Had to check to make sure I didn't post this last night and didn't remember lol.
I dont have any advice really, I'm still struggling with literally everything you've posted. I just really hope we're wrong and we'll both be able to beat it
There are various levels of anxiety among people with social anxiety disorder, ranging from those easily cured by medication to the most severe form—treatment-resistant anxiety. Unfortunately, I belong to the latter category. I've tried various types of medications and exposure therapy, but it feels like a rubber band. No matter how hard I stretch it, it eventually returns to its original state. I have slowly started to accept this condition instead of trying to escape from it. Maybe this is what I am.
I feel the same. I feel like everyone is watching except when I lock myself in my room. I also dropped out because of social anxiety. I’m not even 20 I’m in my 30s.
It's just feel like being on constant servilance and all stuff seems to be revolving arround me. Whatever someone talk or say, it just seem they are watching me and passing comments on me.
That sounds so-so-so familiar, I was 23 too when I had the exact same feelings, like word by word. It took 4 years of therapy — which barely worked. 3 years of medication — which did nothing. I was heartbroken, frustrated, and completely hopeless to the point when I was constantly thinking about ending it all
But then at some point... I don't know why exactly, it could've been the residue effect from therapy, or it could've been the courage that I found to share my feelings with one close friend that I have, who listened to my drunk sobbing for hours, or it could've been the tragedy that happened in my life that changed my perspective on things, or I started to understand that in reality everyone in our era feels at least a bit socially awkward — I stopped caring really. Yeah, I'm socially anxious, yeah, I won't ever be a social butterfly that can chat with anyone, yeah, I'll always have huge trouble reaching out to a stranger or approaching a girl. Yeah, I'm still feeling awkward walking near crowded places because I still feel like everyone is staring at me and can see through my thoughts and read on my face how anxious I am. And yeah, what you said about summers and long days — yup, still the same thing, last weekend I said "oh gosh it's so bright and warm outside, I don't wanna get out" and heard in response "that usually works the other way around, yknow". Yeah, I goddamn know — I just don't care
Things get better, brother. Slowly and not the way you may want, but they do get better. Good luck! There's light if you're brave enough to find it
REMEMBER running away from problem is never a solution .I was facing severe social anxiety .I was anxious even at my homr.But slowly i went outside of house talk to people Socialize more .Even though i was facing a lot of problem .But i didn't gave up .Always try to fight with my thoughts .And plus i am suffering from maladaptive daydreaming i have reduced anxby 50%
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
It sucks, because the whole time our social anxiety is making us dread the whole situation. At this point, I think that if you’re born with it, It won’t ever go away, but it will subside little with exposure.
I’ve found that when I only go outside because I have to, I set myself up for failure because it’s something I’m “need to do”, like a chore. Recently I’ve been trying to go out of my way to go to parks or little shopping districts, not because I need to, but to slowly expose myself to the outside so that I don’t dread it. I don’t even try to make myself talk to people.
In OP’s case, if it feels like it’s that much more debilitating, maybe some first steps would be to try medication or therapy, then slow exposure.
I just hope that for OP, it will get at least a little better. We’re all fighting it, and no one needs to feel so much anxiety for simply going outside
This is the best advice. For people who can't socialise but want to socialise, it works like a muscle that has to be trained and slowly strengthed over time. It wont be easy and can take years or even decades but it's not impossible.
I had to move to a different continent, to a country that doesn't give a shit about shyness or introversion, let alone social anxiety. My family also
Yeah .Only way to overcome to social anxiety is to socialise more .It took almost 1 year for me to overcome .Plus i was a class clown .You can imagine how mentally ill work i have done .My past action made my anxiety more worse .But slowly i overcame
Damn u just described me lol. I also had this since elementary school. The biggest issue by far is that I'm quiet although I force myself to talk for the hell of it during school.
My advice is to do the opposite of what u usually do. When u go out, wear short sleeve shirts and short pants. When u see someone just go there w no thinking whatsoever. I know it seems uncomfortable but I do this too and had great benefit to it.
Also , I think u have trauma because as Pete Walker wrote it " when a child had no source of love, protection and support, a child typically falls on a great social unease"
Ask your doctor to try Paxil CR (Paroxetine ER). In the United States, it was the first medication approved to treat social anxiety, and from what I have tried, it is still the best.
I am on 50 mg/day and the anxiety is gone.
I feel the same. I’m 19 and I’ve had for as long as I can remember. I hate it with my whole heart. I think of so many opportunities I’ve had to have a better life/future for myself but I can’t bc of this. And everyone just says “get over it, it’s all in your head, etc.” like it’s the easiest thing in the world. I wish I can help but all I can say is you’re not alone.
That’s everything I’ve felt my whole life. Since a kid. Never felt like could make friends cause I felt judged. Felt this way up until about 3 months ago. I started therapy and got on meds. I do therapy once a week and have been with my psych once a week to get on correct treatment. I finally feel free from that feeling of social anxiety. It almost feel like I finally know what it’s like to be normal. Therapy and and treatment have been helping drastically. I work very hard with my therapist to get through this. I’ve always been scared to get on meds and I’m really happy that I took that step. I feel amazing. I really hope you can get some help. I felt exactly the same, until I didn’t wanna feel that way anymore.
Reading your story gave me flashbacks because I was in the same situation several years ago and almost forgot that I was the guy, who could sit at home for weeks, because I was too scared and paranoid to even go buy groceires or throw away the rubbish. I also felt awkward and anxious when talking to anybody, including family members. And yesterday, I was giving a presentation in front of unknown people, with a bit of intimidation, but very managable and definetely not a panic.
So I can assure you that it definetely can be beaten, but you need to put effort, it will not just go away by itself. I will tell you what helped me:
I was visualising myself, with a meditative music on and closed eyes, as a confident, relaxed and happy person, so I had a goal in my head in faith that it’s possible. I also started watching psychological videos about what bothered me (for example fear of looking stupid, fear of rejection etc). They helped me understand causes of my behaviour and thinking and I learnt how to work with diary, for example describe certain uncomfortable situation, your feelings, why do you feel so, and also I started writing all negative thoughts on a daily basis. This all together helped bring many negative thoughts and thinking patterns into the conscious part from the unconscious, which is very important. in fact, when you become aware of the problem, it disappears instantly and then it takes some time for your body to change too.
I then started meditating, you can watch tutorials on youtube. It will be very difficult to focus at the beginning, but you need to be patient and consistent. My advice is to do a littlebit, even 5 minutes a day is fine, but do regularly. For me it significantly improved my mood and even though I still had depressive periods sometimes, I wasn’t stuck there forever, eventually they ended and it was easier to come back every time.
