I’m so confused

[Oncmed]

Hello,

I have suffered with bad social anxiety for 10 years.

It’s only just recently I have noticed that it is overwhelmingly bad when I have a ‘day off’.

The days I have to go to uni/work I can force myself to get up and get ready, commute, go to the shops and do work.

However, on my days on where I don’t HAVE to leave my flat. My anxiety is so bad I’ll stay in my flat for days alone with no company. Don’t even have the courage to get up and get dressed to go window shopping or do anything remotely fun even though I’m cripplingly lonely. I have to drag myself to the shops to do food shopping.

Why is it that I can keep my anxiety at a level where I can function on days where I need to do things but on days off I can’t do the same?

[terriltwin2]

I am sorry you are going through this. I know certain situations can give us so much anxiety that we avoid them all together. Have you tried making a list of what you are going to get anxious over? I was reading an article and it said make a list of what you are predicting will make you have anxiety and rate them. Like 0 being no anxiety and 10 being the most anxiety and then go and do 1 at a time, face the anxiety and you will find out that the things we were anxious about weren't so bad. I am praying for you. God says, in the book of Isaiah, Do not be anxious for anything for he holds us with his righteous hand.

[Oncmed in reply to terriltwin2]

Thank you. I really try my best and say over and over there is nothing to be anxious about, I’m fine, nothing is going to happen. I don’t feel safe alone. I don’t know where this stems from. Im always anxious even when I’m going to uni and work but just push through it and feel ill. If I’m with a friend or family member I have no anxiety 😞

[terriltwin2 in reply to Oncmed]

I know right where you are at. My daughter in law has terrible social anxiety. One day make your list of what you think will happen with each outing and then have a family member or friend go with you into that situation. Then you will see, there is nothing to fear. Keep your friends and family close. You are so blessed to have that support system, they love you and want to see the best for your life. I do to!!!

[Hollick]

I think you should really consider what we always read about, staying busy? When your in your flat with no real routine, you begin to ruminate, every thought becomes enormous, and overwhelm starts to engulf us...keeping busy no matter what, especially if its productive, is a healthy distraction, removes a person from all their preoccupations, problems, worries, reduces anxiety...I hope this resonates with you, I too am exactly the same..took me time and the motivation to get there, sometimes I still slip backwards, more often than I care, but it definitely helps..its like isolation, the longer we stay 'in it', the harder it is to break free and get back 'out there', its scary, but we ourselves make it scarier than it needs to be...thanks for listening and sharing....🙏 wishing everyone on here some solace on this Sunday..