Customer Reviews

Dying of Embarrassment: Help for Social Anxiety and Phobia

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I suffer from social phobia and this is the first book I have read that describes social phobia so adequately. The author seemed to read my mind. I could relate to so many of the situations in the book.

The treatment plan is very helpful. I've read a lot about anxiety and phobias and even though I know what to do to help overcome their hold on my life, it is very hard to do on a daily basis. When you are trying to hold down a job and not let your co-workers know you have this problem, it creates more anxiety. But this book is extremely well written with good advice for anyone suffering from social phobia. I highly recommend it. It has been a source of great strength for me. It rests on my nightstand where I can refer to it at anytime. Thank you for writing this book.

This is a very interesting books. Unlike many books on the subject that promise a great deal and fail to deliver, this book lives up to its promises providing practical guidance from every thing from answering a telephone to public speaking.

The techniques recommended are those gleaned from cognitive behavior therapy through with the reader is led to confront his/her deepest fear:disapproval.

After reading the book for the third time I felt as though it had come thirty years late. So many people have allowed great opportunities to pass them by or fail to make the most of their god- given talents because of fear.

There is a strong temptation to think that with such a book in hand one could have could have gone farther in life.

However, it is better late than never.

This book is amazing. It truly holds the key to unlocking the door that social phobia bars shut. It works as a workbook, allowing you to write in your own stress management and anxiety charts, fears, goals, and a step by step guide on how to face those fears, overcome them, and literally better your life. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has even the slightest phobia's about meeting new people, or even self doubt, low confidence, or even to improve your social skills for everyday life. Before I was done with half the book, I was already the most optimistic, confident and happy, socially, then i've ever been in all my twenty years. And believe it or not, your social life variably effects all other areas of your life by determining the way you feel about yourself, in turn how you present yourself and how others view you, and setting the standard on your personal happiness. pick up this book! you wont regret it.

This book is an excellent source of help for anyone suffering from social phobia/social anxiety (sometimes mislabeled as shyness but actually a lot deeper than that). I found this book very easy to read and follow, unlike some other books I've read that seem to be aimed at therapists or people studying the phobia rather than trying to gain help for it.

This book has step-by-step plans outlined in each chapter that will help you get closer to overcoming your fears and anxiety. Of course, you have to work at it every day, and this book is very encouraging and supportive. Things like the authors considering our negative self-talk "maladaptive" (non-productive) as opposed to "irrational" (they don't feel we are irrational by dictionary definition) made me feel a lot better about myself and made me want to stick with it. I highly recommend this book.

I have read several other books that offered hope but no real help.
This book gave me my life back. It worked for me. I judged this book by its cover and it sat on my shelf for a month while I read other books that did nothing.
I am so glad I bought, and finally read this book.

This book is a suggested by the doctor I work with. Awesome information for people who suffer with, and are seeking to oversome, social anxiety.

I have social phobia that developed from having a voice disorder. It had held me back professionally until I decided to change careers and go to graduate school. The idea of giving presentations in school was terrifying, but I was tired of the fear holding me back. I learned biofeedback and read this book before starting graduate school. I am now in my last semester and credit this book with getting me there.

This book will help you understand social phobia and how your mind and body respond to the fear. This understanding combined with the activities will help you face social challenges that you set for yourself. This is a very comprehensive book that helps you set goals, identify how your body responds to fear, identify your unrealistic beliefs, learn how to handle exposure to your fears, communication and social skills, stress reduction, how to handle set backs, and medications.

These skills will also transfer to handling other fears as well. Yesterday, despite my fear of heights, I was able to participate in a high ropes course activity where I climbed a pole and walked across a log that was high in the air. I was able to identify unrealistic thoughts that were keeping me from participating and knew that I could continue after the initial fear. It was fantastic! I wish the same for everyone who has experienced fear that limits their lives. Bottom line - get the book and start living your life again!

I was given this book to read years ago while I was a patient at an anxiety treatment center in Chicago. As I was suffering from daily panic attacks and social anxiety, I immediately identified with the very specific and well documented subject matter in this book.

What I like most about this book is that it is interactive and provides questionnaires for the reader to fill out to help identify what your anxiety problems are and to plan the most effective treatment course. Additionally, there are many coping skills that are easy to apply, as well as a thorough breakdown of cognitive-behavioral techniques.

A tremendous part of my recovery from extreme social anxiety were many of the techniques and education that I gained from reading this book. As an anxiety sufferer, this book is a valuable resource that is helpful to reference over and over as you begin your recovery. I highly recommend it!

Steve Pavilanis, Author
A Life Less Anxious: Freedom from panic attacks and social anxiety without drugs or therapy (Volume 1)

Well, I bought this as a gift for my son but, as a psychiatric nurse, I read it as well. It seems to be practical, which is always a good thing, and easy to follow. It's also written in layman's terms and gives achievable goals. I'd recommend this for for people who are suffering from social phobia.

This book has helped me incredibly in my quest to overcome social anxiety. It clearly explains social anxiety, what it is and how its maintained and then guides you in how to overcome the problem.

The book so clearly identities and explains the key characteristics of social anxiety, particularly in the discussion of the fear of disapproval (one of the driving fears of social anxiety). I found the explanation and case studies so convincing and plausible that it seemed so obvious that they would be true (despite having spent so long believing the contrary).

I let this book sit on my shelf for sometime while I instead referred to other sources, which, all in all, were less helpful. If you are a sufferer of social anxiety, I highly recommend this book. From my own struggle, I can suggest that reading as widely as you can and seeking help beyond books is extremely helpful. No one source contains all the answers (though this one has many), but together they can provide the knowledge and tools needed to overcome social anxiety. And never give up. Never.