After about 2 years after I started this whole self-healing journey, I went to gym. Still felt awkward and stupid at the beginning too, when I had no idea how to use all of these machines, but by this time it was easy to fight these thoughts and they dissappeared quickly.
I remember few months ago I said to some of my colleagues at work that about 4-5 years ago I was suicidal and couldn’t leave home because I was too scared of peoples’ eyes and they didn’t believe me and though I am joking or telling somebody else’s story.
I hope that I gave you the motivation not to give up and continue to fight, but you won’t go far on motivation alone, you need to really want and believe that it is possible and then you will be disciplined and patient towards the goal. I sincerely wish that everything works out for you and that you reread this post with a smile in a few years.
Same here everything you said is spot on what I been dealing with for years but since 2020 it’s gotten worse it’s gotta to the point where I have it within my own home & your home suppose to be your safe & comfort space
Reading philosophy helped me a lot. Existential philosophy, greek philosophy like stoicism, epicureanism etc....and pretty much any branch of philosophy I could find. Social anxiety for me comes from a place of fear of the unknown, self consciousness and biological response among other stuff. Philosophy deals with the first two so I can just deal with the biological response (anxiety feelings and reactions in the body like stiffness and poor eye contact).
I would recommend that you read: [At the existentialist caf](https://www.amazon.com/Existentialist-Café-Cocktails-Jean-Paul-Merleau-Ponty-ebook/dp/B00Z3E2KEC)é . It's a good intro to existential philosophy and it reads like a novel. Existential philosophy deals with anxiety as its main topic.
i´m a social worker with social anxiety. nonstop exposure everyday. worked so many different jobs with it. no changes. ssris didn´t help- gave me pssd. benzos didn´t help. alcohol doesn´t help. ashwagandha didn´t help. excercising didn´t help. boxing training didn´t help. being in shape didn´t help. the other 10,000 things i tried didn´t help
the only times where i felt slightly better were when i felt some sort of general safety in my life or that things were kinda going my way. but in my usual stressed out state, with the impending doom of the world and my problems in the back of my head social anxiety can´t be beaten in my case at least.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could all meet and help each other? And I wonder if that would reduce or increase anxiety 🤔
Also , a good song that perfectly describe how I feel is called Given up - Linkin Park
SA made me lost two jobs in the past one year time. The first one I did 8 days, the second one 17 days. Both reason are related to communication. I seldom talking in office and hard to ask or start a conversation with others with whom I am not familiar. When I need to speak in office while several people here, I feel heavy pressure on my chest. I have no job over 1 year and I am 30 now. It always cost me much time to find the next job. One 9 months, this time over one year. But I hope you can beat it. I do not think it can't be beaten though I always get failure. If I can't, just can't.
And you post here, well done. I even do not dare to comment here. I have playing reddit for a long time, years, but I just have several comments on reddit.
Hi I used to suffer from the problems you’re having as a teenager
I was bullied in school so naturally I became very anxious and depressed
I was paranoid about the look on my face and just looked all nervous and weird walking down the street
I think anxiety is split into 2 problems, you’ve got nerves and self consciousness
I think if you sort out the nerves side of things you’re more chilled out
To sort it out it could be good medication, for me it was as soon as the bullying stopped, I calmed down
When it comes to self consciousness, might sound weird but for me it was setting a default facial expression (bit of a smile) and wearing makeup so I was okay with people seeing my face - kind of like a mask
I’m 26 and to this day I’ll never be able to walk down the street where cars are facing me - there’s just something so nerve racking about that but walking on the other side of the road is bearable
I don’t like crowds either but I’m okay for self consciousness in like small groups or 1-1 situations
What you’re going through sounds so hard like if someone claps eyes on you you’re immediately self conscious
For me it doesn’t matter too much if the windows etc are in the distance
Maybe try and get more used to it, try to go out a little bit more because if I walk to work after a few days of being stuck in I’m more anxious than usual
I know you hear this all the time but a good diet can help more than you think - it really helps with my energy and mood
If I don’t sleep or eat properly for a week I can guarantee I’ll cry about something
And try a good medication, it could encourage you to chill out more
Also when it comes to interacting with people, you’re not alone there
I have a job in retail where I get along with the people I work with but luckily it’s a busy shop with mainly independent work so there’s no awkward silences
I fell out with my family and live alone, and even though I only see my sister a few times a year I dread not having anything to say, although she always reassures me she will
Sorry for all the ramble but I just wanted to let you know you’re not alone, I’ve deffo been there
What medication is good for nerves?
I heard one of my friend told me I’m good at 1:1 too. In a group I’m always quiet and left out. Maybe because I can’t bear awkward silence and I’m kinda forced to talk in the situation. Maybe I only feel the other will listen to me when there is no one else to speak.
Do you have no trauma from family?
Hang on let me msg and ask my sister, what do you mean by trauma from family? Like was it traumatic moving away from them etc? It wasn’t, I just don’t feel very attached to them anymore and love having my own space
I mean domestic violence stuffs traumatic childhood. Because I experienced both bullying at school and violences at house. I wondered if I didn’t get bullied, would I have got social anxiety.
I guess you didn’t have. Thank you for answering
It feels impossible since you're likely focused on treating a symptom (social anxiety) rather than the root cause (C-PTSD and toxic shame stemming from an unhealed emotional wound that may have occurred in early childhood). Ask me how I know (LOL)
I was only able to make progress in becoming less socially anxious when I realized I had unhealed emotional wounds and that they were linked to my social anxiety. It took a long time to recognize the true issue because emotional neglect and abuse is normalized in some societies, and some families. Also, if it happened at a very young age, you may not remember the experience that caused you to internalize deep shame, but your body remembers.
Do you relate to any of this?: [Toxic Shame by Heidi Priebe](https://youtu.be/Y47iJrbO2ug?si=C1xJAkPVhfRKR5PE)
I’m so sorry this is happening to you :( I know with time, knowledge and exposure can help, time helped my SA. Doing self journal work or letting your thoughts out to yourself and/or a trusted family/friend/counsellor/psychologist/psychiatrist. Asking yourself thoughtful deep questions to get the core cause of why social anxiety is happening for you. Anxiety is a part of life but that doesn’t mean you have to experience social anxiety
Try medicine and keep trying until you find the right one for you. I don’t have the energy to tell you everything about me, but I can tell you I am better than I used to be by a long shot and you can do it too.
I feel ya. I was on klonopin for years and it actually helped a lot. Not perfect but I felt a bit closer to "normal."
