# RESOURCE: Attentional Training



## yeah_yeah_yeah (Mar 27, 2007)

External focus and self-consciousness reduction training as per Butler method / Clark and Wells.

If you want a primer on why this is necessary, go check out THIS post on self-processing 

Ross


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## smiles (Nov 13, 2006)

thanks ross! printed it out and read it


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## yeah_yeah_yeah (Mar 27, 2007)

Cool


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## X33 (Feb 13, 2005)

does it work?


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## yeah_yeah_yeah (Mar 27, 2007)

Yes indeedy. I dont post stuff that doesnt. I have spoken to a good many people, including long time users of this board, that have found this massively helpful in reducing in-moment anxiety. It is of course to be used as part of a complete ongoing recovery program, so dont expect to use this one thing in isolation and have every psychological symtpom of SA wiped out. This method is for getting over the Self-Consciousness aspects of SA. It will help, but not eliminate, post-event processing, anticipatory anxiety, negative thinking loops or approaching a hierarchy of anxiety provoking situations. It is PART of these things.

For more information, read the document itself or look up Clark and Wells, Interoceptive Processing and External Focus. And really, just try it. I can't give you any more advice than that. The approach is taken from "Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness" by Gillian Butler.

Ross


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## swtpea (Mar 15, 2008)

Hey, you had some cool advice. 

Thank you!


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## yeah_yeah_yeah (Mar 27, 2007)

Thanks swtpea! I get a kick out of posting it, so I'm glad it is useful to you


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## gozinsky (Mar 11, 2008)

Thanks that was very cool. I can't wait to try the experiment.


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## juicycouture (Apr 1, 2008)

I am new here and just downloaded the file and it is very helpful. I don't think my SA is extremely severe, perhaps a 5-6 maybe on a scale of 1-10. I have no probs talking to strangers most of the time or talking on the phone usually, just more problems with meeting people and severe problems with dating etc. For example, I refuse to go on a date even when I KNOW the other individual likes me (is giving me gifts, pursuing me etc) because I feel so much nervous and anxious energy that it drives my stress level up and I'm afraid of doing/saying the wrong things. 

I think that what you wrote contains a lot of truth for me, especially the parts about some SA people focusing too much inward and on their internal feelings and then projecting that unto others. I think that definitely is the case with me, I just never consciously realized it. I never sat there and thought of it that way but now that I read this theory I can say that I definitely have been doing that all these years. I am going to try and focus on my environment and focus outwards more next time and see what happens. I hope it works for me!


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## AndyLT (Oct 8, 2007)

I read this text earlier today and it had an impact on me later when i was socializing.

Making long story short, it made me realize that i was wrong in one situation. Usually, i would blame the whole world, but not myself. I felt sad about my mistake, but it's a much better feeling than frustration and anxiety.

I continued playing with attention shifting and i noticed that a lot of things lose their negative power if i stop applying them for myself.


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## IllusionOfHappiness (Sep 6, 2007)

Just downloaded this and read it. I'm thinking maybe tomorrow morning I will give it another read so it'll be fresh in my memory for school.

I'm thankful for the 'summary of the way to experiment' part. Makes it easy to understand.

I also could relate to the 'observations made by others'.



> Usually symptoms of social anxiety feel worse than they look. When you think everyone can see the shaking or nervousness that you can feel, you are usually wrong.
> Even when people do notice, they usually pay little attention, as it does not have much significance for them.
> People often look calm even when they do not feel calm.
> Most people do not notice much about what others do. They are more likely to be pre-occupied with their own concerns.
> ...


I've noticed a lot of that already, and tried to convince myself that it's true. My SA used to be a lot more obvious. Now I'm noticing that I can control it a bit easier - even panic attacks are usually only obvious to me. For example, if I am shaky, someone might just think I am cold, or they wouldn't care at all because "Even when people do notice, they usually pay little attention, as it does not have much significance for them" and "Most people do not spend time judging, criticizing or evaluating others".

I think this is a good place for me to start. Thanks for posting


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## velouria (Jan 9, 2008)

Thanks for posting this, man! I'm going to try this out on the bus.

CBT's kind of hard to get into for me, mostly because of actually having to believe the 'new' replacement belief. This should give a little perspective and help out with the CBT.


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## yeah_yeah_yeah (Mar 27, 2007)

velouria said:


> Thanks for posting this, man! I'm going to try this out on the bus.
> 
> CBT's kind of hard to get into for me, mostly because of actually having to believe the 'new' replacement belief. This should give a little perspective and help out with the CBT.


Go and have a read of my post  HERE  and hopefully your questions will be answered!!

Ross


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## velouria (Jan 9, 2008)

oh i was a little confused i guess.. haha, thanks.


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## yeah_yeah_yeah (Mar 27, 2007)

Yup - if you miss out the experiments and all the behavioural stuff, its not really much use  The cognitive thinking bit only primes the pump!!


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## kelso (Apr 23, 2008)

Thank you very much for this.
I have just downloaded it so can't speak for results but seems a step in the right direction. Has given me an extra boost of hope anyway.

Can anyone in Australia tell me if these CBT books or therapy are available here?
I do not have a credit card.
Please PM me if you can help.


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