[april showers]

I'm sure many of you with SA can agree that getting out of it can be a slow process for many. Sometimes it feels like I'm getting no where with my SA, but I've realized lately that I've done things that I wouldn't have imagined doing a year ago. I guess it had to do with starting college. Even my family noticed a change in me over the past year. And it's it's realizing that I've been able to change a little that encourages me to keep working at it.

Some improvements are:

-I used to have a huge phobia of using the phone (I guess it's because I can't see a person's face/body language) so I was afraid to even set up appointments or ask questions and such over the phone. But now, though I still get a bit nervous, I really don't have much of a problem with doing that.

-I've been able to talk to more guys, and I even invited myself to eat with some guy friends.

-In HS I usually had no one to talk to in my classes, now I have at least 2 people I talk to in every class.

-I'm more friendly and open to new people that I meet.

Some of them seem pretty small, but they've been some pretty big steps for me.

So I was wondering if anyone here found themselves able to do something now, no matter how small, that they wouldn't have been able to do at least a year ago because of their SA.

 

[S.T.A.T.]

I agree that fighting [SA] can be a slow process especially when starting out. I too experienced some changes in my life and that's because I was no longer in the confines of the college world. I graduated from college last year in june 2008. Ever since being on the job market, it forced me to learn people and other things that I wouldn't learn in college.

I have had my first GF since HS (HS for me was 95-99). We dated for one month before she broke up with me. It's not what I wanted but it's never good to settle for that first person who says yes to a date.

I got my first job in October 2008 but got laid off 3 weeks ago due to politics and economics. Durin the job process, I was responsible for the first time in my life. I had duties, was collecting a pay check, and my people skills improved.

It was a painful process (especially being broken up with and being laid off) but I got to experience life as it is without thinking about negative things. I think going through these events without letting SA disrupt it is a huge success for me.

Again I live in the USA where extroversion is highly rewarded but introverted (which also tend to be SAers like us) get the shaft. So little accomplishments like the ones posted on this forum is the equivalent of a gold medal for an Olympic athlete. Okay not really but you know what I mean

Congrats to you April Showers for doing all of those things. I hope things can only get better for yourself. Things will get rocky like antying in life but stay strong and hold your ground. You will become a stronger person in the end.

YAY for triumph over SA! Please all of you reading this thread...go out and do things to defeat SA! No matter how small they are!