Social anxiety

[Izfish]

I have always felt nervous and anxious in social situations but I always just thought it was shyness. Ever since I moved to high school (now in grade 12) my anxiety started getting a lot more serious and intense.

A lot of my friends have started going to parties and drinking and just being teenagers. But I am unable to do this.

The first and last party I went to was one that my friend was holding, all my friends knew i was feeling extremely anxious about going and so I thought that once I got there they would help me get through the night. As soon as I arrived the one friend who i thought would definitely stay with me and make sure i was ok, was the first one i saw and she started critising what i was wearing, I just let this wash over me because I didn’t think it was anything to be caught up on. As we started walking to the tennis court (where the party was being held) i was talking to her trying to take my mind off the situation and she started telling me to shut up and that she didn’t want to hear what I was saying. Anyway at this point I was freaking out because

[Croix]

Dear LzFish~

It can seem very daunting face to face. While I thing I benefited greatly from that sort of interaction and did in fact write things down in a list to start off I can understand how you feel.

IreneM has suggested, and I very much agree, the Mindspot Clinic is an excellent way of getting some help at a distance - https://mindspot.org.au/

There you take an on-line test and go though assessment to see what would be the most appropriate thing for you then you do on-line therapy, self paced with the resources of a qualified therapist as needed.

I believe you can do all this in text form via emails, however I suggest you go look and see.

Do you think you wold be more comfortable with that?

Croix

[Izfish]

It has been a while since I posted on here. But I have started seeing a psychologist because I decided enough was enough and wanted to get better. Originally I had thought that the more sessions I did the more free and happier I would feel. But I am now 8 sessions in and I still don’t feel any difference. I heard that once you went to a session you should come out feeling as though a weight had been lifted off your shoulders and you would feel relief no matter how small. I haven’t had this feeling yet. Even at the psychologist I am still finding that I am unable to let down my wall and be truly open and vulnerable. I guess I’m just wondering whether anyone else has had a similar problem and what they did? I am all muddled and everything when I go to the psychologist about what I want to talk about because I am terrified of letting someone in and I don’t know how to properly let her know that I want to focus on my past experiences that have led me to feel so trapped and alone because currently we are focusing on how to deal with social anxiety and the techniques that I could use (which I should mention are not working and I don’t really see how they will help me live with my social anxiety)

[CalmCat]

Hi Izfish,

Thank you for your post.

What you wrote resonates with the start of my psychologist journey.

I started to see him once a fortnight after a difficult period of my life. I didn't feel that release feeling till after about 6 months of seeing him.

I'd give it more time, as seeing a mental health working constantly was a game changer for me.

Regards,

Doz