By default I withdraw

[hang in there]

Even though I am feeling better and can enjoy things easier than when anhedonia was very bad, I have never really gotten my motivation back. I enjoy very much the time I spend with my younger siblings and my friends, but the very hard part is keeping it going. For instance even though I want to see them I have not scheduled any sort of activity with them in several months. I have nothing to say, so I am terrible at speaking via texts or over the phone. It seems like I have abandoned them or am flat out ignoring anyone who tries to get a hold of me, but that is not the case. I just feel so, so tired, and incredibly daunted by the task of striking up conversation and planning meetings. It makes me very anxious to even consider, and I WANT to talk with them! But I just... don't.
Someone can text me and I won't respond for a year, I just dread opening their text and having any sort of expectation that I respond, it gives me panic attacks... and I feel worse for having left them hanging. Sometimes I just completely forget to check my phone for weeks because there are always 10 million things racing through my mind every day... it is too much.
How do you keep up social activity when you are afraid to do so?

 

[getoutgirl]

I relate a Lot to all that.
If you follow that instinct you can actually end up not responding to anyone for a year (I'm ~4 months short of that rn). It's something that just follows and you have to keep it in check if your plan is to keep on living and socialising. But it is H a r d. And exhausting in the long run, specially if you have social anxiety. + the guilt, that too adds to the general dread. It's a lot and it sucks and I'm sorry you go through that.

That's just me relating, as for solutions, I don't have many and I know I'm not in a position to impart wisdom, I'm flunking this topic right now. What helped me in the past was that you just sort of had to push yourself and answer, try and get the strength from the fact that when you are with them spending time that will be worth it, then there will be the reward and energy you probably don't have with the phone on hand. That works some times, just keeping that in mind. Also giving yourself time to Not hang out and replenish that batteries, the exhaustion overwhelmes you quick if not, but also not laying it off too long or the other thing happens...
If anyone else has some other advice or tricks I would appreciate them too :)
hugs <3

 

[hang in there]

I relate a Lot to all that.
If you follow that instinct you can actually end up not responding to anyone for a year (I'm ~4 months short of that rn). It's something that just follows and you have to keep it in check if your plan is to keep on living and socialising. But it is H a r d. And exhausting in the long run, specially if you have social anxiety. + the guilt, that too adds to the general dread. It's a lot and it sucks and I'm sorry you go through that.

That's just me relating, as for solutions, I don't have many and I know I'm not in a position to impart wisdom, I'm flunking this topic right now. What helped me in the past was that you just sort of had to push yourself and answer, try and get the strength from the fact that when you are with them spending time that will be worth it, then there will be the reward and energy you probably don't have with the phone on hand. That works some times, just keeping that in mind. Also giving yourself time to Not hang out and replenish that batteries, the exhaustion overwhelmes you quick if not, but also not laying it off too long or the other thing happens...
If anyone else has some other advice or tricks I would appreciate them too :)
hugs <3

>it is H a r d. And exhausting in the long run, specially if you have social anxiety.
Aghhh... I didn;t even want to consider it social anxiety because that's something I worked a long time to get over, it's really disheartening to admit it is becoming a problem again. What a fucking curse...

 

[getoutgirl]

>it is H a r d. And exhausting in the long run, specially if you have social anxiety.
Aghhh... I didn;t even want to consider it social anxiety because that's something I worked a long time to get over, it's really disheartening to admit it is becoming a problem again. What a fucking curse...

I mean, shit comes back. Sucks that it does, but better to acknowledge it than try and hum over it or it gets worse. If you have already put worked into it that also means you know a lot more about it, and you know you can manage it. Good luck!

 

[LittleMagician]

Even though I am feeling better and can enjoy things easier than when anhedonia was very bad, I have never really gotten my motivation back. I enjoy very much the time I spend with my younger siblings and my friends, but the very hard part is keeping it going. For instance even though I want to see them I have not scheduled any sort of activity with them in several months. I have nothing to say, so I am terrible at speaking via texts or over the phone. It seems like I have abandoned them or am flat out ignoring anyone who tries to get a hold of me, but that is not the case. I just feel so, so tired, and incredibly daunted by the task of striking up conversation and planning meetings. It makes me very anxious to even consider, and I WANT to talk with them! But I just... don't.
Someone can text me and I won't respond for a year, I just dread opening their text and having any sort of expectation that I respond, it gives me panic attacks... and I feel worse for having left them hanging. Sometimes I just completely forget to check my phone for weeks because there are always 10 million things racing through my mind every day... it is too much.
How do you keep up social activity when you are afraid to do so?

This is so relatable, I can only actively respond to a select few people before I get burned out