Social Anxiety

[Thomas_G]

From the outside, I seem to be doing well. Good job, lovely girlfriend, good relationships, healthy lifestyle but my social anxiety is now allowing me to enjoy it and has me living inside my head and fixating on negatives.

I just don’t know what to do to turn this around.

[K1rsty_26]

Hi Thomas ! I too suffer with social anxiety and like you from a person judging on the outside I too look like I have the ideal world ! To help work through my social anxieties I found a few strategies which helped me work through them. From putting all my negative thoughts down on paper and turning them into positives to practice breathing and being in control to channelling my attention to all the positives about what I wanted to gain from the social situation.

Also have you tried any cognitive behavioural therapy ?

[Thomas_G in reply to K1rsty_26]

Hi Kirsty,

Thanks for your message.

I am currently on a waiting list for CBT. Been waiting for about 6mths but I’m hoping it’ll start soon.

Do you find writing negative thoughts down helps?

I’m keen to try meditation to help with mindfulness and breathing as I notice how shallow my breath gets in even mildly uncomfortable situations. Have you tried this at all?

[Dubba61]

Hello Thomas, I have Social anxiety too. N I'm a relatively old gal. I try to turn the negatives into positives. Ie: if I look in the Mirror n think I look really Old, n don't want to go out. I turn that thought Into "actually I'm still quite slim". You can do this with most things, with effort, n it does seem to help a bit. If a neighbour gives me a dirty look, I think "maybe they just had a bad day". I,ll always be Socially anxious, always have been but, for me trying to see a positive side helps. CBT is very good too, I hear, if you get the chance I'd defo give it a go. N you, must be n o.k. guy else, you wouldn't have a nice girlfriend n good job. ✌️🌻😊