I thought we were supposed to work up to the exposure part gradually

I can't remember if I ever blogged any follow up to the social anxiety screening I went to months ago. I got a letter in the mail saying they'd diagnosed me with Social Anxiety Disorder (at least I got the all clear on the rest of the long list of possible disorders) and the person who did the screening called and asked if I wanted to see a therapist there individually, or go to group therapy. She was in favour of the group and I wasn't exactly enthusiastic, but I don't really do well one-on-one, anyway, so I agreed. Then I didn't hear anything for months until last week, when I got a call from another therapist saying a group would start today.
Unfortunately, I got stuck at lab and was half an hour late to the session. Then, the person at the front desk sent me to the wrong room, so I knocked on someone else's door and disturbed them. Then, I had to find someone else to ask where I should be, and she told me another wrong room, so I disturbed someone else. I was starting to wonder if it was set up as part of the exposure therapy. Finally, when I found the right room, I had to walk into the group with everyone watching me.
I don't think I missed too much. They were just finishing introductions when I got there, which meant I had to introduce myself without knowing what kind of thing I was supposed to say. Then, after saying they weren't going to make us talk if we weren't comfortable, they made us go around the room again to say why we were there and explain a bit about our anxiety.
Most people said public speaking was their biggest problem, which made me feel like a freak. It seems far more acceptable to be afraid of speaking in public than to be afraid of ordinary conversation. I didn't say much about my anxiety, because I didn't want to admit to the extent of it, if everyone else is only afraid of public speaking, and also because I was going to cry if I kept talking. I didn't talk for the rest of the session, I don't think, because I was feeling sucky about being the most pathetic person there.
The actual therapy is pretty much exactly the same as outlined in the book I was starting to work through a while ago. Our homework for this week is to write down negative thoughts, which should be easy enough, except that I don't want to have to talk about them next week... I guess the whole point of it is to be honest, otherwise it won't help, but that's hard when I still feel like everyone else there will think I'm pathetic, rather than being in the same situation, and therefore able to relate.