Group therapy is often the most effective, said Regina Ottaviani, a Maryland clinical psychologist who specializes in the treatment of social anxiety. So groups provide a great opportunity to expose them to the very thing they are afraid of. We assume we know what others are thinking about us, when it's really about what we are thinking about ourselves. Those are the thought distortions that group therapy looks at. It's effective, because even though this kind of behavior is bizarre, usually no one pays any attention.
People usually report that it is very freeing.
The important thing for people to know is that this is a treatable problem. Quashing negative thinking, therefore, is crucial. We think others are going to judge us negatively, so we either run away or freeze up. So the thing to do is to try to change your thinking. Changes in your hehavior will follow.