How I cured myself of social anxiety

[Juusa Malinen]

”People are, first and foremost, their visual fields. In addition to that, they speak with their mouths, move their bodies and make facial expressions. They are not their faces. And body sensations that arise in you, such as fear, are just body sensations. You don’t need to care about them and they can weaken in time. In reality, there is only empty space between you and other people, but your mind can semiautomatically write a horror story about it. In the worst-case scenario, you will need to fight, but there’s never any need for fear. (You can come to terms with the possible defeat beforehand: reality simply allows things like that to happen.)”

 

[earlaramos]

It's worth recognizing that each person carries unique experiences, perspectives, and emotions within that space between us. This diversity allows for meaningful connections and opportunities to learn from one another. While fear may arise as a natural response to the unknown, it's important to approach it with curiosity and open-mindedness. By embracing empathy and understanding, we can bridge the perceived gap and foster genuine connections, enriching our interactions and breaking free from the limitations of preconceived notions. Ultimately, by embracing the multifaceted nature of human interaction, we can create a space where compassion and acceptance prevail over fear and judgment.

 

[Jonathan123]

It's worth recognizing that each person carries unique experiences, perspectives, and emotions within that space between us. This diversity allows for meaningful connections and opportunities to learn from one another. While fear may arise as a natural response to the unknown, it's important to approach it with curiosity and open-mindedness. By embracing empathy and understanding, we can bridge the perceived gap and foster genuine connections, enriching our interactions and breaking free from the limitations of preconceived notions. Ultimately, by embracing the multifaceted nature of human interaction, we can create a space where compassion and acceptance prevail over fear and judgment.

Oh yes. Often a post arrives that is a pearl of wisdom, and such is this one. 'Curiosity and open mindedness'. The perfect way to treat anxiety, because it is akin to acceptance. We all react from our programming. Wind people up in the morning and they run down all day, behaving according to how they have been brought up and how they have lived their lives so far. Very few ever stand back and take a good look at themselves. We behave like robots, programmed from past experiences to react in a certain way to events. Real action is always spontaneous, without thought or preconceived notions. Just as anxiety can become a habit so can acceptance. Love, tolerance, empathy and understanding are all needed so much today. Without them the world can seem such an evil place. Accepting things as they are and not as we would like them to be is important. We can attempt to change those things we have control over, but let go those things we have no control over. Hanging on to past grievances is never good for the soul. Forgiveness is as important today as it ever was.
'Preconceived notions'. We judge from the past, what happened before or what might happen again. Compassion. love, understanding and empathy are all essential virtues in life. Without them the world can seem to be such an evil place. Tolerance is another less used virtue. Fear is always based on conflict in the mind. For anxiety to happen there is always that tugging both ways. One part of us says it's all smoke and mirrors, the other half says it's something real. Acceptance allows us to level things out, to treat the good and bad just the same. Thanks for that post.

 

[MATD]

Some excellent posts here. Once one comprehends and accepts these truths the anxiety seems to melt away.

 

[loggiemod]

Some very wise words