</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Benjamin said:
That sounds like a self-esteem issue, Sidony. I read a good book on self-esteem a few years ago called The Six Pillars of Self-esteem by Nathaniel Branden. One of the "pillars" is self-assertiveness. To paraphrase Branden:
Self-assertiveness means honoring my wants, needs, and values, and seeking appropriate means to fulfill them. It’s the willingness to stand up for myself, to be who I am openly, to treat myself with respect in all human encounters. To merely hold values is not self-assertion - to pursue them and stand by them in the world, is. It’s about not having a bit part in my life - it’s being the leading man. To practice self-assertiveness is to be committed to my right to exist; I am not here on earth to live up to someone else’s expectations.
I got a lot out of that book and I'd highly recommend it.
</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">
Thanks for the recommendation! I'm definitely not very assertive. I didn't even really recognize it before therapy, but now I'm trying to work on it some.
</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
I was in group therapy six or seven years ago. It was kind of rough, but it was good exposure therapy for me. I suffer from social anxiety and speaking in a group was good practice.
</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">
Yup, social anxiety is challenging! I thought I'd never have the nerve to try group because of my own anxiety. I'm still nervous when I go. Eek, I'm going tonight!
</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
As far as your personality, you have a nice personality her on PC.
</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">
Thank you so much for saying this!!! I've wondered how I sounded. I remember posting something once and wondering afterward if it sounded patronizing or something (I constantly worry about how I word things). But the other person took it the way I had intended, so I try to stop worrying so much. I guess that's associated with social anxiety though (perpetual self-consciousness).
Sidony