Scared to see a counselor
I haven't been diagonsed with Social Anxiety yet. I've been meaning to see my school counselor for weeks but every day I chicken out and put it off. I've never opened up to anyone about anything personal before, not my parents or friends, so the thought of doing it for the first time is daunting.
Another thing that's putting me off about it is the stuff I've been hearing about social anxiety being over-diagonsed, caused by social media etc etc. I'm scared that my counselor is going to dismiss me, think I'm being too dramatic or just another teenager trying to 'play the victim'. I'm graduating high school this year, starting uni next year and my social anxiety is really going to be restricting for me if I don't do something about it this year. Advice?
Hey @baawri I can kind of relate to how you feel, though I'm not graduating highschool quite yet. I'm not too good at giving advice, but I can tell you this much. It's ok to be afraid and "chicken out". I recently got diagnosed with social anxiety myself despite having known for years; I'd been putting it off because I was scared of what others would think. However, I never went to a school counselor about it because frankly, I felt like they'd go for the default answer, which is exactly what you fear. I don't think mental illness in teens is as widely accepted as it should be. People in the community know it's there, but aren't really aware of how serious it really is. That's why I would see a professional doctor if you really want an official diagnosis. But that is just my opinion. Everyone's situations are different.
Also, I understand that with social anxiety, it can be really hard to talk about anything to anyone you aren't familiar/comfortable with. There's not really any one thing you can do; you have to find the brave part inside you and just force yourself to act on impulse or keep waiting it out/internally suffering (which is what I usually do lol). Even after I was diagnosed, therapy and counseling didn't help. The severity of my anxiety just wouldn't let me talk enough for it to have a positive effect on me. That's why I turned to online therapy. I am able to present myself much better online. Avoiding face-to-face situations are just easier. So you could try finding someone to talk to here on 7Cups, almost like a test run. There are tons of nice listeners wanting to help and it could boost your confidence so that you are able to go to the school counselor or whoever you'd like to see. I've improved a lot since I started being active on here :) so it's definitely something to consider.
Best of luck! I hope you're able to find what works for you soon and that you'll be able to enjoy your time at UNI!
@Von2am I'm seeing a school counsellor rather than a doctor so that my parents don't find out, because I know they won't take it too well. So I've got to give this a go in the mean time. Thank you so so much for the advice!
@baawri ah I get that. Well then, I hope your counselor is understanding. It's awesome that you're slowly moving forward :) never lose sight of that progress
@baawri Aww. It's definitely okay and normal to be afraid of going to counseling. I didn't go until senior year in college, and it took a lot for me to get an appointment. Maybe talking to listeners on here will help you get to a place where you feel more ready.
I promise there is a chance that the counselor will be positive and understanding. Most will have training that would stop them from saying really bad stuff like "you're being overdramatic". You can also "shop around" and meet with different people if you don't like one personality. Each person is a little different.
@baawri
I'm so sorry to hear that
to be honest, i think your counsellor should let you participate in social media because that would help you overcome your anxiety in some way possibly.
since you feel worse about it, have you considered consulting a therapist instead of counsellor? Also, if you need support, do not hesitate to shoot a request and connect to a listener