# San Antonio/Austin, TX Support Group



## cicada (Aug 25, 2005)

Calling all social anxiety sufferers in Austin, San Antonio, and all areas in between-I have been wanting to start a SA support group in Austin for the past few months but have been unsuccessful in generating enough interest in Austin. So, I have to decided to expand the invitation to folks living in San Antonio and any place in between it and Austin. If I can generate enough interest, I will try to set up something in a place between the two cities. If you are interested here are some things you should know. 

I am not going to set up an actual meeting until I can get at least two other people to say they will definitely come to a meeting. It is just too much work to reserve a meeting room, get handouts organized, and prepare what I'm going to say at the first meeting if I am unsure anyone is going to show up. As a person who suffers from social anxiety disorder, it is hard for me to be the leader of a support group, and I just want to be sure that my efforts are warranted. I have started a SA support group before in a different city, and I have read many books on SA and have successfully used different techniques to lessen my SA. That said, you should know that I have no formal training in mental health, and I am by no means a therapist. I'm just a person with SA who wants to give and receive support as I work on getting better. 

I would like the group to provide a safe environment for SA sufferers to share information, receive and give encouragement, and work on lessening anxiety. Everyone would be able to participate at their own pace. There would be no pressure to speak in front of the group.

Another thing I would like to do is to set up activities outside of meetings so that people with SA could just get out and have some fun without worrying so much about what their companions are thinking of them. 

P.S. If you know about a social anxiety support group that's already running in any of the places mentioned, I would appreciate being told about it. Thank you.


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## mere phantom (Dec 16, 2003)

how long is the meeting?

those places are kinda far from where I'm at

I'd hate to drive a few hrs for a 30min meeting, I'm not sure I'd show up to a big city like those anyway to be honest

I hate being where i am


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## cicada (Aug 25, 2005)

Hi Mere Phantom,

The only reason I targeted Austin and San Antonio is because I live in Austin and I saw on the Social Phobia World site that there were a couple of SAers in San Antonio and I thought they might be interested in coming to a support group. Haven't heard from them so far. I'd actually be willing to drive up to 90 minutes in any direction from north Austin to go to a meeting. 

The only thing is I'd want to be sure that at least two other people would show up. I've had a few show interest, but they are always hestitant to commit to anything. (I understand why.) I just don't want to put forth the effort if nothing is going to come of it. 

I wish all the central and northeastern Texas people would get to know each other so maybe the possibility of meeting in person wouldn't be so scary. Most of us are within a few hours of each other and it seems such a shame that we let our fears get in the way of actually meeting others who understand us. 

Anyway, would you like me to send you a PM if someday I am able to get a group together? The meetings would probably last about 2 hours. I will not give up trying to get group together.


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## lindsey_coleman (Mar 6, 2006)

hi, im not sure how much progress you've made on this support group project, but im very interested. i just recently realized that i suffer from some general anxiety, social anxiety is one of my problems. i would like to talk to others about their problems and share mine in order to maybe understand the problem better and learn how to deal and improve. please contact me with some information. my email is [email protected]

thanx


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## Smcdun (Aug 27, 2006)

*Soon to be San Antonian*

Hey guys, My name is Sean and I will be moving to San Antonio very soon within the next month. I have had SA for as long as I can remember probably since sixth grade. I'm 21 now, for the past year I decided to seek out information. I just finished Dr. Richards CBT program and have also finished Jonathan Berent's Beyond Shyness: How to overcome social and performance anxieties audio program. Jonathan Berent offers telephone therapy, but I am unsure about it. for $100 per telephone session I think I would rather spend that on behavioral group therapy as described in the workbook from Dr. Richards program. My specific physiological symptom is blushing and my number one challenge on my hierarchy is public speaking and avoidance, as I have avoided most public speaking presentations all throughout high school and have also taken online courses in order to avoid it. The occurence and severity of blushing has gotten better with the cognitive strategies and rationalization, biofeedback training, and breathing techniques, but I want to really get involved with the behavioral part of SA. I want to actually go to a ground campus university or community college in Texas, but before I do that I want to get this part of my life under control. I give myself credit for what I have done so far granted that my parents don't really think it is problem, don't pay attention to it, and I have been doing this on my own. At one point I perceived the blushing to be so negative that I considered ETS surgery and severing my nerves in the sympathetic nervous system to get rid of blushing for good. After talking to a doctor in my area and realizing that some of the side effects could be devasting and irreversible I reconsidered and decided to find the real solution to overcoming SA. I realized that the blushing would just be one part of the big picture and by severing my nerves I would not be solving the bigger issue and it would be a cop out. Anyways, I won't have a job upon arriving there in late September/early October so money will be an issue for me, although I will still be living with my mom for a while I plan on finding my own place and living on my own. I read your post on finally finding some people in Austin, I guess it's a little over an hour from San Antonio, but if that's what it is going to take I'll do it. How often do you meet up, what is the schedule, what's involved, etc. I live in Frederick, MD right now and was searching for a support group in my area and there is this guy who is about 2 1/2 hours from me who is a graduate from Dr. Richards Institute who teaches the same group sessions in his city. If I am moving in a month I would rather start something there in TX. Please email me and let me know how the group is progressing, I would love to be a part of it, get over my fears step by step and spread the word. I think the truth about ETS surgery should also be more widespread because I have heard horror stories from people who blush severly due to social anxiety who have gotten this operation and regretted it and can do nothing about the side effects now, i.e. compensatory sweating. It is a pretty scary thing and is a deceiving way to make money for surgeons. Anyways let me know

Thanks


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