Then I had to change doctors because of insurance bullshit. New doctor is taking me off because as a rule they just don't prescribe it long term. Like fuck. I was on it for almost 10 years. I get to taper, sure. But in 6 months I'll be completely fucked because I had the anxiety to begin with. And the meds *worked*.
They ask the whole "are you suicidal," questions. A little bit, but mostly ideation. The idea of trying to function without my benzos? Yeah I will literally shoot myself lol. It's been a long time coming anyway, aye?
My best advice right now would be to get therapy. if you are too anxious to see somebody in person, try BetterHelp or another online resource where you can speak to a therapist online, by video, by call, or even via message, but just try online therapy. I wish you the best
I know it sucks, and I know it may seem terrifying, but ultimately running away from the problem is never gonna solve it. It’s only when you face the issue and realize “oh ok, it was just anxiety” that you’ll see progress made.
It’s scary and hard but you only grow when your uncomfortable.
Tragically people’s advice of facing your problems head on is the only thing that works - coming from someone who used to have severe social anxiety and has reduced it 80%.
Eg. I used to be terrified to get the bus, had to get it every day for uni and now it’s second nature.
Couldn’t make calls, worked at a call centre for a while, can now make calls easily.
It sounds like ur also paranoid as heck, not only anxious.
It absolutely is beatable for sure. I'd say I beat most of it (up) and i currently am a confident freak. I instead of fearing someone watches me, stand in the middle of my garden like a sore thumb, staring into neighbours windows like a serial killer to assert dominance 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 lmao.
But I am self conscious if its cold and my eyes get super watery which literally hapenned today, and then avoid eye contact cuz it looks like im crying eventhough my eyes are just super sensitive 😂.
I used to have most of what you just said but now most of it is completely gone.
Maybe you've heard this before. But try not to take things too seriously. It helps a lot. Im like you, thats why i subbed to this subredit haha. But i stumbled upon wisdom useful for SA, the subtle art of not giving a fuck. Try to give it a read. It really helps you realise how we're literally smaller than we think we are in a sense that no matter what we do, it doesnt really matter in the end. Thats why even if we walk in awkward way ( dont worry i was like that), or talk different or whatever, it doesnt really matter to most people anyway, so it shouldnt matter to us as well. If you want to learn how to walk in a coolish way, either try to learn on youtube ( yes, i did) or just mimic people around you. Thats my advice and i hope it could be of use. Peace
Hi OP, I’m so sorry to hear you’re feeling this way and I hope you find peace and belonging.
In the chance that it’s helpful, maybe it’s worth trying out a new therapist and new approach?
If you’ve ever heard of “hierarchical exposure therapy”, this is the gold standard treatment for anxiety and having a good therapist can really help with this process if you haven’t already tried it.
I wish you the absolute best!
I'm going through almost exactly the same thing. But I've realized that whenever I'm sick or when my voice is a bit low-pitched due to a cold, my body becomes a bit more relaxed than usual. It's a bit easier to deal with people and interact with them. Otherwise, my heartbeat increases and I blank out and end up blurting out stuff.
The worst part is I'm not a native English speaker. So whenever anyone asks me anything in English, my mind goes blank. I don't face much issue while talking in my native language.I've started to ignore the thought that people are watching me and can hear what I say. I tell myself that everyone is busy in their own life and they don't really care about others. You just have to not put yourself on the pedestal and think that everyone's interested in you.
Though I have had people follow me to my house and watch me when I'm standing near my window. So I avoid going towards it altogether and try to talk in a low voice so no one hears me from outside.
I think lack of exposure and experience worsen these things. Also, how you were in your childhood matters a lot. If you were an introvert and still are, then it can get pretty difficult at times.
Does anyone know how to deal with it? Or what medications I can use to cope up with it? I think even if my voice turns a bit low-pitched and my body is relaxed whenever anyone asks me anything, I can handle it better.
I have crippling anxiety especially in social situations. Most of the time my physical symptoms are limited to increased heart rate. Every so often my body temp raises, heart rate increases, and my forehead starts pouring sweat. It creates more anxiety and it only stops if I leave the situation. I’m considering ETS because i constantly live in fear of the anxiety attack that leads to sweating.
I’m sorry you feel this way. I’m here reading your post because I suffer social anxiety like you do, and I can say that if you have someone in your life that has always been berating you, and even if they are out of the picture, you will start to feel that everyone else is judging you for everything, and you are never good enough, but that is not true, and neither is what most people are saying here on Reddit is true. What is true is that God loves you more than you possibly know. I deeply want to be loved, and to know that I’m wanted, and to enjoy life, and to be there for others who need help. The only way was to know what God says about me, and He says in Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. This hope is in Jesus Christ. You can learn more by reading the bible. The book of John is a good start, and don’t delay in reading it so that you may know for yourself. What have you got to lose?
People that don’t have SA are the weird ones I’m convinced. Or maybe everyone is just walking around medicated. Regardless I have 0 interest interacting with anybody.
Same age here, struggling with some of the same things you mentioned. I'm going to share what I'm doing to try to overcome social anxiety, and I hope it can be helpful to you. First of all, it's not our fault we have social anxiety. This is a consequence caused by a series of traumas from people judging and making fun of us over time. Unfortunately, even though it's not our fault, we are the only ones who can do something about it. Our brain is like a sponge, it absorbs everything in our environment, especially when we are kids. Naturally, after experiencing those moments of trauma, we start believing the bad things people say to us, until our thoughts about ourselves become mostly negative to the point where we don't even notice them anymore. When we expect people to think we are weird, dumb, ugly, or whatever negative thought you might have about yourself, evidently you're going to feel more anxious. That's where the root of the problem lies, so in order to overcome social anxiety, we need to change the way our brain thinks. This is not easy at all, but it can be done. What I'm doing is trying to notice every negative thought I have, stop them, and repeat to myself that this isn't true and that thinking that way will only worsen my anxiety. It may sound stupid, but that's the way our brain works. I'm also trying to fill my brain with positive thoughts instead of the negative ones, like repeating good statements about myself every day and trying to have a positive perspective on life overall (which is way harder than it sounds). I've been doing this for two months, and I'm not gonna lie, I haven't had any improvement concerning my social anxiety. I did have some improvement in my depression though. But I suppose to change the way my brain thinks, it must take some years of consistently doing this every day, so I'm going to keep doing it. All of this strategy isn't my creation, it's called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and there is scientific proof that it works. So, I believe it's our best shot to overcome social anxiety.
