Recovery

LegacyUser

Hi everyone,

Has anyone had experience of this cbt group? Would they be helpful for social anxiety? Its not religious is it? Also if anyone has gone to it, whats the format of the meeting, how long does it last, how many are in the group etc.

Also Im starting a mindfulness meditation course but my doc also gave my some anti anxiety medication which Im reluctant to take. Should I try the mindfulness course without the meds first?

Thanks

Aard

Are you talking about Recovery International? If so, then I highly recommend it. It is not religious in the slightest. I would think that most if not all members are there for social anxiety problems. The format is simple: one person shares about a recent event where they worked themselves up, then they say how they used the Recovery tools, then the rest of the group spot some other tools that the person might have used in that situation. Newcomers generally don't share for the first few weeks/months, until they've learnt to use the tools. Afterwards there's tea and biscuits, and you can talk to the other members individually. Meetings last about an hour and a half, and a small contribution towards paying for the rent of the room is appreciated (they suggest €3, but only put in what you can afford - nobody sees how much you put in anyway).

Group size can vary. I used to go to the one on Wednesday night in Abbey St, where there'd be around 8 people at each meeting. They're all nice people, none of them are dangerous. The Wednesday night has a relatively younger crowd (20s, 30s, 40s), whereas some other meetings would be a bit older.

Here's a meeting list: http://www.recovery-inc-ireland.ie/findmeeting.shtml

greengiant09

i attend a therapy group for social anxiety but not the one mentioned previously. i had a look there at the recovery website....it looks good and i'm sure it is beneficial to its members but i do question if it is the best method for the treatment of social anxiety.

the reason i say this is that eventually when a person is ready, they must face their fears to overcome SA. it seems like the recovery group is very good at providing support but i couldn't see anything about enabling users to practice experiments which cause them trouble in everyday life. i found this part extremely important in my battle in overcoming SA.

it's more comfortable for a person with SA to do social experiments (e.g doing a short speech) in the presence of a supportive group than to do it themselves in the real world. i can't see how the recovery cbt group provides this.

however i will say that it would definitely be better to give it a shot than to stay at home and do nothing.

i would avoid anti-anxiety medication unless you feel that an unavoidable situation is causing you a high amount of anxiety...usually one-off occasions. a lot of them can be addictive and very difficult to come off so i would not recommend taking them other than short-term relief.

LegacyUser

Thanks guys. Have done the Mater course which was very good but effects wear off. So just need something to get the cbt thoughts back in my mind.

Might try the recovery programme, do you need to buy much before the course to prepare for it?

Also greengiant what group do you go to? Could you give me more details?

Aard

There are no materials to buy. Just bring yourself! It's also not a course per se - some people go their whole lives, others for years, others for months.

greengiant09

i go to a behavioural group in smithfield. the group consists of 8 people and takes place every 2 weeks. the aim of the group is to allow participants to practice 'social interactions' which they find difficult in the real world. This behavioural part of the therapy is only done after an individual has studied the cognitive part for a number of months.

the majority of the people who attend it studied the audio series produced by Dr. Thomas A Richards called 'overcoming social anxiety'. Whatever cbt you do, it is essential that you hammer down the cognitive therapy on a DAILY basis. right now, your mind is full of negative irrational thoughts about social interactions, etc and you prob have been practicing this out of habit for years. it's important now that you break up this cycle and replace those negative thoughts with more rational positive thoughts.

the only way you can do this is by practicing the cognitive therapy persistently. after a while, these new thought patterns will become automatic. this explains why the effects of the mater course wore off....because you haven't implanted the cognitive therapy in firmly enough.

LegacyUser

I'm thinking of going to the one in Bray. I'm just a little worried about the age groups. I'm in my 20's. Will I be the youngest there? I don't feel as though I will relate well to them.

LegacyUser

Thanks greengiant. Sounds good. Im not crippled with SA, I can function normally enough but still feel anxious if I bump into anyone. Cant really speak out at break times at work. Just wish I could get rid of it.

Im nearly 28 and Im sick of feeling this level of anxiety every day at work when others can just chat away and not feel selfconscious at all! Is there a workbook type thing that I could be working on to instill the cbt ideas again as dont want to spend that amount as have spent enough already on psychologist and everything else! Should I just read over that book again overcoming social anxiety by gillian butler?

Also has anyone had good experience with the mindfulness course in the Sanctuary, Im starting that next monday (another thing Im trying!!)
Thanks

Aard

I went to the Bray meeting once and there was a guy there no older than 20. The lady who runs the meeting there is welcoming and kind. Nobody will care how old you are, all they care about is that you're there!

greengiant09

its the same really for me....it mainly effects me in work or when i'm speaking in front of a large group of strangers. i know just how frustrating it can get. the important thing though is that your motivated to overcome it. i've met a lot of people with SA who go on and on about how bad it is but make very little effort in overcoming it. keep in mind that cbt is recommended by the nhs and ihs as the number 1 treatment for anxiety disorders and that it has a very high succees rate.

i flicked through that book and read a few parts. it is helpful but i doubt it provides enough of a structured programme for people to overcome SA. if you want, you can PM me and i can pass you on details of a programme that i'd recommend. i know how expensive psychologists can be!!

never tried that mindfulness course but i have heard meditation can be a usefull additional tool alongside CBT in overcoming SA.