Stop avoiding things you want to do because of anxiety. Panic attacks and anxiety about social outings is not normal; It is not who you are and is a completely treatable condition
Recognize that anxiety is an over protective maladaptive evolution. Our brain and thoughts evolved to ultimately lead us to stay alive and anxiety is a way to shield us from doing something potentially dangerous but this can misfire in our modern society. So, recognize the characteristics of that panic, accept it as a natural process, and learn to act beyond that thought process. Meditation is an exercise that can help you tap into existing in a thoughtless state that can then be tapped into during those experiences.
I agree, but some people genuinely need chemical rebalancing to function in modern society, or a very helpful community that helps them function to their degree
For some things this works. For others, it does not. Anxiety is often treated like exposure therapy will help it. As someone who has exposed himself to most things that induce anxiety, and despite being able to center myself in those moments, I still have debilitating anxiety attacks at random moments. It's gotten to the point that even music concerts, something I've been to dozens of, and have all enjoyed (ok, maybe I didn't like 1 or 2, but I enjoyed the crowd) give me panic attacks that I cannot explain.
Exposure therapy can help with a lot of things, but sometimes it's the anxiety of anxiety that starts to take root, and for that you need more than just showing up.
Therapy and medication is what I was talking about. But I was mainly saying I assumed i was just broken lol I should have started treatment in college and maybe i would have had some friends
As someone who struggled deeply with deep depression, anxiety, and overall mental health my entire life until more recently, in my experience I want to say there’s always a cause.
You need to find what that cause is. For me, I was born with severe pectus excavatum that didnt get addressed until I suffered for far too long because of shitty US insurance policies and bad diagnoses. After surgery, I stopped feeling as much anxiety and my health, appetite, everything improved and I stopped my antidepressants. I strongly believe if your heart is weak or under heavy strain often, from literally anything, it will also tie deeply into your mental health. I also started taking good quality magnesium + glycine at night which really helped me feel like I actually started sleeping for once in my life (get tested for sleep apnea too).
I tried all the things that were recommended and should make you happier: gym, healthy eating, long term girlfriend, good job outta college, therapy, every medication (every type, eventually even some antipsychotics which truly broke me). But I didn’t really recover until I lost all the important things to me and focused solely on how I fix my health and doing something I was worried about. Because I knew if I didn’t I wouldn’t last. I wish I coulda got to the solution sooner but it is what it is.
Doing a lot better now, but it definitely puts your whole life on hold and it’s hard even if you’ve picked yourself back up to get back into it, especially nowadays with prices and ridiculousness of everything. Just keep trying things within your reasonable limits and keep trying your best to solve it. GL and stay strong💪
First, social anxiety has a whole fucking book about causes. They can be social, economic, chemical, physical, cultural, religious, political, governments, upbringing, trauma, experience, power dynamics I think I could go on but I am not smart enough.
Treatment for these could be, relocation, medicine, therapy, time, practice, support groups, support systems, etc.
ALSO some people really neither need or want interaction with others beyond what is necessary to be a member of society. Which is fine! Well… so as long as they don’t become psychotic and start hurting themselves or others… but I digress.
Hey I still suffer from it too, even medication is not a catch all. But trying to treat has made me feel so much better than just raw dogging the anxiety
Right sorry, there is only so much space and focus to cover everything one would want to say.
At an individual level I will say that taking an active role in your goals is paramount. If your goal is to get your anxiety under control it will not just happen on its own. You have to take steps towards it. Of course the steps will depend on the person.
I was mainly saying start treatment earlier in life if you can and dont just assume youre broken. If I had started in college or high school who knows I might have ended up making lasting friendships
man don't. I know. how you feel, in high school and college I had so much social anxiety I would almost feel like I couldn't breath and had near panic attacks in class.
No one will notice your mis steps or judge anything, they are all so worried about themselves.
Finally a conversation I can join. Totally agree, our minds lie a lot to us. And these lie grow if you act on them by not going to that place or avoiding an activity. It reinforces over time. But, if we act early on, it becomes easier, sort of like teaching a child that certain activities are safe
Anxiety is a normal human emotion, not a personal failing. Panic attacks and anxiety disorders are treatable, but that doesn't mean they're abnormal experiences or completely curable for everyone. Encouraging people to face their fears is helpful. Suggesting their anxiety isn't normal is unnecessarily stigmatizing.
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u/MindfulMewtwo989 12h ago
Stop avoiding things you want to do because of anxiety. Panic attacks and anxiety about social outings is not normal; It is not who you are and is a completely treatable condition