about 20 minutes about his experience with SA and shared some of my thoughts as well. It makes you feel good just to hear others voices and experiences with SA, and is definitely a step in the road to recovery.

I found it very beneficial and uplifting. The advice is pretty solid, but you have to be persistent for it to be ingrained in your psyche. I'd recommend calling it because it's FREE it's a non profit 12 step program. I think I'm going to try to call in regularly.

http://www.healsocialanxiety.com/ this is the website with the number to call

it's Wednesday 6 PM Pacific Time
Saturday 10 AM Pacific Time
Sunday 6 PM Pacific Time

The members are very patient, open and friendly. Did I mention this is FREEEEEE!!! It's worth it to try

Thanks for sharing your experience. I know it will mean a lot to SASers.

I don't recommend this. This is not a support group, it's more for people who want to practice talking on the phone, that's all. People who volunteer to participate read information from the Anonymous site, a 12 step program. That's all you're allowed to do. You can't give advice to anyone because it's against the rules. You can't ask questions about how to overcome something because that's also against the rules. You don't get to know the people you are talking to because providing personal information, even basic information like your first name is also against the rule. There aren't any professionals there who specialize in Social Anxiety. If you are looking for real help then you should just see a counselor.

hi guys. Im from Asia. Singapore. I cant seem to find the hotline for my zone. Anybody knows anything. Will appreciate your help... Thank You

Hello.

I would definitely recommend this. The atmosphere is very supportive and very much geared toward recovery. Even if you're having a bad day or just feel awful, the group and their twelve step approach allow you to fume then gently push forward. I think it's great to confront anxiety problems from a spiritual perspective and the calls make you feel less alone. Even if you don't think it's working, one day something will click. For example, at the end of the meeting when it's open for chatting you might listen to people talking about their experiences and decide to share your own. What you may or may not realize is that you are, in fact, socializing. And you can take what you learn there into the real world! (note: that didn't happen to me, it's just an example) For someone like me, who's very isolated from the world right now, that would be a big deal. I'd say you've got nothing to lose so you might as well try it. It can really help...just bring an open mind!

Love always

hi im from canada ontario and i cant find the hotline can someone please help me find it pls

What do you mean that you can't find it? The phone number? Or getting in when they are talking?

i cant find the number

Yeah, the website isn't particularly easy to use. Currently it is:
From here: http://www.healsocialanxiety.com/spa...ou Do NOT Need

It's not a good sign when just reading about what people do during this call made me get very anxious, heart beating, palms sweating.

Oh god, I hate talking on the phone.

But...I want to try it because I need it but I was very sure about wanting to try this until I read the part about reading aloud.. *wrinkles nose* that is like one of my main, main causes for anxiety. Reading.

Hey reincarnatedrose, Ill do it tonight at the 9 pm eastern time conference if you do it. Anybody know if the number has changed since this thread was posted?

*twitches*

I hate you.




ETA:

Update: Alright, so I will call in tonight (thanks to BasedGod) but I won't put any pressure on myself to actually speak. If I get comfortable or relaxed enough, I'll definitely say something.

About to call in now. You better be there!

I called and it said its not available.