The Linden Method - success or failure for social anxiety?

Recently I have been reading a lot of reviews on the Internet on the "Linden Method" as a possible cure for social anxieties and social phobias. The inventor of this therapy, Charles Linden, apparently suffered from panic attacks very frequently and eventually decided to do his owned research into the issue.
I have never tried the Linden Method so I am unable personally to formulate an opinion on it. Apparently the therapy focuses on the Amygdala part of the brain, an almond shape area which apparently is responsible for producing te chemicals which result in fear and anxiety in the human body. The first thing I do when reading of about new therapies is to look for reviews on the Internet although this can sometimes be deceptive as many quacks will spend lots of time gettings others or themselves to post positive reviews on web sites and forums in order to convince people to go for the therapy. I would be grateful if any of you reading this who have tried the Linden Method would leave your comments as I would be very interested in learning more about this approach to overcoming social phobia and anxiety.

Great response by Ysabeth to the question: can I stop working because of my social phobia:

Ysabeth responds:
"I think the important question is not "CAN you stop working?" but "SHOULD you stop working?" Let's consider some aspects of this decision.

1) A doctor (or counselor) is a useful *resource* but should be giving you advice, not orders. YOU are responsible for your own life and so you should make the decisions, taking into consideration the best information and advice possible. (People who aren't able to make sound decisions are usually in need of a hospital stay.)

2) If you're asking yourself whether you can or should continue working, then that indicates you have a serious problem. So whatever you decide about work, you should definitely seek help with your anxiety issues. Chances are you need some new skills in your head; and there may be physical, spiritual, or other aspects needing attention as well. Do not simply quit working and use your anxiety as an excuse to sit on your arse doing nothing forever. That way lies misery.

3) Explore, and actually list if you can, the practical ("My boss has complained that I am not doing my assigned tasks.") and emotional ("ZOMG I CAN'T DO THIS!") and financial ("I have some money saved, but it won't last forever.") reasons for and against stopping work.

4) Ask yourself some questions, such as:
* Have you had to stop one or more tasks due to anxiety issues? How many, how often?
* Does your social phobia make your coworkers, boss, clients, etc. uncomfortable around you?
* Is your social phobia bad all the time, or does it come in cycles?
* Do you feel that your job is making your anxiety worse? That is, can you point to things (an abusive supervisor, sexual harassment, short deadlines) that specifically make you miserable; such that you might do better in a different job? And do you feel calmer when you are not at work, including when you are with different people?
* Does it seem like you are simply overloaded, such that you get better when you have some time to relax and get more sleep?
* Has anyone else suggested that you stop working, temporarily or permanently, or switch jobs? Do you agree or disagree?

5) If your anxiety issues are impacting your work enough that there is a real risk of getting fired, then seriously consider taking a leave of absence or resigning before that happens. Getting fired for cause almost always makes it harder to get another job. However, check with your company first because some make counseling available to employees who need it.

6) As a possible alternative to leaving the workforce, temporarily or permanently, consider switching jobs or even careers. Some people find a particular field really stressful but are fine when they change to one that suits them. If your job is crushing or unsatisfying or terrifying, that's not good for anyone! Spend some time exploring whether there is some other kind of job you would enjoy and do well.

7) Avoid making permanent, long-term decisions like "I'm going to quit my job and never work again!" at this time. If you're so strung out with anxiety that you're thinking about stopping work, then you're not in a suitable frame of mind for making important decisions. Instead try to focus on short-term things like getting help or discussing your job situation with a counselor if you already have one, and maybe taking a brief leave of absence. That may put you in a better state of mind for considering your long-term plans."

Can I stop working because of my social phobia?

This was a question asked by one fo our readers this week. And it is a question which is not so easy to asnwer. Firstly, do you mean can I stop working for ever because of my social phobia. Basically, anyone can stop working whenever they want but they might have trouble finding the means ot live. If the question is intended in the sense of is this a medical reason to stop work, my inital answer would be no.
Firstly, it is the decison of a medial doctor if you are fit for work or not. If a doctor thought would phobia was so severe when he/she would likely stop you from working for a limited period while you were undergoing treatment.
It is highly unlikely that a doctor would decide that on account of social phobia you would never be able to work again. And actually I think it is wrnog that you assume you want to stop working. I can understand your situation but would your goal not be rather to overcome your social phobia and continue working rather than just giving up right away and saying I never want to work again.

Tunnel phobia in Norway

It is interesting when - as is seldom the case - phobias gain some sort of media notoriety for one reason or another. This was the case with the island of Hitra in Norway which was served by a ferry from the Norwegian mainland. All was fine and good strangely enough in that there were no complaints from the islanders about experiencing phobias on board the ferries. Then the Norwegian government decided to build a tunnel to connect the island of Hitra with the mainland. But this was no ordinary tunnel, this was the deepest and one of the longest tunnels in the world. In fact the tunnel was 264 meters below sea level and had an overall length of 5.6 kilometers. So as a result the islanders were forced to use the tunnel to cross over to mainland Norway.
Some 18 people living on the island complained of having anxiety and panic attacks when using the tunnel so the Norwegian authorities set up a special programme to try and remedy the disorder. it was based on cognitive bahvioural therapy and gradual exposure of the individuals to the tunnel situation.
The programme reports that at the conclusion all 18 taking part were able to drive through the tunnel on their own without experiencing panic or anxiety. You will find more information on the cognitive behavioural therapy for phobias here.