MikesP
08-10-07, 21:51
Hi, firstly Id like to say I am glad to have found this site. :)
Im a 25 year old guy from London and have phobia of public places and meeting new people. I had it in my late teens but managed to brush it aside thanks to having friends who always wanted to go out and about everyday. Thanks to that I never felt too isolated and managed to beat the anxiety before it ever became too much for me to handle. About a year after that it started up again after some brief stress from money/work issues, friends were alot busier with uni and work and things slowly but surely caved in on me. At my worst I was too anxious to even have my friends visit me at home, let alone go out and enjoy myself.
After a very brief stint on medication (2 weeks) I decided that wasnt the route for me. I thought I would try to combat the anxiety myself and that if I took very small steps I would be able to handle normal everyday routines again. The lack of motivation you sometimes feel when you are afraid to partake in everyday activities, brushing your ambitions to the side to avoid the main issue; 4 years passed and I am not much better off.
I've managed to make a few improvements over that time, but nothing near what I originally thought I would be able to do. A part of me even feels that I have just been putting the entire thing off. The part I dislike the most is the social phobia, being afraid to meet new friends, or even see friends of friends that I have already met in the past. Recently I have tried hard to combat against it, but it leaves me feeling a lot more drained and anxious in places where it would not normally be an issue.
And Im not normally this sombre, I think just finding this site and reading through some introduction threads, seeing other people that face the same everyday problems as me, it has set something off in me for today. I'll be looking to make maximum use of this site, Id been looking for a place like this for quite a while but my Googling skills are obviously not quite as good as Id imagined. :winks:
The site is added to my favourites and I'll be around. Id like to salute the admin for making the site available and the great articles Ive already found in my short time here, and the community who all seem like great people.
Cheers :yesyes:
~Michael
Im a 25 year old guy from London and have phobia of public places and meeting new people. I had it in my late teens but managed to brush it aside thanks to having friends who always wanted to go out and about everyday. Thanks to that I never felt too isolated and managed to beat the anxiety before it ever became too much for me to handle. About a year after that it started up again after some brief stress from money/work issues, friends were alot busier with uni and work and things slowly but surely caved in on me. At my worst I was too anxious to even have my friends visit me at home, let alone go out and enjoy myself.
After a very brief stint on medication (2 weeks) I decided that wasnt the route for me. I thought I would try to combat the anxiety myself and that if I took very small steps I would be able to handle normal everyday routines again. The lack of motivation you sometimes feel when you are afraid to partake in everyday activities, brushing your ambitions to the side to avoid the main issue; 4 years passed and I am not much better off.
I've managed to make a few improvements over that time, but nothing near what I originally thought I would be able to do. A part of me even feels that I have just been putting the entire thing off. The part I dislike the most is the social phobia, being afraid to meet new friends, or even see friends of friends that I have already met in the past. Recently I have tried hard to combat against it, but it leaves me feeling a lot more drained and anxious in places where it would not normally be an issue.
And Im not normally this sombre, I think just finding this site and reading through some introduction threads, seeing other people that face the same everyday problems as me, it has set something off in me for today. I'll be looking to make maximum use of this site, Id been looking for a place like this for quite a while but my Googling skills are obviously not quite as good as Id imagined. :winks:
The site is added to my favourites and I'll be around. Id like to salute the admin for making the site available and the great articles Ive already found in my short time here, and the community who all seem like great people.
Cheers :yesyes:
~Michael