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What steps should I be taking to actually get better?

1K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  MasticatorOG 
#1 ·
Have had social anxiety and depression for way too long now. Have tried CBT several times, counselling, many medications and natural supplements that did not work. I don't feel like I am getting anywhere. I am always exhausted and can't be bothered to do anything. I really want to get better.. But I don't know where to begin! What should I be doing???
 
#2 ·
Sorry to hear you are having a tough time. I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, but in my opinion, I don't think social anxiety is something that will ever go away 100% or can be "cured". However I do believe that it can be manageable, it can lessen in intensity, and we can do things to make it easier to live with.

Do you look after yourself well as in eat healthily, exercise, get enough sleep, take time out to enjoy hobbies? I think doing these are good place to start at least. These are all good for boosting mental health.

Do you have much of a support network? Family and friends who you can confide in? Sometimes when you are feeling blue just talking to somebody about how you are feeling can make all the difference. It isn't healthy to bottle everything up and to be dealing with problems all on your own.

What are your hobbies and interests? Do you do anything for yourself that you enjoy? Finding time for this sort of stuff can be a great way of forgetting about your problems and taking a break from everyday life. Try and find time every week to devote to doing something you love.

And lastly, you have to push yourself into social situations, start off by taking small steps, even if it is just a one on one thing. If someone invites you to do something, don't dwell on it, just say yes. Go for it. By constantly avoiding and turning down invitations you are feeding the beast, you are letting social anxiety win. In order for it to get easier, you have to keep fighting against those anxious thoughts that hold you back.

You can get better. It might not go away completely, but you can manage anxiety with some effort and belief in yourself. Good luck :)
 
#3 ·
The first thing that I did to work towards getting better is come to the understanding that my poor mental health wasn't something could be "cured" but rather it was something that I needed to learn to "cope" with. I was so fixated in "reinventing" myself and trying to "cure" myself. It doesn't work that way. There is no cure sadly, but that doesn't mean you have to let it define you. Its a part of who you are as a person and when I accepted that it helped me learn to cope with it. The second thing i did was start being honest with myself and those around me. Before i was so ashmed and secretive about my mental health. I didn't want anybody knowing that i had anxieties and depression. I was always suppresing my feelings. I'm now pretty open in my relationships and communications. If I have avoidance or anxiety or depression I project it outwards. I communicate to people. I reach out. People more often than not always reach back and have been amazingly supporive and understanding. Mental illness has this insidious way of making you isolate yourself. Don't let that happen. The third thing I did was physical exercise daily. Making myself work out an hour a day. I might do an hour of light walking at the park. I might do some weight lifting in the gym. I might do half an hour of streching in my room. The point is I move my body with purpose and exercise everyday. It helps.
 
#4 ·
You need to figure out what the problem is. Again the omega 6 thing I mentioned is something to consider as the deficiency is not tested for. And yes it made me really tired and gave me anxiety too.

Can you think about why you might be experiencing the anxiety? I mean you are inside when you have the anxiety? how is that related to social anxiety? Why are you anxious even when you dont need to talk? When did these symptoms start? Pin point the origin and you will get more clues.
 
#5 ·
http://zenhabits.net/the-habit-change-cheatsheet-29-ways-to-successfully-ingrain-a-behavior/

Please try to read the words on the above linked article. I just read them and I have the same questions and frustrations as you. The things is that Depression and social anxiety may not technically and exclusively be habits... but I like to think of depression and SA as habits.its not that the conditions themselves are habits but more of how a person lives with the condition. so with depression, one of my habits is isolation. like I don't really like to talk about my feelings not even with loved ones like my mom or cousin. But if I think of that as a habit instead of a symptom of a mental illness, then its not about the medication you should take or how low your serotonin is or even about going to therapy sessions for me at least... it's about figuring out and WRITING DOWN why I don't like to talk and then setting a plan to keep me consistent with expressing my feelings. But it would also be more productive to make sure that I'm not trying to actively change any other habits and multitask cuz them i'll fail which I have before. other habits of mine are overeating on junk food, sleeping late, procrastinating, and a bunch of other stuff.

honestly the reason why I've failed is that I try to change everything at one time and I didn't really have a clear game plan written down and what not. Everything is in the article tho. I just wanted to make the article seem worth a shot. I'm trying it out and I believe you can too! :grin2::grin2::wink2::wink2:
 
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