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Is it okay to avoid situations that make me anxious, or is that giving up to it?

307 Answers
Last Updated: 04/12/2022 at 1:52pm
Is it okay to avoid situations that make me anxious, or is that giving up to it?
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I am empathetic with my Clients going through emotional overwhelm and passionate in helping them. I am supportive, openminded & interactive in helping my clients.

Top Rated Answers
richyShiny39
May 19th, 2018 8:32am
Personal experience is therapy can give a face your fears approach where the therapist puts you in your fear allowing you to face head on with their help. It is good for most fears.
SupportiveSockMonkey
May 19th, 2018 10:53am
It is important to not stress yourself out too much regarding this, however it is best to try and push yourself outside of that boundary (even if it is only a little) to try and build up your confidence to be able to handle those situations in the future.
luna2490
May 24th, 2018 7:53am
Depends on many things. Is avoidance preventing more serious symptoms? Is this a problem or just small scenarios that dont matter; is it priority to do what you feel anxious to? I think demystification of the unknown might help. Not really facing your fears but naming them; owning them in a way you dont feel anxious but driven.
Anonymous
May 27th, 2018 8:45pm
It really depends on the situation. I have missed out on opportunities due to having social anxiety and have regretted it, but I have also done the vice versa where I have attended a situation that made me anxious and regretted it. If the event itself or the situation itself is one you would love to go to, I would say that it is worth the try to push yourself out of your comfort zone. If you don't, it is perfectly okay and it is not giving up. It is simply waiting the next time to do it. One must push themselves out of their comfort zones at times in order to face their fears. However, if the anxiety gets to the point where you truly do not want to attend an event and your anxiety is truly bother you, it is PERFECTLY OKAY to avoid those situations because your mental health is extremely important and you must listen to what your mind is telling you.
Monique89
May 30th, 2018 6:25pm
I think it is best to face the situations that make you anxious to help you realize that maybe it was not that bad. Otherwise if you avoid them, you are making the anxiety about the situation worse.
Rufina
May 30th, 2018 8:09pm
It’s up to you in what you do in this situation and if you want to avoid situations that make you anxious just remember that it doesn’t mean that you are giving up to it. That just means you don’t want to deal with it right now.
LauraHeretohelp
May 31st, 2018 5:44pm
You know what is best for you, i would never label it as 'giving up'. Situations that make you anxious such as swimming in a deep ocean are easier to avoid however if your anxiety stems from common everyday activities ,such as going to school or work it is best to address the anxiety and discover your emotions and why the anxiety is there, learning to cope is a good way of dealing with anxiety, these methods can be anything from talking to others about your emotions to breathing exercises.
sunshineJewel33
June 1st, 2018 4:29am
No, it isn't. Those situations are extremely uncomfortable and difficult, but they also teach us a lot, too.
ZoeeyGayglass
June 7th, 2018 7:05am
The answer here is not black or white I'm afraid. Your first priority would be to make sure that you are safe, if a situation is triggering anxiety, it would be best to moderate your exposure to it until you've learned the skills to navigate it. That being said, there is a lot to be said for exposing yourself to situations that induce anxiety in order to defuse them in long rong.
youandmecangetthrough
June 8th, 2018 2:57pm
I think this is a good first step. The thing is to know that one day you'll have to face them again to realise you can be in those situations. When I first knew I had Social anxiety, I refused to go out with friends or to go to family. No one understood why. Then i learned some techniques to calm myself down when I am getting overwhelmed. slowly but surely i started going to parties again. It wans't easy and i often felt traumatised and I still do, but I'm trying and that's what's important. Don't feel like you're giving up on it. Look at it as a step in your growth. You can do this!
Anonymous
June 9th, 2018 4:11am
No, of course not! If a situation makes you anxious, avoid it if you are not comfortable. If you are determined to deal with the situation, take it one step at a time, with a pace that is right for you. Never force yourself into something you don't want to do.
KindOfAFriend
June 9th, 2018 10:06am
No it is ok if you don’t feel ready to do things that make you anxious. If it needs more time: rest or talk about it till you feel strong enough to face it.
AllRainbowsAreMagic
June 9th, 2018 11:49am
It may feel like you are giving up, and sometimes you might be. Try and stay, particularly if it affects your work, but rather take the time out, than panic too much.
Ana4hear
June 9th, 2018 5:06pm
Avoiding situations that makes you anxious is not a solution. If you avoid it it’s going to grow but if you face it, you will get strong to face it. Courage is not easy but is the answer. Running away is easy but not a solution.
