How do I get rid of my Social Anxiety?
I have Social Anxiety. It got really bad when I was about 15 so that I couldnt even answer my name in the register! I quit school and just taught myself all the material for my GCSEs. During college I had to inform all the teachers of it so they would be aware and go easy on me. Anyway, somehow I got through college and am now at university. Recently SAD has been causing me to refrain from applying for jobs in case they ask me to do presentations and stuff. I also had assessed presentations for my degree. I was really fed up with it and went to see my doctor. He prescribed me beta blockers and they have worked an absolute treat. They dont take away my fear, just the symptoms, but to be honest the symptoms are what I fear most. I know you have said that being on medication is the worst thing to do, but I'm afraid I have to respectfully disagree. Some medication like beta blockers have virtually no side effects and compared with things like drinking and smoking they are incredibly safe. Taking medication could help build up your confidence until you don't even need to use them anymore. To be fair, your anxiety may well be worse than mine, but for incredibly stressful situations I really don't think there would be much harm in taking a few pills. I recommend doing some investigation into the kinds of medications out there, and even talking to a doctor to see what they think. Just don't rule out the idea of medication because of what people say. They clearly don't have a good grasp of what your going through and I doubt they have done any serious research into it. Hope that helps a bit and that it all works out for you :)
I want to drop out because of my social anxiety?
i'm only a sophmore in highschool, but my social anxiety is so bad that i can't even function normally anymore. i walk in a weird way because my legs shake and feel like jelly when i'm near people. i don't eat lunch because i cant even stand in line without having anxiety and nobody talks to me so i sit at a table and put my head down and sleep. i'm constantly tense. i'm failing all of my classes. everyone thinks im weird because of how i act and how i dont talk. people make fun of me all the time. nobody talks to me. when im near people, i feel different from everyone else and i feel like i dont fit in with anyone, which is true. i'm always feeling uncomfortable and awkward all the time. everyone there treats me like a piece of ****. i have no self esteem anymore and i cant think straight anymore. i literally have no reason to keep going to school. i've tried so hard to change myself and try to be normal but it;s never worked out.
How do I get over the social anxiety in talking to girls?
I will share with you what I have learned myself and what others have taught me. First off, it’s ok to feel what and how you feel around talking to girls. You are not alone, as many have anxiety around all types of people and situations. Here are my suggestions:Smile :-)A mentor of mine would always ask me, “Are you smiling at girls?”Feel free to practice it in the mirror even if you feel self-conscious about it, as it should feel natural and genuineDo not put girls on a pedastoolGirls/Women are humans first and foremost; in-person human connections require trust, courtesy and respectDo not think of girls as mysterious creatures that have some secret code to breakThink Less. Do more.Say what’s on your mind in the moment and see what happensThe worst feeling with anxiety is the feeling of regret so whatever's on your mind, say it and wait to hear feedbackIf you like someone’s shirt, you can say, “hey I like your shirt”If you like someone’s haircut, ask them, “hey where did you get your haircut?”The more you talk to ALL people in social settings, the better you will be at it and more likely you will overcome the anxiety.Practice, practice, practice and know that in every case, you either “win” or “learn,” but if you don’t ever try, then you’ll never grow.This won’t happen overnight. Take time, be patient and remember, we are all perfectly imperfect.
LIFE LONG SOCIAL ANXIETY. WHAT TO DO?
ive always had social anxiety. as a kid and in my teens i had crippling social anxiety. so bad i hardly talked to anybody. with girls AND guys. i didnt know how to conversate and had a lot of fear. with girls i liked, it was even worse. terrified of them that i would never say a word. even afraid they would catch me looking at them. i thought of them as some foreign creatures. srsly. like they were so high up and different that i wasnt even on their level to be in their prescence so i never approached one. but these days i see them as normal but for some reason still have a lot of anxiety to approach them. i never had a girlfriend. im 23 years old. i can socialize with guys now, no problem. but i still am the opposite of an extroverted guy. i rarely approach random people for some small talk. ive only approached a girl less than a hand full of times in my life. i still have the social anxiety that i cant get rid of. i feel that its weird goin up to a girl i dont know. they would think, why is a stranger like me coming up to her bothering her and breaking up her day. and im not a social guy, i dont know how to crack jokes, not a good conversationalist. i dont know what to talk about with some random girl. so i know i will get shot down every time. and i absolutely HATE rejection.
From having social anxiety with mild depression, how did you completely turn your life around for the better?
I used to be obese and suffered from very bad anxiety.I also had suicidal thoughts because of how suffering the anxiety was.I used to think losing enough weight would alleviate the anxiety. But even after losing 100 pounds, all those anxious feelings and negative beliefs were still with me.But a few years ago I took up meditation as a natural solution(the prescriptions did nothing for me) and found great success.Initially, the deep breathing techniques helped to calm the feeling. But as I got better at it, I became able to release anxiety at will.Meditation helps you to notice your thoughts objectively and to not be wrapped up in them. Discovering the mindless anxious thoughts you think helps to determine where the anxious feeling originates from.I learned to notice the anxious thoughts in my mind. And by facing the fear in these thoughts head on, I was able to let the anxiety go.I was able to face all the bullies in high school and all the embarrassing moments in life that gave me all the initial anxiety. I did a lot of crying and let out all those old emotions that were affecting me.I still get normal anxiety for new situations but it's s normal amount and doesn't cripple me. And because I don't have that old anxiety anymore I'm much happier. Ive spoke on stage and own my own business. Never imagined I could do it.
Can having bad teeth be the reason of my severe social anxiety?
Could be some. I had bad teeth too. I was embarrassed to open my mouth for anything social. Especially laughing. A date? Huh-uh. I had them removed last year. I got dentures in a pretty white. They really suck, but I smile big now! Mine were broken, fractured, root canals, cavities and yellow. People don't realize I have dentures because I am so young. It is a love-hate thing with the dentures. People don't really notice your teeth as much as you think. I mean they do but not like “Damn, did you get a look at those teeth?!” It is hard. I hated mine since 4th grade. I would put white chicklet gum over my teeth in the mirror! Yah, that bad. You are not alone. You need a tooth buddy to talk to, hit me back. It is more painful than people realize. Good luck