What has been the best thing for your social anxiety?

[Iseesky]

What types of things have you done that have challenged it and what has been the most significant?

I feel like I'm getting nowhere with my anxiety. I've made progress for sure, but I've hit a plateau and need to do something drastic to push myself out of my comfort zone. I want to travel and live in a different country, but that seems terrifying and I'm not sure I'm ready for something like that (at least not on my own).

What have you done lately? Whether it be for the purpose of challenging your SA or just because you were doing it anyway and you found that it helped...

 

[MollyBeGood]

Traveling is always worth the anxiety for me to push through and discover a new place/people. Being that I have had little to no money I can't do it like i would love to do more. I would enjoy traveling and taking photos of people and places and events. International travel would be a dream. If someone has the option to go someplace cool and they turn it down it always amazes me even with all my issues I would kill to go anywhere new just to visit-well except huge cities like Tokyo or L.A. , I am a bit selective.
I just really would like to see the world if I could, and it absolutely would benefit my SA issues. Someday maybe.

i am lucky to go 50 miles away anymore.

 

[Blabla..]

the best thing for me is to confront it , put myself in some situations and try to relax , let go , observe my thoughts , try to see what the world is really like , instead of how my imagination creates it

 

[da_illest101]

I'm happy that sometimes I don't say what I think, I would have got in a lot of trouble in my life

 

[Agent_Violet]

over the summer i went to our beachhouse alone. i dined at restaurants alone and played in the ocean alone.

It really did something good for my confidence that i was brave enough to do that.

 

[Acegame]

Graduating college last year. Not so much for graduating itself, because ive been a very lazy student and i was delayed for 1 year allready. But at the end of that year i had to pass 11 courses in one exam period (usually you do 3 or 4 courses in one period), otherwise i had to pay tuition for another year. One of my professors called me insane and said i should focus on 4/5 because he didn't think it wasn't realistic, also because i saved the most difficult courses for last. But i didn't listen and was determined to graduate that year (and to prove him wrong which turned out to be a nice motivation). In the end i managed to pass all 11 courses. Afterwards they told me that nobody had ever done that before, and i felt really proud of myself. Mainly because this was the first time i worked so hard for anything and it payed off.

You'll probably say that this hasnt anything to do with social anxiety, but this accomplishment did more for me than all the therapie sessions ive had all together. It raised my overall level of self-confidence and made me feel better about myself. As a result i feel less anxious in social situations and im more positive than i used to be. Few months later i got a job after having a great job interview and raised my confidence level even more (this job wasnt my greatest experience, but still).

i strongly believe that working hard for something and seeing that it pays off does great things for your self-esteem which eventually decreases your anxiety.

 

[Astronaut]

I dream about traveling and seeing the world too.

Last month I went to an old class reunion party, which I was absolutely terrified about going to. But it went really well and I talked a lot with an old friend. I think was great to face my fears and see that there was nothing to be afraid of, and I think I will remember it and feel more motivated to do things that make my anxious in the future.
After all, like some American civil war general once said, courage isn’t about not being afraid, but being afraid and doing it anyway. Or something like that. He used a metaphor with a horse, but you get the point.

And like Blabla.. says, to be aware of the ways I think and try to sort out the most irrational nonsense, has help me a lot as well.

 

[this_portrait]

Initiating conversations has helped me greatly, but the only problem with that is that it's so hard to get the courage to talk to people. Once I do get it, though, the results are great. I pretty much feel way better about myself for the rest of the day.

 

[Deus_Ex_Lemur]

Making 'pinky promises' with fellow sufferers and challenging each other to do the things we fear It helps because you don't want to let the other one down.

Edit - And yes, travel etc - Any way to see BEYOND your own backyard. Going to new places, watching documentaries, reading books, appreciating different cultures... focusing away from the self.

There's a massive, massive world out there... and there's much more to it than my S.A.

I also think anxiety stems from having too much time to think and dwell. Keep busy... populate the mind with other things to think about and before you know it, you could go a whole few hours without even thinking of your anxiety.

