The SOVA Project is happy to feature this blog post written by one in our team of fantastic SOVA Ambassadors—these are young people who help create meaningful blog posts from adolescents’ perspectives.
Have you ever gone to a party or had to talk in front of others and felt sick to your stomach with anxiety about the prospect? Have you ever felt so nauseated and nervous that others are judging you the wrong way? If this is the case, you may be suffering with social anxiety, also known as social phobia. You always may have felt this way but were never able to put your finger on exactly what it was.
Suffering from social anxiety can be difficult in lots of ways, but finding the right help can ease your anxiety and help you socialize and enjoy being in the presence of others.
You might ask, But how can I get better?
- Staying silent about a struggle got me nowhere. Speaking up was very hard at first, but once others were aware, such as a parent or therapist, they were able to help me with getting better.
- Therapy is a great option for social anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), for example, has the most scientific study of all modalities, and it has good rates of effectiveness.
Medication for anxiety can help tremendously while working in a therapeutic setting. This doesn’t mean that you will have to be on medication forever, but spending time on a medication that can help the anxious symptoms can help some people to gain the benefits of therapy.- Lastly, exercise, eating good food, and getting enough sleep are all important. If you get home from school and pop a donut for a quick fix and then watch a movie till late at night, there is no doubt that this is going to affect you emotionally if not physically. Taking care of ourselves is important, and with time that work gets easier.
What are some tips and tricks that you use to combat social anxiety, or any anxiety symptoms?