Self-help books about social anxiety disorder (SAD) are an excellent companion for traditional treatment of social anxiety disorder. They are also a good alternative for those who do not have access to a therapist or medication. Below is a list of popular SAD self-help books.
1. Living Fully With Shyness and Social Anxiety
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As the title suggests, Living Fully With Shyness and Social Anxiety is a guide to living the life that you want despite having social anxiety. Author Erika Hilliard has experience leading social anxiety groups and is a shy person herself, and this sets the tone for a readable and friendly book that combines facts with practical advice.
2. Dying of Embarrassment: Help for Social Anxiety & Phobia
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Dying of Embarrassment is a guidebook to overcoming social anxiety disorder. Although there is no replacement for structured cognitive-behavioral therapy with a real person, if a book is your only option, this one might be a good choice. The guide includes practical examples and workbook-style exercises to help motivate the reader to actually put the principles into practice.
3. The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook
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The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook is a comprehensive program for overcoming social anxiety disorder that includes a self-evaluation and the tools to put together a customized plan for making changes in your life. In addition, general information about treatment and resources for social anxiety is provided.
4. Painfully Shy: How to Overcome Social Anxiety and Reclaim Your Life
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Painfully Shy by Barbara Markway, also the author of Dying of Embarrassment, is a thorough presentation of the research and knowledge pertaining to social anxiety disorder. Although this book lacks examples of how to deal with practical everyday social activities, it does offer general solutions for dealing with painful shyness and insights about the cause of SAD.
5. Diagonally-Parked in a Parallel Universe: Working Through Social Anxiety
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Diagonally-Parked is unique in that it is a guide to overcoming social anxiety disorder written by both an expert in the field and a person who has personally battled SAD. Dr. Signe Dayhoff presents an overview of research about social anxiety as well as a practical exercises for managing anxiety in a wide range of social activities, from dating to networking. This book is touted by many as an essential self-help manual for SAD.
6. Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness
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Overcoming Social Anxiety and Shyness by Gillian Butler provides a step-by-step program for overcoming social anxiety disorder through the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques. The book is one in a series of self-help titles about overcoming disorders; each volume in the series presents history and background as well as practical advice for improvement.
7. Overcoming Shyness and Social Phobia: A Step-by-Step Guide
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Overcoming Shyness and Social Phobia by Ronald Rapee is a concise, direct and straight-forward treatment of the problem of social anxiety disorder. If you are looking for a quick read on a complicated issue, this book may be for you. The guide may be used either with or without the assistance of a therapist to work through social anxiety.
8. Beyond Shyness: How to Conquer Social Anxieties
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In Beyond Shyness, Jonathan Berent shows readers how to overcome frustration and low self-esteem on the path to becoming more socially confident. The book includes information about treatment options, goal-setting exercises and practical strategies for working through social anxiety.