Pinky promises? Hmm I gotta try those sometime

I think doing the thing you fear - we create so much of our own anxieties from our imaginations we believe it and it's not really true - it's easy for our minds to get locked into those habits/patterns we've known for so long but GETTING OUT - ACTIVELY CHANGING YOUR THOUGHTS - it's not what happens to us but our response to what happens that "hurt" us - it's easy to sit and get into that vortex of avoidance to cope with short-term fears. But gotta just do it - And of course it definitely helps to have support of others to help spur you along/inspire/talk/keep you in check

 

[EscapeArtist]

Biggest thing for sure has been diet. Food intolerances, blood sugar, and eating foods that are highly anti-inflammatory, also getting enough magnesium, B12, vitamin D, etc. Second best thing is talking to yourself NOT as if you hate yourself to pieces, but rather let yourself do what you want and don't hassle yourself. Still working on both of them.

Exposure is good too... but it's a lot more temporary and doesn't do much for me actually.. Unless combined

 

[Deus_Ex_Lemur]

Biggest thing for sure has been diet. Food intolerances, blood sugar, and eating foods that are highly anti-inflammatory. Second best thing is talking to yourself NOT as if you hate yourself to pieces, but rather let yourself do what you want and don't hassle yourself. Still working on both of them.

Exposure is good too... but it's a lot more temporary and doesn't do much for me actually.. Unless combined

That's so true. Diet/physical exercise and relaxation is key. Body and mind ARE connected.

And the exposure thing - that's why many don't think CBT works it's not just about exposure that's the verb/action part need the "knowledge" half too - internal work... your attitude/thoughts/self talk about yourself and reaction to situations WITH consistent exposure. Has to be combined. Anyways =D

(And you've come a long way, Escape! Keep going!

 

[thomas90]

What types of things have you done that have challenged it and what has been the most significant?

I feel like I'm getting nowhere with my anxiety. I've made progress for sure, but I've hit a plateau and need to do something drastic to push myself out of my comfort zone. I want to travel and live in a different country, but that seems terrifying and I'm not sure I'm ready for something like that (at least not on my own).

What have you done lately? Whether it be for the purpose of challenging your SA or just because you were doing it anyway and you found that it helped...

The best thing i did was began working in subway, its such a social workplace that challenged my anxiety to a very high level every day, almost unbearable! I needed the money at the time to live on my own so that forced me to continue, maybe i wouldn't have been able to continue if i didn't need that money so much.

So id say the workplace m8, and education, and possible voluntary work. Exposure Therapy in other words, and CBT therapy is good too, making your unhelpful ways of thinking into realistic thoughts so that your thoughts don't trigger anxiety, which is usually the root cause.

 

[Iseesky]

Thanks for the answers, guys. I've enjoyed reading them. Keep them coming?

 

[Lucy:)]

My counsellor suggested volunteering and that has helped so much! Just getting out there and facing my fears interacting with new people and its helped me to gain independence and stop relying on people!

 

[Cecilia219]

I've noticed that just putting myself in some sort of social situation constantly really helps.. instead of doing it every once in a while and then when I have to do it, I can't. Working for me is just about keeping me social... going back to school was easier because of it. Talking to people everyday never is easy, but it definitely can be easier.

My social anxiety was never better than when I went on a cruise with a couple close friends and we knew no one & were in a foreign country. It's a great feeling to just be yourself & let go, without any worries. No phone calls, no emails, no pressure!! So i would recommend travelling definitely!!!

 

[upndwn]

Therapy, medical treatment, rehabilitation, meditation in combination and that order.

 

[Kat]

Starting a hobby has helped me a little. A lot of people don’t do well in the school environment for one reason or another but environmental influences really impact on how well I do. I can be the person that really struggles or the person that is helping the class which is what seems to be happening with the graphic design course I have been doing.

 

[A86]

traveling. for some reason it is socialy acceptable for a tourist to behave "abnormally". I also get a good sense of feeling relief just by keeping on move.