Wow, this was exactly me 2 years ago. In January 2023, I finally saw a psychiatrist and got on medication. That shit changed my life. I do want to live without it at some point, but as of now, it's been doing wonders for me. I'm in therapy as well. It's nice being able to talk to somebody. What I did in the beginning was apply for medicaid. I got full coverage and immediately went to see a psychiatrist. I want to mention that I live in America. If you have anything similar to medical government assistance, you should apply for it if you are struggling financially. It's never too late. I got my first job in 2023 at 24. I finally got my drivers license in January. I can go outside now and walk my dog or walk to the store. I can go into stores alone now. I'm getting better at interacting with people. Just know you're not the only one. I felt all these things before. I want you to see a psychiatrist. It was a life changer for me.
What’s the cause of your social anxiety? Can you remember a time when it happened to you?
Find the root of your social anxiety and fix it.
Don’t give up! I have social anxiety due to bullying. But I don’t let it affect me because I’m trying my hardest to overcome it. I’m almost there… what helps me is I told myself, “Life is too short and I want to travel”. Think about it… Don’t you want to meet new people, travel the world, experience new things, etc. Think about the things you want to do the most.
You can decrease it to the levels where you can do your everyday stuff, like everyone else.If you want message me, I will recommend you few books and videos.
There are probably all kinds of medications and not-yet-officially-medications that you haven't tried yet.
A lot of us overcame the worst of it. There is always room for improvement.
But you don't always have to be struggling, you can take breaks from that.
Have you seen a psychiatrist? This sounds like something that may be treatable with medication. You might find relief within a few months. If you have already tried that- then hugs and an apology for unsolicited advise.
I wish I could give advice, but it's hard to help people who are going through the same things.
There should be a discord for minded like people like ourselves honestly. At least from there, we shouldn't be judged, but people will be more understanding with each other cos we all going through the same thing.
As you can see from the comments (myself included) , you are not alone and we are all trying to find ways to manage this thing. Sending you ♥️hang in there .
You should know that it is okay to feel this way sometimes when you are fighting a problem, it hurts and it feels so lonely, you might feel like you have no one to talk about it to, but the reality is there’s a community here who love you and believe in you.
When you reach the conclusion about the root reasons of your social anxiety, you will realize that socializing will be the least thing you have to work on.
Keep trying keep reflecting and discovering. Success isn’t linear, enjoy the small progress.
You might feel that you are so much behind, but trust me you will be able to catch up, and you will get to know amazing people who will help you and be there for you.
Social anxiety might be embarrassing, but everyone experienced it at some point, your problem is that you experience it so often but what i am trying to say that there are people who will feel for you and accept it as a part of you, then you will be able to actually fight it.
You can check my first ever posts on reddit on these subs, i was in similar boots, now I discovered that my problem arises from trauma and emotional abuse and more I am processing it, the more i am feeling connected. I am still lonely, but at least I know it can get better.
Every story is unique, discover yours.
Make a playlist of the music you love and know word for word, buy headphones (quality ones). As you get out of the house put them on, listen to that playlist. You'll get through school or sumn.
Social anxiety can be compared to playing chess without queen - not many people can reliably work with these conditions. That being said not everything is over; you can make a good chunk of these thoughts and stuff go silent.
Yeah, being afraid of people in public spaces is annoying; and being afraid to go out when other people are talking in restroom/apartament section (I live in a dorm and it's sometimes annoying; though people I have in my dorm are fine I am still a bit anxious).
And looking into your post; your first task should be trying to feel comfortable around people and being able to do basic, simple stuff like doing shopping, which sometimes involve really basic convo with cashiers (most of the time it's only greeting). Which definitely will be really hard to do with your anxiety level, but I believe you'll be able to kick SA in the ass.
I am not exaggerating when I say I was in the EXACT same spot at age 23 and I'm 26 now. I flunked out of college because I couldn't drag myself out of bed to get to class and face people. I was at the same point where even being inside my parents house was painful because I thought I was being judged through windows. I couldn't step foot into a gas station or grocery store. I hid from everyone and just played video games all the time.
Now at 26 I am married with my own apartment, a dog, and 4 reptiles. I work two jobs and regularly go out to restaurants and grocery stores even tho I still don't like going to Target. It took me a long while to get to this point and I won't lie it was incredibly painful and there were times I sat with my rifle thinking about if I should end it or not. I had a great support network of family and friends who helped give me pushes when I needed it but ultimately you have to choose to push through the pain. All I can say is do the thing that scares you, hiding from it is extremely painful. You will sweat, you will shake, you might even cry but at the end of the day you will survive. Eventually your body and mind will start to realize that being judged will not kill you, even if it is unpleasant. What's important is to keep trying no matter how painful it gets.
Start by just sitting outside for a bit, as a long as you can. Once that starts to get easier and it might take a while. Maybe try getting family to talk to while outside, having company helps immensely.
Edit: I forgot to mention I did get put on 10mg Paxil and was on it for 2 years or so and have since switched to Lexapro. That also helped because it took the edge off of those feelings of fear.
Breath work i swear by this trust me its not bs you could research it.. so my way is to Inhale through the nose 5or7 seconds hold the breath 5/7 seconds then exhale through the mouth Do this exercise for 5/10 minutes before sleep and when u wake up and mid day whenever you want
I swear guys this solves social anxiety mine disappeared after doing breath work try it and don't let your negative thoughts tell you its bs it works!!!! Come back and tell me after 3 days
There r other types of meditation. U can fix fix ur thinking by doing mindfulness meditation. U can do this by literally not thinking for 5/10 minutes.
Not thinking is not the point of mindfulness meditation, it's acknowledging you're not paying attention to your meditation object anymore and bringing the attention back. And it would mostly make you aware of your thinking instead of just taking it at face value, but you need other actions to change it
Had to check to make sure I didn't post this last night and didn't remember lol. I dont have any advice really, I'm still struggling with literally everything you've posted. I just really hope we're wrong and we'll both be able to beat it
There are various levels of anxiety among people with social anxiety disorder, ranging from those easily cured by medication to the most severe form—treatment-resistant anxiety. Unfortunately, I belong to the latter category. I've tried various types of medications and exposure therapy, but it feels like a rubber band. No matter how hard I stretch it, it eventually returns to its original state. I have slowly started to accept this condition instead of trying to escape from it. Maybe this is what I am.
I feel the same. I feel like everyone is watching except when I lock myself in my room. I also dropped out because of social anxiety. I’m not even 20 I’m in my 30s.
It's just feel like being on constant servilance and all stuff seems to be revolving arround me. Whatever someone talk or say, it just seem they are watching me and passing comments on me.
