Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness by Gillian Butler

Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness by Gillian Butler. It has the subtitle A self-help guide using cognitive behavioural techniques. This is an interesting book and is also very easy to follow.
I thought the book has a more scientific approach. But, it is a self-help book, so it make sense for it to be a more commercial, if I can say that. I think this is a book that everybody should read. I say that because all of us experience social anxiety at one point in our lives and/or in specific situations. This book can help with that.

In part one she talks about what social anxiety is. I like how she took the time to explain in depth that social shyness is normal. It starts from childhood and it is a normal process. She presents the thinking process and how our beliefs and biases influence the way we think and how we act.

She also talks about safety behaviours. The example with the vampires and garlic is great: “trying to keep safe is as pointless as hanging up the garlic to keep the vampires at bay and then supposing that the absence of vampires demonstrates the value of the garlic.” That is something the reader can remember easily.

The second part of the book is on how to overcome social anxiety. There are four steps: changing thinking patterns, doing things differently, reducing self-consciousness, and building up confidence. There are tables with examples and experiments to try. I found them very interesting.

The last part is about bullying and assertiveness. These are only mentioned in a few pages, as the book is about social anxiety and neither bullying or assertiveness are specifically related to it.

Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness by Gillian Butler

Details about the picture: –
My rating: 4/5 Stars.
Would I recommend it: Yes
Published by: Robinson
Year it was published: 1999. There is a 2nd edition too, published in 2016.
Format: Paperback
Genre(s): Non-fiction. Psychology.
Pages: 259

About the author: Gillian Butler is a consultant clinical psychologist and Fellow of the British Psychological Society. She practises at the Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare Trust.
Other books by her:
– Psychology: A Very Short Introduction
– Manage Your Mind: The Mental fitness Guide
– Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders: Mastering Clinical Challenges – Guides to Individualized Evidence-Based Treatment.
Website & Social Media Links: NA