DO you feel anxious just thinking about social situations

estelle

Member
..that you'll EVENTUALLY have to face?...such as going to the mall, going to the store, etc etc....just thinking about it makes me wanna puke and makes my heart jump...how do i possibly face life like this?

:roll: :idea:
 

chris87

Well-known member
I have this problem. A lot of times, I will think about things in advance. For example, if I have to go to the bank to make a deposit, I can't just get up and do it. I'll usually think about it the day before. For me, anything that involves driving is potentially stressful. I'm always worried about getting into an accident. I have actually had my car since March, and I only have about 950 miles on it.
 

decadeOfSA

Well-known member
You have to face your fears or you will never get over them.

Try imagery desensitization first. The idea is to do some relaxation exercises and once you are totally relaxed, then imagine yourself in situations that give you anxiety. You construct a hierarchy with your lowest fear at the bottom and your highest fear on the top. You gradually work your way up, desensitizing yourself by replacing fear with relaxation. You train yourself to associate what your afraid of with being relaxed. Then when you feel no fear imagining those situations, you gradually face your fears "in vivo", meaning in real life. You keep practicing your relaxation exercises and learn to relax in those situations and replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts.

This book is worth buying and may help you. If you ever go to a therapist, they would likely try doing what I said. I didn't put enought time into it in the past and didn't take it seriously and so it didn't work for me, but I am trying again and being very serious about it.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Co...&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result

http://www.hws.edu/studentlife/counseling_relax.aspx
 

Michie3

Member
Without a doubt... I've actually put off grocery shopping for more than a week now and I have hardly any food left... well, I have a box of Nilla wafers and thats about it... but tomorrow I HAVE to go. Really, I must make myself... there are other important errands that I must see to as well... if only I had someone to go with me, I'd feel a whole lot better, but no. :(

Major stress.
 

decadeOfSA

Well-known member
I had a fear of public speaking. I had to do it in college and had to take a public speaking class. I found out it wasn't really that bad. I was of course doped up on benzos, which helped me relax, but I always doped up on benzos now and still have anxiety in other social situations. I freak out on math tests! :(

So you need to face your fears and use techniques such as relaxation and cognitive therapy to help you relax. Eventually, you wonder why you were ever afraid of what you are afraid of. If you just hide from what you fear, it will make it worse. I don't suggest you just jump in and face your fears though without using therapeautic methods mentioned above.
 

Stressball

Well-known member
Yeah definately...I worry about it alot, especially parties and weddings...I absolutely can't stand them...I just shut down and don't say a word unless someone talks to me...and I'm stressed as hell. It's just horrible. My cousin's wedding is sometime this year and she has heaps of friends, literally dozens and dozens and it just fills me with dread thinking about all the strangers I'm going have to meet...inevitably I'll shutdown and be uninteresting...what am I supposed to say to them?
 
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