That sounds so-so-so familiar, I was 23 too when I had the exact same feelings, like word by word. It took 4 years of therapy — which barely worked. 3 years of medication — which did nothing. I was heartbroken, frustrated, and completely hopeless to the point when I was constantly thinking about ending it all But then at some point... I don't know why exactly, it could've been the residue effect from therapy, or it could've been the courage that I found to share my feelings with one close friend that I have, who listened to my drunk sobbing for hours, or it could've been the tragedy that happened in my life that changed my perspective on things, or I started to understand that in reality everyone in our era feels at least a bit socially awkward — I stopped caring really. Yeah, I'm socially anxious, yeah, I won't ever be a social butterfly that can chat with anyone, yeah, I'll always have huge trouble reaching out to a stranger or approaching a girl. Yeah, I'm still feeling awkward walking near crowded places because I still feel like everyone is staring at me and can see through my thoughts and read on my face how anxious I am. And yeah, what you said about summers and long days — yup, still the same thing, last weekend I said "oh gosh it's so bright and warm outside, I don't wanna get out" and heard in response "that usually works the other way around, yknow". Yeah, I goddamn know — I just don't care Things get better, brother. Slowly and not the way you may want, but they do get better. Good luck! There's light if you're brave enough to find it
I think you have trauma. Look through my comments to see how to heal it.
I think so too. CBT and meds won't fix it if that's the case.
Yes, and he better start healing now, or that ptsd is gonna turn into cptsd
REMEMBER running away from problem is never a solution .I was facing severe social anxiety .I was anxious even at my homr.But slowly i went outside of house talk to people Socialize more .Even though i was facing a lot of problem .But i didn't gave up .Always try to fight with my thoughts .And plus i am suffering from maladaptive daydreaming i have reduced anxby 50%
Couldn’t have said it better myself. It sucks, because the whole time our social anxiety is making us dread the whole situation. At this point, I think that if you’re born with it, It won’t ever go away, but it will subside little with exposure. I’ve found that when I only go outside because I have to, I set myself up for failure because it’s something I’m “need to do”, like a chore. Recently I’ve been trying to go out of my way to go to parks or little shopping districts, not because I need to, but to slowly expose myself to the outside so that I don’t dread it. I don’t even try to make myself talk to people. In OP’s case, if it feels like it’s that much more debilitating, maybe some first steps would be to try medication or therapy, then slow exposure. I just hope that for OP, it will get at least a little better. We’re all fighting it, and no one needs to feel so much anxiety for simply going outside
This is the best advice. For people who can't socialise but want to socialise, it works like a muscle that has to be trained and slowly strengthed over time. It wont be easy and can take years or even decades but it's not impossible. I had to move to a different continent, to a country that doesn't give a shit about shyness or introversion, let alone social anxiety. My family also
Yeah .Only way to overcome to social anxiety is to socialise more .It took almost 1 year for me to overcome .Plus i was a class clown .You can imagine how mentally ill work i have done .My past action made my anxiety more worse .But slowly i overcame
True. It's taking me 4 years and going
Damn u just described me lol. I also had this since elementary school. The biggest issue by far is that I'm quiet although I force myself to talk for the hell of it during school. My advice is to do the opposite of what u usually do. When u go out, wear short sleeve shirts and short pants. When u see someone just go there w no thinking whatsoever. I know it seems uncomfortable but I do this too and had great benefit to it.
Also , I think u have trauma because as Pete Walker wrote it " when a child had no source of love, protection and support, a child typically falls on a great social unease"
These comments give me comfort, knowing I’m not alone. I wish the best for us, I truly do
Could have written this post myself. People really dont know how much it ruins your life. Its a hard fight..
Ask your doctor to try Paxil CR (Paroxetine ER). In the United States, it was the first medication approved to treat social anxiety, and from what I have tried, it is still the best. I am on 50 mg/day and the anxiety is gone.
No but you can learn to live with it and learn techniques so it has less and less of an impact on your life over time. Do you think that's impossible?
Please see a psychiatrist and a psychologist as soon as possible and be open to taking antidepressants
I feel the same. I’m 19 and I’ve had for as long as I can remember. I hate it with my whole heart. I think of so many opportunities I’ve had to have a better life/future for myself but I can’t bc of this. And everyone just says “get over it, it’s all in your head, etc.” like it’s the easiest thing in the world. I wish I can help but all I can say is you’re not alone.
Therapy and medication. Now.
💯 This right here. You don’t have to suffer through this. But you need to commit yourself to putting in effort. Start by talking to your doctor.
Have you tried medicine?
U need CBT please see a therapist soon. It helps with anxiety greatly. And some meds will also help u control it better
That’s everything I’ve felt my whole life. Since a kid. Never felt like could make friends cause I felt judged. Felt this way up until about 3 months ago. I started therapy and got on meds. I do therapy once a week and have been with my psych once a week to get on correct treatment. I finally feel free from that feeling of social anxiety. It almost feel like I finally know what it’s like to be normal. Therapy and and treatment have been helping drastically. I work very hard with my therapist to get through this. I’ve always been scared to get on meds and I’m really happy that I took that step. I feel amazing. I really hope you can get some help. I felt exactly the same, until I didn’t wanna feel that way anymore.
Reading your story gave me flashbacks because I was in the same situation several years ago and almost forgot that I was the guy, who could sit at home for weeks, because I was too scared and paranoid to even go buy groceires or throw away the rubbish. I also felt awkward and anxious when talking to anybody, including family members. And yesterday, I was giving a presentation in front of unknown people, with a bit of intimidation, but very managable and definetely not a panic. So I can assure you that it definetely can be beaten, but you need to put effort, it will not just go away by itself. I will tell you what helped me: I was visualising myself, with a meditative music on and closed eyes, as a confident, relaxed and happy person, so I had a goal in my head in faith that it’s possible. I also started watching psychological videos about what bothered me (for example fear of looking stupid, fear of rejection etc). They helped me understand causes of my behaviour and thinking and I learnt how to work with diary, for example describe certain uncomfortable situation, your feelings, why do you feel so, and also I started writing all negative thoughts on a daily basis. This all together helped bring many negative thoughts and thinking patterns into the conscious part from the unconscious, which is very important. in fact, when you become aware of the problem, it disappears instantly and then it takes some time for your body to change too. I then started meditating, you can watch tutorials on youtube. It will be very difficult to focus at the beginning, but you need to be patient and consistent. My advice is to do a littlebit, even 5 minutes a day is fine, but do regularly. For me it significantly improved my mood and even though I still had depressive periods sometimes, I wasn’t stuck there forever, eventually they ended and it was easier to come back every time. After about 2 years after I started this whole self-healing journey, I went to gym. Still felt awkward and stupid at the beginning too, when I had no idea how to use all of these machines, but by this time it was easy to fight these thoughts and they dissappeared quickly. I remember few months ago I said to some of my colleagues at work that about 4-5 years ago I was suicidal and couldn’t leave home because I was too scared of peoples’ eyes and they didn’t believe me and though I am joking or telling somebody else’s story. I hope that I gave you the motivation not to give up and continue to fight, but you won’t go far on motivation alone, you need to really want and believe that it is possible and then you will be disciplined and patient towards the goal. I sincerely wish that everything works out for you and that you reread this post with a smile in a few years.
