Overcoming Your Social Anxiety
In what ways have you overcome, or begun to cope with your social anxieties?
Do you think you've improved from a year ago?
If you could give one coping method to someone who struggles with social anxiety, what would it be??
A year ago, I struggled to even leave my house, and often times found it impossible to speak to anyone in public, or in private, I would often go mute, and just want to curl up in a ball and cry. I even had panic attacks, however today my social anxiety has dimished greatly, and I was able to overcome it with peer support, and slowly getting out of my comfort zone, as well as surrounding myself with people in public who made me feel secure. If I were to give a coping method to someone who was struggling with anxiety, I would recommend finding a grounding method, that gave them awareness of their situation while calming them down. It really helped me :)
Share your thoughts below <3
~Skelly
@MissSkeleton
I would recommend medication and guided meditation. Also, skipping sugary things and caffeine is also helpful. Before going into a social situation, I have found it helpful to take prescribed medication and go through guided meditation. My level of ease with other people has surprised me.
@Darkseed
That's an excellent tip! Do you do your own meditation, or do you follow a prewritten meditation? (like an app/video/etc)
@MissSkeleton
Personally, I like Natascha Julia, who is a certified hypnotherapist in Canada. This one of my favorite guided meditations:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlPI7MbTWKA
When I was a 'more balanced' person, I did have my own guided meditation and prayer book. At this point in my life, I am struggling with dealing with the stress of an abusive job, bankruptcy, and being a middle-aging caregiver with health issues.
Social anxiety can be a real challenge to deal with. Sometimes, you just have to get out there to do what you enjoy. For example, I like to go to coffeehouses and restaurants and meet & talk with people there because it's a more comfortable setting for me to get to know people and not overly crowded ... and it's a good way to make friends. 
@AbbyHarris1976
That's an awesome example, thanks for providing that! I'd have to agree with you, sometimes just diving head first is the best way to overcome social anxiety though it doesn't always work for everyone, thought you wont know until you try. :)
@MissSkeleton
Very true. 🙂 I began using MeetUp earlier this year, at the suggestion of both my boss and my therapist to help find more friends (particularly within my age group) as well as have a better work/life balance.
A lot of the meetups I go to are coffee or meal groups with a few museum visit, book club, and walking groups in there too. 👍 It turns out that there are a lot of 35+ year old people that like to meet for dinner at different restaurants and talk, too. 🙂
@AbbyHarris1976
That's awesome, I'm really proud of you for stepping outside your comfort zone to do that, and it yielding positive results for you!! Keep up the good work :)
