A
Arlathina
Guest
First and foremost, I want to say that I am not the stereotypical sufferer of social anxiety. I am not terrified by the thought of any social interaction. In most cases, I am actually a pretty big social butterfly. However, there are certain situations that send me into into fits of social anxiety: sports-related events, parties, and anywhere where there is bound to be large amounts of people for extended periods of time. And, sometimes, I feel as though I experience social anxiety/anxiety attacks for no apparent reason. However, these episodes are far and few between.
For instance, if I have a swim meet coming up, I start to experience bad social anxiety. Even just thinking about it gives me social anxiety. I experience symptoms like shortness of breath, pain in my chest and stomach, a sinking feeling in my chest/stomach, inability to move around. I also sometimes experience symptoms like this when I think about the future. It is honestly one of the worst feelings that I could ever describe, and I think I could use help managing it.
So, what I am asking is, what is something you do to attempt to calm yourself down when you find yourself having these sorts of feelings? I would greatly appreciate any tips/advice that you can provide.
Disclaimer: I have not seen a psychologist/therapist and been diagnosed with social anxiety. I think mental illness is a serious problem and if you do think that you suffer from any type of mental illness, then you should seek out the help of a licensed professional in the mental health field.
For instance, if I have a swim meet coming up, I start to experience bad social anxiety. Even just thinking about it gives me social anxiety. I experience symptoms like shortness of breath, pain in my chest and stomach, a sinking feeling in my chest/stomach, inability to move around. I also sometimes experience symptoms like this when I think about the future. It is honestly one of the worst feelings that I could ever describe, and I think I could use help managing it.
So, what I am asking is, what is something you do to attempt to calm yourself down when you find yourself having these sorts of feelings? I would greatly appreciate any tips/advice that you can provide.
Disclaimer: I have not seen a psychologist/therapist and been diagnosed with social anxiety. I think mental illness is a serious problem and if you do think that you suffer from any type of mental illness, then you should seek out the help of a licensed professional in the mental health field.