Becca76
June 9th, 2018 7:27pm
You could make a deal with yourself - you’ll attend the situation for a certain amount of time, and if you become too anxious you’ll leave after that. Avoiding them completely will make it harder to go along in the long run
juniper20
June 20th, 2018 4:45pm
Its totally okay to avoid situations that trigger your anxiety. Take it one step at a time. Tell yourself what you will do if you do get in that situation, and then one day you will feel like you can actually approach it.
LivingInAbsoluteSilence
June 22nd, 2018 3:26pm
Avoiding situations that make you anxious is not giving up on them. It's a lot like not touching a hot pan with your bare hand because it'll burn you. Why would you purposefully go into a situation if you know it'll make you uncomfortable or cause you to panic? But that is not to say that you shouldn't work at becoming more comfortable in certain situations--like talking to new people, entering a group conversation, interacting with co-workers or peers, etc.-- if you think that that is something you can achieve through that course of action. If you want to and believe that you will be able to get yourself used to the things that cause you to become anxious, then, by all means, go for it. But, if you honestly don't see that as an option for you, then it isn't giving up if you don't pursue it, it's simply avoiding situations that you cannot handle. If you don't have that "oven-mitt", which some people don't, then I would consider avoiding the hot pan as completely normal.
beautifulbird
June 23rd, 2018 2:45am
it is most definitely okay to avoid situations that make your anxiety levels rise! its more than okay, in fact its great. you need to pick your battles, and you dont have to voluntarily put yourself in uncomfortable situations if you dont want to, its totally okay. as long as you feel safe you're good to go. however, try to get out of your comfort zones sometimes! its good for you, you should be able to tell when to stop pushing yourself, just take care of yourself
Anonymous
June 24th, 2018 8:14pm
It depends on how you feel at the time. If you feel you can cope with the emotions that situation brings up, then carry on. It might also go some way of helping you deal with that kinda situation in the future. But if you need to distance yourself, then that's okay too. You're not giving up, you're just not letting the negativity get to you.
MyChemicalKlance
June 24th, 2018 11:44pm
It's okay to avoid situations that make you anxious, but it it recommended that you give it a try first.
Anonymous
June 27th, 2018 10:43am
do not give up and do not avoid them, you should seek help so you can be brave and bold, i can even help if you want.
Lonelyforever23
June 28th, 2018 2:20pm
I dont think avoiding it is a good idea. Face it bravely and never feel anxious about it later
eliza1616
June 28th, 2018 3:33pm
It is totally okay to avoid those situations. Sometimes anxiety is good because it tells you when you might be unsafe, or you should leave the situation. Although if it is just social situations in general, the more you expose yourself to them, the less anxious you will become.
Anonymous
June 29th, 2018 7:50am
I think that is is okay to avoid them, because it means that you know that you are not comfortable in those situations, and you are trying to take care of yourself.
naliebear
June 29th, 2018 4:44pm
It is okay in some circumstances. You need time for mental health, but can’t avoid school all year because it makes you anxious.
YourPersonalPal
June 29th, 2018 11:58pm
You can totally avoid those situations! If you feel better farrrrr away from those places, things, and people, leave them!
NalaHakeem
July 1st, 2018 2:57am
It is not a form of succumbing to our weaknesses, but an exclusive duty to avoid detrimental positions. Respect and dignity is due to the Listener as it is due to the Patient. We may hesitate at the notion of fixating attention upon ourselves, the heroes of the situation, rather than the victims. However, we may fall victims ourselves if we neglect our necessities. And once the hero has fallen victim, whoever is left to defend the innocent? We do not abandon our patients, but constitute a compromise for both active individuals in the system of restoration.
warmPudding59
July 4th, 2018 9:40pm
While you are working on your coping strategies or starting your recovery, a coping skill can be avoiding the triggering situation. It is self-preservation, not giving up.
Chemicalmonkey3
July 5th, 2018 3:52pm
A lot of anxiety comes from inexperience and self doubt that you can handle the situation. Avoiding certain circumstances can be helpful, but the only way to really deal with it is to slowly move yourself out of your comfort zone. Start small and you'll see that a lot of the stuff you worry about doesn't come to pass.
Anonymous
July 6th, 2018 6:34pm
It's normal for people to want to avoid situations that make them anxious but one of the best ways to be able to deal with the anxiousness in the first place is having slow and steady exposure to the thing that creates those feelings in the first place.