4me2bfree
10-08-09, 17:43
I've had social anxiety for most of my life but never really knew what it was until I was diagnosed with it close to 18 years ago (in my late teens). Since then I've been on/under so many different forms of medications, treatments and therapies that it isn't even funny. Even worse, none of anything tried so far has been of any real help. Sure, I don't get "the shakes" (severe trembling from being nervous) near as much as I used to but, "whoop-dee-doo-dah," not having these shaking episodes still doesn't get me out of my house and on the road to possible recovery and that (getting out of my house where I can gradually expose myself to outside situations) is, and always has been, my ultimate goal right from the very beginning. After all, if I can't even get out of my own house to practice exposing myself to different things, how can I ever even hope to get better?
To make a long story short, several years ago (probably close to ten years ago by now, I'd say) one of my doctors did offer to me one suggestion of (exposure therapy?) to try that I completely blew-off at the time because, like a bonehead, I thought his suggestion was to far-fetched to even consider. Now, all these years later and with still nothing positive to show for from all the things I've tried to date I can't help but think that maybe I should have taken his suggestion more seriously. To add to that matter, I have also now found that his suggestion may not have been all that far-fetched after all (over the past month or so I've seen this SAME suggestion mentioned through various anxiety related websites, forums, blogs, books and more as just one possible answer for those who suffer from things like agoraphobia, social anxiety, IBS, etc and it does appear to be something that has proven to be quite successful for many when nothing else tried worked for them).
Anyway, the suggestion my doctor gave to me so many years ago that I, like a fool, so completely ignored at the time (and now feeling like kicking my own a** for doing so) was to try possibly getting myself out of my house by way of a motorhome (as opposed to your typical vehicle) as it would allow me some sense of "being at home" (in my comfort zone) while I slowly practiced working my way up to going further and further in distance while exposing myself to new surroundings at a pace comfortable enough for me to actually "get it done" (without becoming such a complete mess that I'd give up before really getting anywhere). At the time he first suggested it I never took it seriously because I couldn't see "how" it would help but now, after doing more research about it and seeing what he really meant by "gradual exposure" and reading other people's success stories, yeah, I admit it, I can now see how it might be helpful after all.
Was I a complete moron to ignore his suggestion and should I maybe give it a try now? Has anyone else tried this or anything like it? It's been years since I've really gotten out of my house and, after so long of being cooped-up, I have to say that I'm pretty much game to try anything that may help. I wasn't even going to post this queery to begin with but, after seeing another like it here in the forums (although the vehicle in question was a motorbike instead of a motorhome) I decided, what the hey, maybe some people here know something I don't so it can't hurt to ask.
Thank you in advance for any replies you may give me. :flowers:
To make a long story short, several years ago (probably close to ten years ago by now, I'd say) one of my doctors did offer to me one suggestion of (exposure therapy?) to try that I completely blew-off at the time because, like a bonehead, I thought his suggestion was to far-fetched to even consider. Now, all these years later and with still nothing positive to show for from all the things I've tried to date I can't help but think that maybe I should have taken his suggestion more seriously. To add to that matter, I have also now found that his suggestion may not have been all that far-fetched after all (over the past month or so I've seen this SAME suggestion mentioned through various anxiety related websites, forums, blogs, books and more as just one possible answer for those who suffer from things like agoraphobia, social anxiety, IBS, etc and it does appear to be something that has proven to be quite successful for many when nothing else tried worked for them).
Anyway, the suggestion my doctor gave to me so many years ago that I, like a fool, so completely ignored at the time (and now feeling like kicking my own a** for doing so) was to try possibly getting myself out of my house by way of a motorhome (as opposed to your typical vehicle) as it would allow me some sense of "being at home" (in my comfort zone) while I slowly practiced working my way up to going further and further in distance while exposing myself to new surroundings at a pace comfortable enough for me to actually "get it done" (without becoming such a complete mess that I'd give up before really getting anywhere). At the time he first suggested it I never took it seriously because I couldn't see "how" it would help but now, after doing more research about it and seeing what he really meant by "gradual exposure" and reading other people's success stories, yeah, I admit it, I can now see how it might be helpful after all.
Was I a complete moron to ignore his suggestion and should I maybe give it a try now? Has anyone else tried this or anything like it? It's been years since I've really gotten out of my house and, after so long of being cooped-up, I have to say that I'm pretty much game to try anything that may help. I wasn't even going to post this queery to begin with but, after seeing another like it here in the forums (although the vehicle in question was a motorbike instead of a motorhome) I decided, what the hey, maybe some people here know something I don't so it can't hurt to ask.
Thank you in advance for any replies you may give me. :flowers: