What would a social anxiety commune be like?

Nicholas

Well-known member
I guess it could back fire if no one was willing to take the risk of being out going, but if you have the initiative to pick your self up and go to a community like that, chances are... you'd be willing to take the risk to break out of your usual social patterns.

Ok, then it's like group therapy.. it's good to be with other people who have your same problem. I agree, that would be very useful.
I thought we were talking about a kind of SA community, a closed community, where all interactions are between SA sufferers... like an isolated rural community, lol. I guess I got it wrong... If that's really what you mean, then I would say it would only be ok for a period of time, to do some serious 24/7 group therapy, but not as a permanent solution.
 
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Lorraine Manca

Well-known member
Its an interesting idea. I wonder what it would be like, would there need to be lots of land so everyone could feel like they had plenty of space, would the food hall be composed of single person tables :)

Heck yeah! that would be hilarious. maybe you could go into a little cubby
 

Lorraine Manca

Well-known member
the best part about a community like this, is that there wouldnt be any of those unspoken social rules that make the first ten conversations you'd have with a person a mix between superficial, painful, and pointless. maybe we'd go hiking or kayaking. No one would have to say a word if they didnt want to. i imagine a lot of people would have dogs too. You see, this website is not representative of what a community of social phobics would be like, because the only medium for social interaction here is through talking and words, when really thats not the preferred method of social interaction for most of the socially anxious. the preferred method, i think, would be pure presence. just being in the room with another person, or just walking beside another person, not gabbing like you have to do to create a presence on a website. Most people dont understand that just because you arent talking to them doesnt mean you dont enjoy their company, so you lose the friend. that would be the beauty of being around other people with the disorder. Freedom to say what you want and freedom to say nothing at all.
 
I would fear that in that situation it would in some way just become like in real life, with the most confident/talkative/desirable or whatever out of the group rising to the top haha, and it just creating the same problem haha.

me too - i'd just be sitting there envying everybody who gets into relationships. it wouldn't be any different for me than now, lol.

this website is not representative of what a community of social phobics would be like, because the only medium for social interaction here is through talking and words, when really thats not the preferred method of social interaction for most of the socially anxious. the preferred method, i think, would be pure presence.

yeah definitely, body language is really important for communication. totally missed on this site. except for a few emoticons. ;)

so where do you want to start this commune? ::p:
 

Oscelot

Well-known member
I think it would be MASSIVELY beneficial! Think of a situation where you feel anxious. Now think of that same situation, but this time everybody understands more or less how you feel and where you're coming from. Your little shakes and blushes and quivering voices and sweats and (insert other common symptom that I'm forgetting) wouldn't feel like as big of a deal because you wouldn't have to worry about being judged negatively for them. Eventually this would help a great deal with desensitization and negative thought patterns.
Also, it's not like you couldn't still go to school and work and whatnot in the "real world".

Sadly this will never get further than a discussion on a message board, but hey, it's fun to think about.
 

Lorraine Manca

Well-known member
oh, i think it could happen. unfortunately it would probably have to be initiated by some sort of research team that could regulate it, because i think it would be too hard to trust people and invite them to live near you or pick a place to migrate to. you might end up attracting someone who's bored, lives nearby, and just wants to mess with you for kicks. its still fun to think about though! maybe with a few phD's and a crap load of grant money it could be done. Everybody would still work and go about their life plans, they'd just heal too.
and meatcake, if i could choose the location id pick a spot near a national park. where would you guys pick?
 

Predacon

Well-known member
yeah I think somewhere by a national park probably by a lake or some mountains would be a great spot. That or an island it'd be easier to keep intruders out with an island :)
 

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Lorraine Manca

Well-known member
It would be quiet.

It might, it might not. I was part of a group of friends in highschool composed of extremely shy people. One person had depression, another was bipolar, another was gay and wasnt happy about it, and the other two were very shy. Everyone was extremely quiet and didnt relate to most people, but when they all got together they were loud as ever.
 
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