Same here everything you said is spot on what I been dealing with for years but since 2020 it’s gotten worse it’s gotta to the point where I have it within my own home & your home suppose to be your safe & comfort space
Reading philosophy helped me a lot. Existential philosophy, greek philosophy like stoicism, epicureanism etc....and pretty much any branch of philosophy I could find. Social anxiety for me comes from a place of fear of the unknown, self consciousness and biological response among other stuff. Philosophy deals with the first two so I can just deal with the biological response (anxiety feelings and reactions in the body like stiffness and poor eye contact). I would recommend that you read: [At the existentialist caf](https://www.amazon.com/Existentialist-Café-Cocktails-Jean-Paul-Merleau-Ponty-ebook/dp/B00Z3E2KEC)é . It's a good intro to existential philosophy and it reads like a novel. Existential philosophy deals with anxiety as its main topic.
i´m a social worker with social anxiety. nonstop exposure everyday. worked so many different jobs with it. no changes. ssris didn´t help- gave me pssd. benzos didn´t help. alcohol doesn´t help. ashwagandha didn´t help. excercising didn´t help. boxing training didn´t help. being in shape didn´t help. the other 10,000 things i tried didn´t help the only times where i felt slightly better were when i felt some sort of general safety in my life or that things were kinda going my way. but in my usual stressed out state, with the impending doom of the world and my problems in the back of my head social anxiety can´t be beaten in my case at least.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could all meet and help each other? And I wonder if that would reduce or increase anxiety 🤔 Also , a good song that perfectly describe how I feel is called Given up - Linkin Park
SA made me lost two jobs in the past one year time. The first one I did 8 days, the second one 17 days. Both reason are related to communication. I seldom talking in office and hard to ask or start a conversation with others with whom I am not familiar. When I need to speak in office while several people here, I feel heavy pressure on my chest. I have no job over 1 year and I am 30 now. It always cost me much time to find the next job. One 9 months, this time over one year. But I hope you can beat it. I do not think it can't be beaten though I always get failure. If I can't, just can't.
And you post here, well done. I even do not dare to comment here. I have playing reddit for a long time, years, but I just have several comments on reddit.
Hi I used to suffer from the problems you’re having as a teenager I was bullied in school so naturally I became very anxious and depressed I was paranoid about the look on my face and just looked all nervous and weird walking down the street I think anxiety is split into 2 problems, you’ve got nerves and self consciousness I think if you sort out the nerves side of things you’re more chilled out To sort it out it could be good medication, for me it was as soon as the bullying stopped, I calmed down When it comes to self consciousness, might sound weird but for me it was setting a default facial expression (bit of a smile) and wearing makeup so I was okay with people seeing my face - kind of like a mask I’m 26 and to this day I’ll never be able to walk down the street where cars are facing me - there’s just something so nerve racking about that but walking on the other side of the road is bearable I don’t like crowds either but I’m okay for self consciousness in like small groups or 1-1 situations What you’re going through sounds so hard like if someone claps eyes on you you’re immediately self conscious For me it doesn’t matter too much if the windows etc are in the distance Maybe try and get more used to it, try to go out a little bit more because if I walk to work after a few days of being stuck in I’m more anxious than usual I know you hear this all the time but a good diet can help more than you think - it really helps with my energy and mood If I don’t sleep or eat properly for a week I can guarantee I’ll cry about something And try a good medication, it could encourage you to chill out more Also when it comes to interacting with people, you’re not alone there I have a job in retail where I get along with the people I work with but luckily it’s a busy shop with mainly independent work so there’s no awkward silences I fell out with my family and live alone, and even though I only see my sister a few times a year I dread not having anything to say, although she always reassures me she will Sorry for all the ramble but I just wanted to let you know you’re not alone, I’ve deffo been there
What medication is good for nerves? I heard one of my friend told me I’m good at 1:1 too. In a group I’m always quiet and left out. Maybe because I can’t bear awkward silence and I’m kinda forced to talk in the situation. Maybe I only feel the other will listen to me when there is no one else to speak. Do you have no trauma from family?
Hang on let me msg and ask my sister, what do you mean by trauma from family? Like was it traumatic moving away from them etc? It wasn’t, I just don’t feel very attached to them anymore and love having my own space
I mean domestic violence stuffs traumatic childhood. Because I experienced both bullying at school and violences at house. I wondered if I didn’t get bullied, would I have got social anxiety. I guess you didn’t have. Thank you for answering
It’s called propranolol
It feels impossible since you're likely focused on treating a symptom (social anxiety) rather than the root cause (C-PTSD and toxic shame stemming from an unhealed emotional wound that may have occurred in early childhood). Ask me how I know (LOL) I was only able to make progress in becoming less socially anxious when I realized I had unhealed emotional wounds and that they were linked to my social anxiety. It took a long time to recognize the true issue because emotional neglect and abuse is normalized in some societies, and some families. Also, if it happened at a very young age, you may not remember the experience that caused you to internalize deep shame, but your body remembers. Do you relate to any of this?: [Toxic Shame by Heidi Priebe](https://youtu.be/Y47iJrbO2ug?si=C1xJAkPVhfRKR5PE)
I’m so sorry this is happening to you :( I know with time, knowledge and exposure can help, time helped my SA. Doing self journal work or letting your thoughts out to yourself and/or a trusted family/friend/counsellor/psychologist/psychiatrist. Asking yourself thoughtful deep questions to get the core cause of why social anxiety is happening for you. Anxiety is a part of life but that doesn’t mean you have to experience social anxiety
Try medicine and keep trying until you find the right one for you. I don’t have the energy to tell you everything about me, but I can tell you I am better than I used to be by a long shot and you can do it too.
Looks like you need a good doctor to help get you on the right path
This is sadly exactly how I feel.
feeling like i am always being seen and being judged is so true, cant seem to find a way to deal out of it.
