Book- la Peur des autres

Book- la Peur des autres (=the fear of others)
Authors: Christophe André ; Patrick Légeron 

Score: 8/10

Year: 2005 (1995)* 

Odile Jacob,  ISBN 2738112366

*332 pages (édition poche de 2005 que j'ai lue) / 272 pages (brochée de 1995)
Language:  French (not translated)


This book is very informative and unveils, as desired by the two authors, psychologists, on the various forms of social anxieties: stage fright, shyness, social phobia, as announced by the title of the book. It is illustrated by numerous cases of  the two authors' patients, to better demonstrate every facet.

Self-assessment grids, questions throughout the book and in the Appendix, helps to identify '' do I suffer from social anxieties, where, how, under what circumstances'' - I presume one would read this book only when one has an idea about it, or in my case, some certainties and a suggested reading ... 

I find that I'm not alone, and that there are also many more people suffering from social phobias, and some are worse than me ; but there's also the possible aid, although not always easy to find, given the delays of medical authorities and of a society that advocates ''Sort this out yourself, life is suffering anyway'' ...
 
The book is organized in several parts, and each into chapters. They explore the various manigestations of social phobias, the physical distress and behaviour patterns demonstrated by socially anxious people.
Chapters are also dedicated to understanding the thoughts behind these fears, and how to change one's perceptions can alleviate those fears, and offers possible solutions.


One chapter deals with medication, which sometimes is necessary, whilst in most cases a cognitive therapy should be the answer, as the psychologist concentrates on changing the patient's thought patterns and guides the patient through a series of gradual exercices to face his or her fears. 

In conclusion '' imagine you are all naked '' referring to the speech Jerilyn Ross, president of American Association of social unrest 'at the World Congress of Psychiatry in 1993, whose association there is no equivalent in France to really help and monitor patients. I connected these three pages in Chapter 5, as a logical continuation of the synthesis of ''shrink writers''. 
 
The book ends on self-analysis tables in social situations, as annexes, for obviously interested readers.