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Support Groups and Counselling Programs for Students with Social Anxiety
Hi. I'm a new student at SFU Burnaby starting this September. I was wondering if SFU has any specific resources for students with social anxiety disorder, such as support groups, counselling programs, etc. I checked the SFU Health and Counselling website http://students.sfu.ca/health/services/counselling.html and they seem to have general counselling services but nothing specific to social anxiety.
Meeting new people and socializing is particularly difficult because social situations cause me a lot of anxiety. I've been in university for several years already, and I've joined clubs and professional development activities, but it was hard to really get involved. I always felt social anxiety was getting in the way and it is hard to explain why I'm always turning down invites to social events and parties. I would like to know if there are others who experience the same issues or know any helpful resources. Any input is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Comments
http://www.reddit.com/r/seduction/comments/y5bcj/stepbystep_instructions_to_overcome_social_anxiety/
Only posting these because they've helped myself heaps.
Good luck on finding a solution that works for you.
I would certainly recommend getting involved with any clubs or volunteer opportunities that seem interesting to you and that fit into your schedule. In my experience, smaller clubs that meet at least once a week and regularly schedule activities together are the best for making new friends. Also, maybe try something outside your comfort zone, especially if the kinds of clubs you are interested in tend to be full of other introverted people.
Another tip is to avoid spending hours and hours every day hiding at home (whether off-campus or in a dorm). If you can, try to spend more time out and about. Even if you are just quietly studying in the library, it might help you to be a little more comfortable in other social settings. Some students make the mistake of staying in their rooms and spending all their free time on their computers to deal with the social stress. I suspect that this behavior only makes their anxiety worse.
Anyway, I hope things work out for you at SFU.