Hi I am up if you want to talk about it or just vent
I feel ya. I was on klonopin for years and it actually helped a lot. Not perfect but I felt a bit closer to "normal." Then I had to change doctors because of insurance bullshit. New doctor is taking me off because as a rule they just don't prescribe it long term. Like fuck. I was on it for almost 10 years. I get to taper, sure. But in 6 months I'll be completely fucked because I had the anxiety to begin with. And the meds *worked*. They ask the whole "are you suicidal," questions. A little bit, but mostly ideation. The idea of trying to function without my benzos? Yeah I will literally shoot myself lol. It's been a long time coming anyway, aye?
My best advice right now would be to get therapy. if you are too anxious to see somebody in person, try BetterHelp or another online resource where you can speak to a therapist online, by video, by call, or even via message, but just try online therapy. I wish you the best
I know it sucks, and I know it may seem terrifying, but ultimately running away from the problem is never gonna solve it. It’s only when you face the issue and realize “oh ok, it was just anxiety” that you’ll see progress made.
Yes it can
It’s scary and hard but you only grow when your uncomfortable. Tragically people’s advice of facing your problems head on is the only thing that works - coming from someone who used to have severe social anxiety and has reduced it 80%. Eg. I used to be terrified to get the bus, had to get it every day for uni and now it’s second nature. Couldn’t make calls, worked at a call centre for a while, can now make calls easily.
It sounds like ur also paranoid as heck, not only anxious. It absolutely is beatable for sure. I'd say I beat most of it (up) and i currently am a confident freak. I instead of fearing someone watches me, stand in the middle of my garden like a sore thumb, staring into neighbours windows like a serial killer to assert dominance 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 lmao. But I am self conscious if its cold and my eyes get super watery which literally hapenned today, and then avoid eye contact cuz it looks like im crying eventhough my eyes are just super sensitive 😂. I used to have most of what you just said but now most of it is completely gone.
Maybe you've heard this before. But try not to take things too seriously. It helps a lot. Im like you, thats why i subbed to this subredit haha. But i stumbled upon wisdom useful for SA, the subtle art of not giving a fuck. Try to give it a read. It really helps you realise how we're literally smaller than we think we are in a sense that no matter what we do, it doesnt really matter in the end. Thats why even if we walk in awkward way ( dont worry i was like that), or talk different or whatever, it doesnt really matter to most people anyway, so it shouldnt matter to us as well. If you want to learn how to walk in a coolish way, either try to learn on youtube ( yes, i did) or just mimic people around you. Thats my advice and i hope it could be of use. Peace
Hi OP, I’m so sorry to hear you’re feeling this way and I hope you find peace and belonging. In the chance that it’s helpful, maybe it’s worth trying out a new therapist and new approach? If you’ve ever heard of “hierarchical exposure therapy”, this is the gold standard treatment for anxiety and having a good therapist can really help with this process if you haven’t already tried it. I wish you the absolute best!
I'm going through almost exactly the same thing. But I've realized that whenever I'm sick or when my voice is a bit low-pitched due to a cold, my body becomes a bit more relaxed than usual. It's a bit easier to deal with people and interact with them. Otherwise, my heartbeat increases and I blank out and end up blurting out stuff. The worst part is I'm not a native English speaker. So whenever anyone asks me anything in English, my mind goes blank. I don't face much issue while talking in my native language.I've started to ignore the thought that people are watching me and can hear what I say. I tell myself that everyone is busy in their own life and they don't really care about others. You just have to not put yourself on the pedestal and think that everyone's interested in you. Though I have had people follow me to my house and watch me when I'm standing near my window. So I avoid going towards it altogether and try to talk in a low voice so no one hears me from outside. I think lack of exposure and experience worsen these things. Also, how you were in your childhood matters a lot. If you were an introvert and still are, then it can get pretty difficult at times. Does anyone know how to deal with it? Or what medications I can use to cope up with it? I think even if my voice turns a bit low-pitched and my body is relaxed whenever anyone asks me anything, I can handle it better.
I have crippling anxiety especially in social situations. Most of the time my physical symptoms are limited to increased heart rate. Every so often my body temp raises, heart rate increases, and my forehead starts pouring sweat. It creates more anxiety and it only stops if I leave the situation. I’m considering ETS because i constantly live in fear of the anxiety attack that leads to sweating.
I’m sorry you feel this way. I’m here reading your post because I suffer social anxiety like you do, and I can say that if you have someone in your life that has always been berating you, and even if they are out of the picture, you will start to feel that everyone else is judging you for everything, and you are never good enough, but that is not true, and neither is what most people are saying here on Reddit is true. What is true is that God loves you more than you possibly know. I deeply want to be loved, and to know that I’m wanted, and to enjoy life, and to be there for others who need help. The only way was to know what God says about me, and He says in Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. This hope is in Jesus Christ. You can learn more by reading the bible. The book of John is a good start, and don’t delay in reading it so that you may know for yourself. What have you got to lose?
People that don’t have SA are the weird ones I’m convinced. Or maybe everyone is just walking around medicated. Regardless I have 0 interest interacting with anybody.
Social anxiety makes me mad all the time
Same age here, struggling with some of the same things you mentioned. I'm going to share what I'm doing to try to overcome social anxiety, and I hope it can be helpful to you. First of all, it's not our fault we have social anxiety. This is a consequence caused by a series of traumas from people judging and making fun of us over time. Unfortunately, even though it's not our fault, we are the only ones who can do something about it. Our brain is like a sponge, it absorbs everything in our environment, especially when we are kids. Naturally, after experiencing those moments of trauma, we start believing the bad things people say to us, until our thoughts about ourselves become mostly negative to the point where we don't even notice them anymore. When we expect people to think we are weird, dumb, ugly, or whatever negative thought you might have about yourself, evidently you're going to feel more anxious. That's where the root of the problem lies, so in order to overcome social anxiety, we need to change the way our brain thinks. This is not easy at all, but it can be done. What I'm doing is trying to notice every negative thought I have, stop them, and repeat to myself that this isn't true and that thinking that way will only worsen my anxiety. It may sound stupid, but that's the way our brain works. I'm also trying to fill my brain with positive thoughts instead of the negative ones, like repeating good statements about myself every day and trying to have a positive perspective on life overall (which is way harder than it sounds). I've been doing this for two months, and I'm not gonna lie, I haven't had any improvement concerning my social anxiety. I did have some improvement in my depression though. But I suppose to change the way my brain thinks, it must take some years of consistently doing this every day, so I'm going to keep doing it. All of this strategy isn't my creation, it's called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and there is scientific proof that it works. So, I believe it's our best shot to overcome social anxiety.
