Contrary to what we’ve been told, overcoming a social anxiety disorder does not require spending a fortune on therapy sessions with a therapist who may or may not work for us nor does it require any type of medication.
As a current victim who has fallen prey to severe mental instability and in the process of working my way out of it, I know enough about this disorder’s grueling nature as well as our own imperfect human nature that is needed to pinpoint where the problems that contribute to our downfall actually lie. Through the use of reasoning, discipline, and determination, I’ve found that the perfect escape route is often times not as far away as we may think. Here’s a list of ideas that I’ve tried on my own and found to be extremely useful in fighting off my own social anxiety.
Change Your Thought Pattern
When I first realized that what I was experiencing was an actual disorder and that I really did have a problem that needed fixing, I knew it was time to get to work. So I got online and skimmed through any information I could find about the social anxiety disorder, also known as SAD.
One article I came across that discussed a solution for combating it, advised that the sufferer drop the old negative habits that he had become so accustomed to and instead, replace it with a new, positive outlook. This meant that all of the bad thoughts, harmful attitudes, and disappointed feelings that we have about ourselves needed to go out the door.
Thoughts like, “I’m not good enough,” “I can’t do this,” or “I’m bad at everything” would have to be replaced by ones such as, “I am a good person,” “I am strong enough to do anything,” and “I am capable of so much.” As soon as I started changing my mindset and forcing myself to think only positive thoughts, I began noticing a huge difference as my confidence flourished unexpectedly.
Face Your Fears
Also, it’s extremely important to confront any anxiety-provoking situations that we might have, remembering that exposure is one of the key elements needed in overcoming social anxiety. One example of the many aspects of adulthood that I feared was the basic duty of having to make phone calls. Whether it was calling for take-out or making a doctor’s appointment, the very thought of it made me dismiss it as being something that was completely outside of and beyond my limits.
Before long, I realized that some day I would have to make phone calls as a wife and mother and that it was my responsibility to do so. At this point, I could either stay the way I was, drenched in my pain and misery or I could seek an anxiety free life by committing to a much needed transformation.
Although there were many other larger and more difficult goals that I wished to accomplish, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to reach them due to my lack of self-esteem and overwhelming social anxiety. It was at this time that I began to understand that jumping from the bottom to the very top was not the way to go about it. Rather, I would have to start taking little steps at a time and slowly work my way up from smaller achievements to bigger ones.
I started this practice by calling my local pizza hut and placing an order. For me, this was a big moment and the start of my success in overcoming SAD because it gave me hope that change was a very real possibility for me to achieve. Soon, I went from staying inside all day hiding in my shell to signing up for yoga classes. A few years ago, I would have never dreamed myself capable of this but look where I am now.
I’ve met some nice people and now I have a chance of practicing my communication skills so that my next goal is feeling comfortable around people and being able to talk to them freely without much hesitation.
Keep Track of Your Success
A great way to help yourself is by keeping track of the previous successes you’ve made in dealing with social anxiety. I built up my confidence and stayed positive by taking notes of all of my former accomplishments. I started out by keeping a record of all the phone calls I made. The call I made for pizza soon paved the way for several other important phone calls I made to the bank, and even ones I made to the dentist. Already, I was making improvements in myself and by keeping track of the success I had with these have helped me to prove to my inner critic that it was wrong about me all along.
Having Support
Opening up to people about your problem can be very beneficial for your own personal growth. You will often find that by doing so, you are not the only one going through these issues and that everyone has a weakness they are trying to overcome. It’s so important to get out and meet others because you need to know that you are not the only one feeling this way.
By opening up to people at yoga, I feel like it is a little bit easier for me to connect with them because they know my weakness and so there is a much smaller chance that they will expect me to be perfect and it’s alright to make some mistakes. It takes so much pressure off of me.
Furthermore, having some girls to talk with helps me to get the practice I need to communicate more and better. Having others around to support you in your efforts is probably one of the most essential aspects of overcoming social anxiety.
That’s it. That’s all there is to it. Now, get to work!
