Volunteering

[PatKat]

I want to start volunteering somewhere.

Maybe an animal shelter, I think that might help me become more social. How can I overcome social anxiety?

I just cannot seem to beat it for a long time now.

 

[Severen]

I want to start volunteering somewhere.

Maybe an animal shelter, I think that might help me become more social. How can I overcome social anxiety?

I just cannot seem to beat it for a long time now.

Why not volunteer at a food pantry or soup kitchen? The homeless and the poor are getting fucked over harder than the animals, these days. Most pets actually get treated better than human beings and if their owner decides to abandon his or her pet one day because the pet is no longer cute and fluffy, then the animal shelters have a euthanasia service for them if nobody adopts them after like a week because they lack the $$$ to take care of all the abandoned animals for their entire lives... Lucky bastards. I wish society would send me to a fucking shelter if I became homeless one day and then kill me in a painless way after a week. When animals get treated better than human beings, you know society has turned into one worthless giant shit show and then therefore should be completely destroyed and rebuilt from scratch. "But nah, things are better than ever today! We have Netflix and there is less violence than ever! Durrrrr."

 

[HappyEnding]

If you want to. Seems like a good idea.

I just forced myself into situations where I had to socialize. I got myself a customer service job and from that, I gained confidence, stopped stuttering, learned to socialize, and made eye contact. I didn't start slow, I just threw myself in there because I knew I needed to come out of my anxiety-ridden shell as a young adult. It was a nightmare that lasted several years but it was worth it. I can talk to people just fine now in my mid-twenties.

 

[andy69]

Is there anything you like doing? Reading, gardening, or cooking? You could help the elderly, mentor children, work at a food pantry.

 

[Severen]

Is there anything you like doing? Reading, gardening, or cooking? You could help the elderly, mentor children, work at a food pantry.

A lot of the children and the elderly are nasty cunts. But people at a food pantry have to behave themselves because they NEED food and don't want to be banned. The food pantry option is the most chillax experience, I think.

 

[DepressionsAHo]

I'd also suggest staying at a hostel one night. People in hostels are in my experiences very relaxed and friendly people. Go out with a group of them. When I was in Thailand I asked a group of two strangers if I could go along with them to town and they happily agreed. In Jamaica I offered to go along with a German guy to see different things and we talked all night. Good luck in your recovery love

 

[TiredHorse]

I volunteered at an animal shelter while I was in middle school, back in New England. On the one hand it was tremendously rewarding to help the critters --I like critters better than humans, anyway-- but on the other hand it was difficult seeing the abuse cases, the critters too sick/too badly injured to save, and the critters brought in for euthanasia because their owners had decided the critter was inconvenient. The vets and staff were awesome (probably because I was a little kid), but I can't say that I did much interacting with any humans besides them (probably because I was a little kid). So volunteering with an animal shelter would definitely ease you into large-scale human interactions, but it might come with some depression as you witness critters in unhappy circumstances.

All that said, I like your idea of volunteering as a way to increase interaction. I don't know that I'm up for it yet myself, but I'll keep it in the back of my mind should I ever progress that far.

And indeed, all the very best of luck in your recovery!

 

[PatKat]

I volunteered at an animal shelter while I was in middle school, back in New England. On the one hand it was tremendously rewarding to help the critters --I like critters better than humans, anyway-- but on the other hand it was difficult seeing the abuse cases, the critters too sick/too badly injured to save, and the critters brought in for euthanasia because their owners had decided the critter was inconvenient. The vets and staff were awesome (probably because I was a little kid), but I can't say that I did much interacting with any humans besides them (probably because I was a little kid). So volunteering with an animal shelter would definitely ease you into large-scale human interactions, but it might come with some depression as you witness critters in unhappy circumstances.

All that said, I like your idea of volunteering as a way to increase interaction. I don't know that I'm up for it yet myself, but I'll keep it in the back of my mind should I ever progress that far.

And indeed, all the very best of luck in your recovery!

Yea, I don't think im at that point yet either. I am hoping to get to that point one day. I should really worry about the now, but my mind wanders into the future. It doesnt look good currently. I am with you on not wanting other humans around me. I love animals though puppies and kittens are so cute. :)

 

[sad_frog]

I would like to take the step towards bettering my social anxiety and self confidence issue by volunteering. I haven't had a stable job in 3 years and I have lost confidence and control over my life. I feel like a huge burden but I need to step up and become a functioning adult. Is there anyone who has had success with reaching out with volunteering? This thread is pretty empty..

 

[been_there]

Please don't label yourself a burden. If you want to volunteer I second @Severen's view. The homeless and poor need all the help they can get and are usually ignored. Can't stand seeing all those not-in-my-name environmental and anti-Trump protesters who march past semi-corpses on the street and call families in hostels professional beggars.

 

[Severen]

Please don't label yourself a burden. If you want to volunteer I second @Severen's view. The homeless and poor need all the help they can get and are usually ignored. Can't stand seeing all those not-in-my-name environmental and anti-Trump protesters who march past semi-corpses on the street and call families in hostels professional beggars.

And they will be very friendly to him because they will either be very grateful or know it's not smart to bite the hand that feeds them. And that would be great for people dealing with social anxiety because they won't have to deal with any abusive people or very few of them, anyway.

 

[exhaustion]

I started volunteering excessively in May at various schools and events in the area and found it extremely rewarding to my sense of purpose as a shy and socially-anxious person; was even offered a paying job out of it! Community food banks would be a good place to start off, as often times you're just sorting food donation shipments with a large group of people--really easy to socialize since you have to work as a team to get shit done. Wishing you best of luck!