Can I Do Anything About My Social Anxiety On My Own?

Yes! As mentioned earlier, learning to become your own therapist is one of the primary goals of CBT. While it is often most helpful to work through these strategies with the help of a psychotherapist, many people are able to achieve significant gains using self-guided therapy manuals. One such book, TThe Anxiety & Phobia Workbook (New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook) has recently been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for individuals with mild to moderate Social Phobia (Abramowitz, Moore, Braddock, & Harrington, 2009). This and other CBT-based books are designed to teach people evidence-based cognitive and behavioral strategies for making gains on their own. Examples of recommended readings are provided below.