The cure to social anxiety

I have had social anxiety for most of my life. Looking back at my school years I can see it in myself despite me not understanding what the emotions were or where they stemmed from at that point. I feared speaking to people, which is so utterly toxic. As of today, socialising with people is my greatest source of happiness. This is symbolic of my overall turnaround as a human being.

The way to battle social anxiety, and it is a vicious one, is to slowly take small steps in the right direction. Slowly exposing yourself to increasingly “scary” situations.

Start off by taking a train journey, having a one on one with a close friend, or simply having a walk. It is important to bear in mind that you need to know your limits. If you are in a dark place and instantly attempt public speaking, this can prove to be traumatic and counter your development.

Slowly building up your confidence and comfort in situations via everyday tasks is the key.

For me antidepressants have made this a lot easier. Before I would do these tasks and gain no pleasure from them, which meant I was not motivated to do any of it. At points I was not motivated to live honestly. So again, if you’re really struggling with the small steps medication may be something to look at.

To summarise, small steps towards the goal of confidence and comfort is the key to beating this toxic anxiety which is depriving you of what I view as the most pleasurable thing in this world.