I can’t stress the importance of day treatment. We have communication classes. Group therapy where we just talk, that helps with social skills. Since joining day treatment my anxiety has gone down to a point where I’m not constantly worried and afraid about school and work anymore. All kinds of anxiety are reduced by constant exposure to classes, structure, and people. If you are in a place where you are frustrated with your lack of improvement, this is the thing to try.
I don’t do classes or anything but I’m continually socialising at home and out. I go to the cricket club every week and play on weekends all through the year. I’d agree that getting out there in structured environments can only be good for you. It forces you to think in certain ways that help your social skills.
Social skills can be learned and that means practice! It’s easy to isolate with schizophrenia but to have some success sometimes you’ve just got to open yourself up to different experiences…whether with family, friends or strangers…just getting out there!
I’m in a coffee break group in work. I’m hard to tolerate but they’re more or less obliged to tolerate and talk to me because they’re being paid to. I’m very gradually being re-socialised and normalised by them but it’s taking years and is a very gradual process.