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May 08, 2010, 02:14 PM
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Member Since: Apr 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 2,853
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I guess I don't know what to make of myself. It sounds a lot like AvPD to me... is that what it sounds like to you, or is this just social anxiety? Does it even matter what it really is? I just know I don't want to live this way, if it can be helped.
If others reading this have had similar struggles and found effective help, what did you do? CBT? Self-help?  I feel like there is an entire dimension to life that I have never experienced. Help me get there. Please.
Thank you in advance.[/quote]
Hi! You ask whether your condition is AvPD or "just" social anxiety. First, I really don't think that your word "just" applies to social anxiety disorder. It's really painful, really affects your life and is just not like the common cold or a mild headache. As you can see for yourself by doing a search, the articles over the past twenty years seem to say that AvPD and social anxiety disorder are pretty much the same thing, with AvPD being "perhaps" (emphasize that "perhaps,") more intense than social anxiety disorder. There are also many articles out there comparing the effectiveness of psychodynamic therapy with CBT as far as AvPD and social anxiety are concerned. I can't remember whether there was a clear winner. You'd have to check out those articles yourself. Of course, most of those articles have to be paid for so you may have to concentrate on the free abstracts. Take care!
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