# Share a CBT Exercise!



## AnxiousIaM (Jan 14, 2010)

Name a CBT exercise your therapist has given you! One you loved, one you hated, or even one you wouldn't do, even for a million bucks.

I'll start with one that was particularly hard for me:

I have to go into a restaurant, sit down, and look at the menu. After a minute or two of looking, I have to get up and leave. 

This kind of drove me batty when I first did it. But it helped. I have a hard time asking for things and putting myself first, and these kinds of exercises reinforce that sometimes it's okay for me to impose.


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## ninka (Sep 28, 2009)

AnxiousIaM said:


> I have to go into a restaurant, sit down, and look at the menu. After a minute or two of looking, I have to get up and leave.


Done this, although not on purpose: I sat down, looked at the menu, found out everything was soooo expensive that I simply had to overcome my anxiety and get the hell out.


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## Sadaiyappan (Jun 20, 2009)

I have done this. I didn't realize it was an "exercise." My dad and I were visiting my brother in Houston Texas and we went out to eat. Walked into one place, didn't like the menu and we left. Then we walked into a seafood place but we were seated in the middle and not in a booth so my anxiety was too great so I had to leave.


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## the chosen one (Jan 8, 2010)

im pretty new to all of this, what is a cbt exercise?


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## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

the chosen one said:


> im pretty new to all of this, what is a cbt exercise?


cbt= cognitave behavioral therapy. definition -
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an action-oriented form of psychosocial therapy that assumes that maladaptive, or faulty, thinking patterns cause maladaptive behavior and "negative" emotions. (Maladaptive behavior is behavior that is counter-productive or interferes with everyday living.) The treatment focuses on changing an individual's thoughts (cognitive patterns) in order to change his or her behavior and emotional state.


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## the chosen one (Jan 8, 2010)

scarpia said:


> cbt= cognitave behavioral therapy. definition -
> Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an action-oriented form of psychosocial therapy that assumes that maladaptive, or faulty, thinking patterns cause maladaptive behavior and "negative" emotions. (Maladaptive behavior is behavior that is counter-productive or interferes with everyday living.) The treatment focuses on changing an individual's thoughts (cognitive patterns) in order to change his or her behavior and emotional state.


 ah okay, thanks man.


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## denhey (Jan 30, 2010)

*my CBT assignment*

My CBT assignment is to write a blog.

Yes, I have to write about my negative thoughts but in positive terms, which would undo my negative thoughts.

It does work because I write the blog anonymously, but currently I'm stuck at a point where I'm unable to overcome a recent relationship breakup.


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## _AJ_ (Jan 23, 2008)

hey, i did this once on my own, cept i walked in, sat at a table, looked at menu, put it down, and just watched tv.

the waitress asked if Im ready and i said "nothing for me, thanks"
and she just walked away and went back to chatting with the other waitress.

I watched the whole tv show and then just left


I didnt realize I was doing a cbt excersize, i just really wanted to see that show


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## 90%SAfree (Oct 8, 2009)

Heres something that I think will help. Whenever your gonna do something that sets off your SA like going out to a party or a restaurant rate how you feel on a scale of -10 to plus 10 with -10 feeling the worst you could imagine and plus 10 the best. Then after you get home from whatever you did rate how it went again. Its a good way to reinforce that its never as bad as you think its gonna be.


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## PiecesFalling (Jan 31, 2010)

_AJ_ said:


> I didnt realize I was doing a cbt excersize, i just really wanted to see that show


That's hilarious. What was the show if you don't mind me asking? =D


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## PiecesFalling (Jan 31, 2010)

ar2112 said:


> Heres something that I think will help. Whenever your gonna do something that sets off your SA like going out to a party or a restaurant rate how you feel on a scale of -10 to plus 10 with -10 feeling the worst you could imagine and plus 10 the best. Then after you get home from whatever you did rate how it went again. Its a good way to reinforce that its never as bad as you think its gonna be.


Very interesting. I might practice this and keep a record of each day, then see how it rates after a week or something.

p.s. +10 for this thread! Really cool to see different ideas and solutions to how we can tackle social anxiety.


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## jook (Nov 25, 2009)

I'm doing a self-imposed cbt exercise of a sort tomorrow. A friend told me about an acting gig and I, never having acted before, accepted.

They hire actors to role play consultation sessions with law students to give them practice on interviewing clients when they become lawyers.

Acting as the client I have been given background info on "the problem" I'm having, cues about my emotional state and other background info. Without a script I am expected to act as a person would in that particular situation. 

The session lasts one hour and a few minutes of it is taped. Tomorrow will be the first of four of these I've signed up for.

How's that for some frickin' CBT!!


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## PiecesFalling (Jan 31, 2010)

^ That's impressive!  I wish you all the best.


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## jook (Nov 25, 2009)

PiecesFalling said:


> ^ That's impressive!  I wish you all the best.


Thanks, Pieces. I'm going to be "on" in about an hour and a half. Trying to stay focused and calm. I know it must seem strange for someone with SA to even consider doing something like this. I have to say this wasn't always the case. My SA is seems to be improving significantly since I've been doing things like mindfulness & acceptance and EFT (emotional freedom techniques - also known as tapping).

Right now I'm experiencing what I think is normal nervousness, but nothing to severe. I'll post back how it goes.


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

One exercise I've read about is to make a fear hierarchy. List your social fears from highest to lowest and rate them on some scale, along with a rating for how much you avoid them.


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## christ~in~me (Dec 18, 2008)

ive been working on this workbook and I read ahead a little bit and it said to go up to a stranger and ask them to put their cigarette out,LOL.


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