anxiety

LegacyUser

Hi,

Im sure im suffering from social anxiety. A few years ago i suffered from it but not as bad,it went away out of nowhere. Now, two years on its back . It started last summer and gradually got alot worse. Its after getting to the stage now where im only comfortable in certain places and i avoid being in social situations with my friends as much as i can unless i have a drink before it. I get this horrible tension in my head and it feels like im frowning constantly and i convince myself everyone can notice. but if i have a few drinks before i go somewhere i dont get that at all and im 100% comfortable. I have some good days though where i think im ok but then something triggers it and im back to square one!

Im a very lively and outgoing person and this is ruining my life. If i have to go somewhere its on my mind all the time .

Im sorry for the confusing post but im finding it hard to describe what is going on. Im just wondering did anyone else ever experience this before and how did you get rid of it?

whatismyname

Sounds really difficult. Just wondering, have you gotten any professional help with it at any point?

There's various things that might help like CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), trying to find a root cause and working on it, peer support, finding out if there are any triggers, relaxation etc. But it sounds like some professional help could be beneficial so was just wondering if you had spoken to anyone about it.

I love the get.gg website for self-help material, and this worksheet may help. It's based on a CBT type approach.

Also, a bit longer, but this document has some strategies that may be helpful.

Anxiety can be really debilitating, but know you are not alone. Anxiety is a very normal thing, but sometimes we experience it in more extreme ways, but you can learn to manage it and to overcome its affect on your life. Different things work for different people though - and ultimately it's about finding what works for you.

Also, I'm not sure if you have heard of Living Life to the Full, a free online CBT course... which may be worth looking into?

LegacyUser

Op here, thanks for your reply.

No I never got any professional help. When i had it before it went away so im sure it will this time too. Im not sure how i got over it last time, it literally faded away over time.

Mentally ,im great. The only thing that stops me doing stuff is the facial movements i convince myself i have. Its a vicious circle .

Il check out them links, very grateful for your reply

whatismyname wrote: »

Sounds really difficult. Just wondering, have you gotten any professional help with it at any point?

There's various things that might help like CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), trying to find a root cause and working on it, peer support, finding out if there are any triggers, relaxation etc. But it sounds like some professional help could be beneficial so was just wondering if you had spoken to anyone about it.

I love the get.gg website for self-help material, and this worksheet may help. It's based on a CBT type approach.

Also, a bit longer, but this document has some strategies that may be helpful.

Anxiety can be really debilitating, but know you are not alone. Anxiety is a very normal thing, but sometimes we experience it in more extreme ways, but you can learn to manage it and to overcome its affect on your life. Different things work for different people though - and ultimately it's about finding what works for you.

Also, I'm not sure if you have heard of Living Life to the Full, a free online CBT course... which may be worth looking into?

whatismyname

Also, do you know about the anxiety and depression discussion? Might find some guidance there from others who've been there...