A Social Anxiety Success

[WilliamG]

I have social anxiety and I’m about 4 1/2 months sober. It’s hard, but I go to two in person 12 Step meetings and I do more on line. Anyhow, I’m terrified of speaking, and at the beginning of the meeting, they call on certain people to read passages to the group. Today the secretary handed me “How It Works” (which is rather long) and asked me to read it. Before I could say no, I found myself holding it. While I waited to read, my anxiety went through the roof. I got dizzy, my heart was pounding, and the adrenaline rushed to my chest and made it hard to breathe. Every fiber of my being told me to hand it to someone else and that if I tried to read it I would hyperventilate or cry. But I’ve been learning about ACT with my therapist, so I tried to acknowledge my feelings and make space for them. I took several deep breaths and put my hands over my chest to comfort myself. In the end, I succeeded in reading it out loud without losing it! I know this sounds like such a small thing, but it was a big deal for me! I felt so good about it that I actually stayed behind after the meeting to help put away chairs. Anyhow, I just wanted to share something good. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

[Hb2003]

your not alone i get very anxious when talking to people too i find it easier to do it online than in person though

[WilliamG in reply to Hb2003]

Thank you! It’s good to hear when people relate.

[Hb2003 in reply to WilliamG]

your welcome 🙏😄

[AnxiousSilver]

"I know this sounds like such a small thing, but it was a big deal for me!"

Any success shared here is a big deal.

[WilliamG in reply to AnxiousSilver]

true! I need to keep that in mind.

[Stippler]

Hurray for you! I have social anxiety and a history of substance abuse also. I still struggle with what you have described. You probably did much better than I could. So happy for you.

[WilliamG in reply to Stippler]

Thanks!

[Isinatra]

hello…I drank to relieve my social anxiety and feelings of low self esteem, etc. etc. I joined AA even though my nerves were raw. We do things we have to in spite of sometimes. For a long time, I just wanted to bolt and run from meetings, but I stayed because my life depended on it. I rarely shared in groups, but one on one was easier. I was too nervous. I eventually found a meeting I could tolerate that had less stimulating effects. No meeting was perfect for me, but I found the ones that I could make work for me. I’m not a chit chatter, but I was assigned duties to help out before and after the meetings which gave me the opportunity and ability to give back to the program and the people who gave so much to me. My home group would ask me to bring the topic and I’d sweat bullets over it, but I did it anyway. What you’re doing is not a small thing, it’s huge. 😊

[WilliamG in reply to Isinatra]

I definitely relate to a lot of what you’ve said. Thank you!

[LilyAnnepuppy]

Hi, Bill! What an uplifting story of hope. I think it’s a big deal. Not just the reading but putting away the chairs too! The program is giving you your life back. Any service you can do is a small price to pay. I’m so pleased to hear of your progress. A day at a time we get better!❤️

[WilliamG in reply to LilyAnnepuppy]

The program is definitely giving me back my life. Today at an online NAMI class, someone asked me what I was grateful for, and I said my sobriety and my spirituality, both of which were given by the program.

[designguy]

Awesome job, good for you and it's great that you are acknowledging your success it's the best thing you can do. Part of recovering from social anxiety is learning to validate yourself and reclaim your self-worth and you are on your way to doing that.