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Self esteem books

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otm

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Hi! 

 

I am looking for book recommendations on self esteem that can help me with social Anxiety.

 

My problem is this:

 

When I meet people that I know but don´t normally see/talk to very often, I start to blush, my heart starts pounding and my lips start to vibrate. I just want to run away from the situation. I think this is because I worry to much about what others think when they see I start to blush and so on. Since I almost do this everytime I meet someone I know, I need some guidance to how I can start to repair or fix the problem. So I was hoping that maybe someone here had some good book recommendations that could help me with this problem? Or maybe someone here has had the same problem and would like to share what they did to fix it?

 

PS.

 

English is not my native language, but I would like to improve my english so any advice is appreciated! :)

Edited by otm
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The Pursuit of Happiness is a book by a reputable psychologist that offers advice on how to live, based on the results of hundreds of scientific studies.

 

Most of the book is just simple, concrete practical advice that has been shown to work for achieving certain specific goals. For example, if you take a moment to sit down and write out five bad things that you are glad have not happened to you (e.g., "I am glad I have not been fired"), your mood will improve in the short term. This has been confirmed in dozens of studies, and it is consistent with my experience.

 

There are a couple of caveats on this recommendation I need to mention. 

  1. The book is not philosophical, and at some points it suggests a negative evaluation of philosophical attempts to figure out how to live life. 
  2. Certain parts of the book are based on the values of the author, who is a Christian. For example, there is a chapter that argues that cultivating your spiritual life is a good idea, based on the alleged fact that studies show that religious people are happier.

 

So, it's a good book, just focus on the practical advice and take anything philosophical with a grain of salt.

 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Pursuit-Happiness-Discovering-Fulfillment/dp/0380715228

Edited by William O
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Individual or group therapy, rather than reading, might be right in the situation you describe.  It's more expensive, but it can be a better buy.  (It might also give you English practice.)

 

Writings on cognitive therapy might also help.  David Burns and Aaron Beck are some big names.  Cognitive therapy teaches patients to identify the erroneous beliefs that they act on and to question them.

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