[jordangiuseppe]

What are good ways of improving social skills and decreasing social anxiety and awkwardness?

[CANDC]

One way is to visit the Anxiety Support Chat every Friday at 8PM EST.

Another is to join a social club like Toastmasters that offers opportunities to socialize and speak before people when you are ready. In fact, any organization will do.

Therapist can help work through the underlying problems.

[TheNextOne]

Practice. Obviously that's harder in real life than online. So I'd advise you to practice online (virtual worlds would be great for this). That way you can approach real people and strike up conversations with them. You can do it all day long to get in a lot of practice. It won't be anywhere as intimidating as in real life either.

have you given thought to volunteering

[avlady]

i think volunteering would be a good way too, or even a part time job.

[Thunder Bow]

Take a Public Speaking Class.

[ablankscript]

Practice among your peers (those who also have social anxiety) as they will give you support and can empathize with you rather than judge, although you must be able to accept constructive criticism and probably be open to role playing, group discussions, and giving a speech. I would think a local anxiety support group would offer these things and if not start one a lot of people who feel like you will be very grateful.

Originally Posted by jordangiuseppe

What are good ways of improving social skills and decreasing social anxiety and awkwardness?

I'm guessing there is are one or more specific sorts of situations that trigger anxiety. Are you able to expose yourself to a minimal situation and then gradually challenge your anxiety by exposing yourself to it more and more?

example of exposure therapy. I feared shopping at the grocery store. My doctor had me go when it was at it's least busy. Then I went 30min later each week until I was able to go even when it was busy.

Do you perhaps have a similar opportunity you could use to cope with and manage your own anxiety?

[karleen's whisky]

facebook you can hide behind a keyboard and log on and off anytime you want and chat with loads of people or few people its up to you.

[neverending]

I attend a group titled social solutions for the seriously mentally ill, ie basically those diagnosed with major depression, bipolar, schizophrenia etc presented through the veterans clinic. It's a very good program. I don't know what is offered in the civilian world but I don't think the concept is limited to the VA. It's a very structured group and deals with a lot of different situations and you follow specific steps through role playing.