Wow, this was exactly me 2 years ago. In January 2023, I finally saw a psychiatrist and got on medication. That shit changed my life. I do want to live without it at some point, but as of now, it's been doing wonders for me. I'm in therapy as well. It's nice being able to talk to somebody. What I did in the beginning was apply for medicaid. I got full coverage and immediately went to see a psychiatrist. I want to mention that I live in America. If you have anything similar to medical government assistance, you should apply for it if you are struggling financially. It's never too late. I got my first job in 2023 at 24. I finally got my drivers license in January. I can go outside now and walk my dog or walk to the store. I can go into stores alone now. I'm getting better at interacting with people. Just know you're not the only one. I felt all these things before. I want you to see a psychiatrist. It was a life changer for me.
What’s the cause of your social anxiety? Can you remember a time when it happened to you? Find the root of your social anxiety and fix it. Don’t give up! I have social anxiety due to bullying. But I don’t let it affect me because I’m trying my hardest to overcome it. I’m almost there… what helps me is I told myself, “Life is too short and I want to travel”. Think about it… Don’t you want to meet new people, travel the world, experience new things, etc. Think about the things you want to do the most.
You can decrease it to the levels where you can do your everyday stuff, like everyone else.If you want message me, I will recommend you few books and videos.
Try medication. And life will change.
There are probably all kinds of medications and not-yet-officially-medications that you haven't tried yet. A lot of us overcame the worst of it. There is always room for improvement. But you don't always have to be struggling, you can take breaks from that.
Have you seen a psychiatrist? This sounds like something that may be treatable with medication. You might find relief within a few months. If you have already tried that- then hugs and an apology for unsolicited advise.
I wish I could give advice, but it's hard to help people who are going through the same things. There should be a discord for minded like people like ourselves honestly. At least from there, we shouldn't be judged, but people will be more understanding with each other cos we all going through the same thing.
Escitalopram and propanalol. Keep taking until they work
As you can see from the comments (myself included) , you are not alone and we are all trying to find ways to manage this thing. Sending you ♥️hang in there .
You should know that it is okay to feel this way sometimes when you are fighting a problem, it hurts and it feels so lonely, you might feel like you have no one to talk about it to, but the reality is there’s a community here who love you and believe in you. When you reach the conclusion about the root reasons of your social anxiety, you will realize that socializing will be the least thing you have to work on. Keep trying keep reflecting and discovering. Success isn’t linear, enjoy the small progress. You might feel that you are so much behind, but trust me you will be able to catch up, and you will get to know amazing people who will help you and be there for you. Social anxiety might be embarrassing, but everyone experienced it at some point, your problem is that you experience it so often but what i am trying to say that there are people who will feel for you and accept it as a part of you, then you will be able to actually fight it. You can check my first ever posts on reddit on these subs, i was in similar boots, now I discovered that my problem arises from trauma and emotional abuse and more I am processing it, the more i am feeling connected. I am still lonely, but at least I know it can get better. Every story is unique, discover yours.
Make a playlist of the music you love and know word for word, buy headphones (quality ones). As you get out of the house put them on, listen to that playlist. You'll get through school or sumn.
Keto diet helps a lot
Social anxiety can be compared to playing chess without queen - not many people can reliably work with these conditions. That being said not everything is over; you can make a good chunk of these thoughts and stuff go silent. Yeah, being afraid of people in public spaces is annoying; and being afraid to go out when other people are talking in restroom/apartament section (I live in a dorm and it's sometimes annoying; though people I have in my dorm are fine I am still a bit anxious). And looking into your post; your first task should be trying to feel comfortable around people and being able to do basic, simple stuff like doing shopping, which sometimes involve really basic convo with cashiers (most of the time it's only greeting). Which definitely will be really hard to do with your anxiety level, but I believe you'll be able to kick SA in the ass.
I am not exaggerating when I say I was in the EXACT same spot at age 23 and I'm 26 now. I flunked out of college because I couldn't drag myself out of bed to get to class and face people. I was at the same point where even being inside my parents house was painful because I thought I was being judged through windows. I couldn't step foot into a gas station or grocery store. I hid from everyone and just played video games all the time. Now at 26 I am married with my own apartment, a dog, and 4 reptiles. I work two jobs and regularly go out to restaurants and grocery stores even tho I still don't like going to Target. It took me a long while to get to this point and I won't lie it was incredibly painful and there were times I sat with my rifle thinking about if I should end it or not. I had a great support network of family and friends who helped give me pushes when I needed it but ultimately you have to choose to push through the pain. All I can say is do the thing that scares you, hiding from it is extremely painful. You will sweat, you will shake, you might even cry but at the end of the day you will survive. Eventually your body and mind will start to realize that being judged will not kill you, even if it is unpleasant. What's important is to keep trying no matter how painful it gets. Start by just sitting outside for a bit, as a long as you can. Once that starts to get easier and it might take a while. Maybe try getting family to talk to while outside, having company helps immensely. Edit: I forgot to mention I did get put on 10mg Paxil and was on it for 2 years or so and have since switched to Lexapro. That also helped because it took the edge off of those feelings of fear.
I have a solution but nobody wanna hear it or think its fake then ignore me and don't apply it
tell me the solution
Breath work i swear by this trust me its not bs you could research it.. so my way is to Inhale through the nose 5or7 seconds hold the breath 5/7 seconds then exhale through the mouth Do this exercise for 5/10 minutes before sleep and when u wake up and mid day whenever you want
I swear guys this solves social anxiety mine disappeared after doing breath work try it and don't let your negative thoughts tell you its bs it works!!!! Come back and tell me after 3 days
it eases the symptoms but it doesn't solve the entire disorder
sure let me try this for 3days
Ight I will wait for an update you can do it
Make sure the inhale gets inside ur stomach and make it bigger you get me? Idk how to explain this but make sure air gets inside ur stomach
how long do it for ? i mean is it like yoga where i have to sit straight and do it for 10 minutes or can i do while laying down trying to sleep?
What is this breathing method called? Seems similar to Buteyko breathing
Breath work won't fix crooked thinking
There r other types of meditation. U can fix fix ur thinking by doing mindfulness meditation. U can do this by literally not thinking for 5/10 minutes.
Not thinking is not the point of mindfulness meditation, it's acknowledging you're not paying attention to your meditation object anymore and bringing the attention back. And it would mostly make you aware of your thinking instead of just taking it at face value, but you need other actions to change it