I've beaten my social anxiety!!

Boo to a Moose · #1 24th July 2015, 18:43

I was on here a few years ago and was pretty terrified to even post anything, but now after a lot of hard work I can finally say that I have beaten my social anxiety and depression! I never thought it was even possible, but once you start treating it like any other medical condition it becomes a lot easier!

I would now love to help others, and share my tips to recovery so I've started a blog at www.bootoamoose.wordpress.com which I hope some of you will find helpful

Feel free to message me on topics that you would like to see.
A lot of things needed to come together in order to beat my SA, namely the right medication, CBT, exercise, diet and mindfulness meditation, along with other small changes. It is a lot of effort but it's bloomin' worth it! Once I'd got on the right track by joining Anxiety UK it took me about a year to recover (I'd been suffering with SA for 12 years).

I really wish you all the best in your recovery and don't give up, even if you have a set back - they will actually help you in your recovery!

Best wishes

Michelle

Focused · #2 24th July 2015, 19:22

This fantastic news

very well done Michelle

i'll be sure to give your blog a read and if i gain dome wisdom from it... that's a great bonus

Coffee · #3 24th July 2015, 19:37

WOOHOOO!

I love positive, productive posts like this one. Michelle, congratulations, you are an inspiration and keep up the hard work!

Also, have a nana too :

Ajax Amsterdam · #4 24th July 2015, 20:18

That's fantastic, Michelle.
It's also great to see you back and posting about it because it can be so encouraging for others to see that there can indeed be some light at the end of the tunnel.

I'm in a similar position myself now and don't consider myself as having SA disorder anymore. Took me 52 years, though.

Anyway, well done.

Mr. Yippeeeeeee · #5 25th July 2015, 12:36

Congratulations Michelle! Great to hear.
By simply grasping the principle of dialective cognitive therapy I've made great strides forward.
I'm good at constructive thinking but pretty lousy at dealing with my emotions. I now choose to not think emotionally but use all my energy to think rationally. It works well for me. I feel I've gained a lot more confidence.
Will look at your blog.
Best wishes.
Peter

northeastsouthwest · #6 25th July 2015, 15:54

I have also beaten my sa after 8 years with this illness! There is light at the end of the tunnel for anyone who wants it. Finding the right counsellor helps enormously. Never give up! Big pat on the back to you, boo. I remember even being scared to put my bins out or go to the letterbox outside. Now, i am never away from people and crave for more and more friends. It can happen for anyone. Good luck to you all x

Boo to a Moose · #7 25th July 2015, 18:44

Thank you so much for the overwhelming response! I really appreciate it! Well done to everyone else who has beaten their SA, and keep up the good work to those still battling it - I hope that you'll find some useful tips on recovering on my blog, and just remember that you're not alone and it DOES get better!

Good luck everyone!

xxx

Boo to a Moose · #8 25th July 2015, 18:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coffee

WOOHOOO!

I love positive, productive posts like this one. Michelle, congratulations, you are an inspiration and keep up the hard work!

Also, have a nana too :

Oh and thanks for the sexy nana Coffee!! Made me laugh

eMe · #9 25th July 2015, 21:31

Great news Boo, always good to hear

Boo to a Moose · #10 27th July 2015, 22:16

Hi Boy,

Thank you so much for your reply, I'm so glad you find my blog inspiring!

Now, about some meditation for beginners. I practice what's called 'Mindfulness Meditation' which is just about being in the present moment. Our minds are so often caught up in past or future worries that we hardly ever notice the now. How often have you carried out a task like brushing your teeth or making breakfast without really noticing what you were doing? That's because our minds like to wander, to find a problem to solve.

Mindful meditation helps bring you back to the 'now', and in turn helps to fight off anxiety brought on by dwelling in the past or thinking about the future.

I found the most helpful book on this subject was 'Mindfulness: A Practicle Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World' by Mark Williams & Danny Penman. It comes with some fantastic meditations and how to do them. I really would recommend this book for anyone starting out into the world of meditation. You can also listen to the meditations here.

Mark Williams has also made a short video here on the science behind mindfulness which I find very interesting.

I also love the book 'The Power of Now' by Echart Tolle. This is written from a more spiritual side, whereas Mark Williams' book is a more scientific approach. But they are both great!

I really hope that helps. I will be going into more depth on the subject in some of my blog posts

Happy meditating!

xxx

Mr. Nobody · #11 30th July 2015, 17:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boy

it would help to open my third eye?
I'm just really interested about third eye, have been doing some practice and interested about it at the moment.
Can you suggest something?

I do recall a technique for opening the third eye

not sure if that helps ?

Boo to a Moose · #12 31st July 2015, 20:03

I would recommend buying the book as there's a lot of theory too

J Stabler · #13 31st July 2015, 20:28

Well done, something to be proud of. I think this is the first post I have seen since I joned the site, with someone coming back and saying they have beaten there social anxiety. It is very inspiring, makes you think you actually can beat it when someone has had it first hand and overcome it

Boo to a Moose · #14 5th August 2015, 09:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by J Stabler

Well done, something to be proud of. I think this is the first post I have seen since I joned the site, with someone coming back and saying they have beaten there social anxiety. It is very inspiring, makes you think you actually can beat it when someone has had it first hand and overcome it

Thank you so much J Stabler

I think that once people have recovered they may just forget about these sites, but I wanted to come back to help others and show everyone that it can be overcome. I found this site very helpful when I was suffering with SA and it's where someone introduced me to Echart Tolle's book 'The Power of Now' which really helped me. Feel free to ask me any questions you have on overcoming your SA and don't forget to check out my blog too for advice - www.bootoamoose.wordpress.com

Thanks!

The Jerk · #15 6th August 2015, 09:40

........... have you made any new friendships & relationships......if so how did you go about this? Thanks.

auster · #16 6th August 2015, 18:59

Way to go Boo, keep up the good work

Boo to a Moose · #17 19th August 2015, 19:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Jerk

........... have you made any new friendships & relationships......if so how did you go about this? Thanks.

Hi! Thanks for your question. Yes I've made lots of new friends and reaquainted myself with old friends that I didn't want to see when I was suffering with SA. I found that the best way of making new friends is by finding people who are interested in the same things are you are. I have found that volunteering is a good way to do this- with animals, conservation work, helpdesks, people in need etc. Or join a group for local enthusiasts for something that interests you, e.g. bird watching, painting, dressing up like batman...anything hehe!

Hope that helps