Does anybody else think they have had social anxiety too long for it to every be overcome/cured?
I have had social anxiety for at least 20 years. Counselors and books keep telling me I have to overcome negative thoughts but I find that I rarely ever have conscious negative thoughts when the anxiety hits. To me it seems to happen automatically - no thoughts involved. Like instinct. Maybe over time it DOES become a type of instinctive behavior/habit.
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I agree with you. Being a long time sufferer of Social Anxiety,(among all my other anxiety issues) negative thinking becomes a way of life. I know people (including Doctors and Therapists) tell us we need to think positively, but after years and years of negative thoughts, it's just our nature. We don't know how to be positive (at least I don't). I try, but positive thoughts are quickly replaced with many negative thoughts. I suppose IF you can break this cycle, you would be free of your issues. Just keep trying!
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I am getting better. I am cultivating a nurturing side to offset my critical side and I am allowing my natural instincts and desires to have greater freedom and relying less on the adaptive side of me that wants to avoid and control. Learning to accept where I am is helping. Being kind to myself throughout the process is new and exciting. At times of anxiety I will revert. Its is all those times in between that I cultivate better thinking. When the intense times come I do better. I know social anxiety can be overcome. I don't think it will ever be something I can forget or stop working on but overcome yes.
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I have had Social Anxiety all my life , 48 yrs , had an extremely bad incident last month , enough is enough , after a lifetime of S A , now have decided to control my S A and not let it control me . Easy to say , hard to do . Started reading as much info as i can , net , books , library .Will work on it the best i can . Definently need to break the cycle / habit . Will try to learn meditation ...Good luck to you , i know how you feel .
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Yes, me! All the time. I'm SA aftermath freakout mode right now, to be honest.Very paranoid and isolated...I know just how you feel.
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Right now in my life i have accepted my SA as being permanent. I know both my doctor and Psychologist would disagree with me. I just don't feel like I've got better, just better at accepting my illness.
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Right now in my life i have accepted my SA as being permanent. I know both my doctor and Psychologist would disagree with me. I just don't feel like I've got better, just better at accepting my illness.
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Like Bob i told my therapist i will settle for %80 better , part of me down deep knows i wont work again!.
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I'm pretty young still, but I feel like I will have social anxiety forever. I think I can find a way to cope with it, but it will always be there. I don't think it's a matter of curing it as much as living with it, you know?
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yea im 29 and have had SA my whole life. I know I will have it forever and I won't work again.
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I am 48 years old, and have had SA for 40 years. SA led to including Depression, so I have been suffering from both for over 35 years. I've been so far removed from being able to function normally in social situations, that I finally had to stop working last year. I did have thoughts that I will never work again, but I'm willing to try one more time. I did also have thoughts that I will never be able to be normal...I still think that I will never be normal however I am getting counselling now, and I'm hoping to be able to overcome this enough to be able to work and maybe function in some social situations. The negative thoughts ARE automatic, and they spiral me into a dark place. At least now I can detect the negative thoughts, and that is a HUGE step...I was completely oblivious to their existance up until now. A couple of weeks ago a negative thought pattern was starting up, and I immediately quashed it with an automatic anti-negative thought. It was only for a fraction of a second, but this was the very first glimpse of what could possibly be...happiness?...freedom?...I don't know, but it felt good. I hope this helps.
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i think we all suffer from SA..be it more r less.For eg, i have been suffering from a very long time...it reached its peak in the last 5 yrs...now i seeing a psyciatrist to keep it under control...from him i came 2 know that we all have SA,more or less...it's one's ability 2 cope with such situations is wat makes the difference...ppl like us who has less ability to cope will suffer more....in such cases counselling and medication is the answer...but it takes yrs to get any positive result....so 1 needs to hv patiance.
