Problems that SPA/ SoCAA
can NOT
help:
SPA/SoCAA
provides free, peer-led (non-professional and 12 Step-oriented) help to people
with Social Anxiety, Shyness or Social Phobia Problems. We do this with limited volunteer-provided
resources. **We are not capable of clinically evaluating group members, but the
following self-assessed (or professionally assessed) problems are beyond the capability of our groups
to help and may even be disruptive to our support groups—
SPA/SoCAA Can NOT Help the Following Problems:
A) People with Active Drug or Alcohol Addictions [NOTE: properly
prescribed medications are NOT what we are talking about here, and you ARE
WELCOME to attend our groups if you are taking Doctor-prescribed medication and
believe that you are not actively addicted to it] **We recommend that
people with ACTIVE drug or alcohol problems seek help elsewhere until they are at
least 6 (six) months ‘clean’ from their addictive substance and are also getting
ongoing help from other support groups
or professionals who specialize in these areas) **SPA will NOT be
of any real help to people who are still active in their addictions-- and
these individuals may also be disruptive to the well-being of our groups until
they have stable, 6-month-plus (or even more) recovery from their addiction
problem, along with ongoing guidance from professionals or sponsors
specializing in that area. SEE BOTTOM OF PAGE FOR HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR
Various kinds of addictions.
B) Borderline
Personality Disorder (BPD) Although this problem appears
(on the surface) to include social anxiety symptoms, it is actually a very
different syndrome and many studies show that BPD itself is NOT very
responsive to approaches that help regular Social Anxiety. **However there ARE
scientifically-proven therapies that CAN help this problem and we encourage
people with BPD to seek professional help that will be most effective for their
needs. It should also be noted that people with BPD can (eventually,
sometimes after a honeymoon period) become very abusive and disruptive in
support group settings that are not professionally supervised This
is another reason why SPA asks that people who are either
self-or-professionally-diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder NOT
to attend Social Phobics Anonymous groups. **BPD
Social Anxiety operates according to very different dynamics than regular
social anxiety. We wish people with BPD well, but we encourage them to seek the
professional help that can make a real difference for their problems. SEE BOTTOM OF PAGE FOR
HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR BPD
NON-DIAGNOSIS. In SPA we do NOT
diagnose others as having drug/alcohol or BPD problems. We simply ask that
people make PERSONAL choices to come or not to come to our groups based on the above
information. HOWEVER— Patterns of disruptive or abusive behavior in our groups
will not be tolerated and offending individuals will be asked to leave,
criminal or violent speech or behavior being unacceptable even once.
Are there rules of conduct
in SPA/SoCAA groups? No more so than most other 12 Step programs— Being respectful of
others, respecting the group meeting format (which is explained each week at
the start of the group) and expressing ones needs in a constructive manner are
all that is required to be accepted in the groups. In such matters, patterns
of disruptive or abusive behavior rather than isolated incidents usually
determine whether or not someone might be asked to seek help elsewhere;
criminal or violent behavior (or speech) being unacceptable even once.
Alternatives
to SPA/ SoCAA & Resources for Other Problems: There are many
alternatives for people seeking help for social anxiety or other problems. A
few such alternatives are listed here, the Internet and professional guidance
being other ways to find out about such resources:
Resources for
Drug/Alcohol Addiction (Does NOT include
Benzodiazepine addiction, which has different recovery needs):
Alcoholics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous
Cocaine Anonymous
Resource for
Benzodiazepine addiction (which has VERY DIFFERENT recovery needs from other types
of drug addiction) NOTE: there are about 20 drugs in the
benzodiazapine family and each has drug has its own seperate name. The link below will help you determine if your medication is a benzo and if you
have a benzo addiction):
Benzo Island
Resources for
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD):
A list of Common BPD Symptoms: Note Additional Symptom Links On the Same Page. This site also has a wide range of helpful resources for persons who have BPD. NOTE: Having Some of these Symptoms Does Not Automatically Mean that One Has BPD; Getting A Professional Diagnosis Is Important if One Thinks that they Might Have BPD.
Middle Path: Awareness Compassion and
Support for those with Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder Central (BPD Central)
Alternative Resources for Social
Anxiety not complicated by Active Drug/Alcohol or BPD problems:
Emotions
Anonymous
Codependents
Anonymous (NOTE: SPA only recommends those CODA
groups that espouse a non-aggressive and fundamentally compassionate and
non-conflict-addicted approach to setting boundaries and meeting ones needs).
Resources for people with compulsive
Money, Debt or Income problems not strictly related to Social Anxiety:
Underearners Anonymous (help
for people with patterns of chronic underearning or chronic difficulties
realizing their dreams)
Debtors Anonymous (Includes lots of
help for people with chronic underearning patterns and chronic problems
realizing their dreams)
Internet Resources
for researching other help options:
National Self-Help Clearinghouse
Help if You are Suicidal (www.suicide.org)