Story Social anxiety

[AngelicGirl]

i wish i could be vulnerable around others but its so scary...I think subconsciously i feel so terrified of being rejected that id rather avoid the risk of rejection by not talking at all. im so terrified of reaching out..and. I always just get afraid and chicken out. It like i take one step forward and then go two steps backwards with this socializing thing.

 

[Suicidebydeath]

I know, it's really difficult. How would you feel about receiving a christmas card from a neighbour? I'm struggling with that atm, do I get them one or not.

 

[philia]

i used to have painful social anxiety. i did not talk to absolutely anyone besides my immediate family (that i lived with). the way i got over it was exposing myself to extremely uncomfortable situations. i started out online, taking every chance on socializing with anyone, whether it be responding to reddit posts, using video games text chat, etc. eventually i wasn't so scared of talking to people online, so i started talking to people that lived in my country/nearby in hopes to get comfortable enough to meet up with them. my first meetup was horrible yet it was the best decision i've ever made. i kept going out and most of the times i'd still be extremely shy and not talk a lot. after a long time of forcing myself to being with other people i was no longer anxious. i'm still working on my social skills from not talking to anyone before, but my anxiety is gone. i think you should try to expose yourself to socializing even if it's way out of your comfort zone. i think that's the only way out. hope you feel better soon, you can do it!

 

[vipatherappa]

I know, it's really difficult. How would you feel about receiving a christmas card from a neighbour? I'm struggling with that atm, do I get them one or not.

I think it depends on who your neighbor is. They might be just as lonely as you are and would really appreciate someone reaching out. I might be overgeneralising here but usually it's (kind and pleasant) seniors and younger people (20-35) who aren't too serious/focused on work, so they want to mingle.

i wish i could be vulnerable around others but its so scary...I think subconsciously i feel so terrified of being rejected that id rather avoid the risk of rejection by not talking at all. im so terrified of reaching out..and. I always just get afraid and chicken out. It like i take one step forward and then go two steps backwards with this socializing thing.

Yeah, it sucks that people can't deal with vulnerability during the initial stages of meeting someone. We haven't evolved to be immediately empathetic creatures, I guess. I also have the same problem, but in my experience if you share the same experiences, circumstances, or interests it can really break down the awkwardness barrier. you can meet people on discord servers and there's this website called Meetup where you can hang out with people who share your hobbies

 

[Abandoned Character]

It like i take one step forward and then go two steps backwards with this socializing thing

I have felt this before. Its helped me to be reminded that that is not necessarily the case. A step forward is a step forward and that deserves celebration. The world is really scary, so we gotta take the small wins when we get it