Does yoga help social anxiety?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

i’ve been suffering from severe social anxiety for over 5 years, but it’s been at its worst during these last 2/3 years. i cry nearly every night because i’m indoors everyday and i feel so lonely becuz i have absolutely no friends and most of the times i don’t even have the company of my own family. i’ve thought about suicide more than just a few times and earlier today i thought about over-dosing on pills but everytime that thought crossed my mind, i saw my family come before those horrendous thoughts. i love them too much and i don’t want to be responsible for making their lives a misery just cuz of a silly mistake.

it’s got to a point where i can’t cope anymore so i’m trying to look for the best possible ways to help me cure my social anxiety or at least have some impact on my social anxiety

i start college next week and i’m really panicking :frowning: will yoga really help or am i just wasting my time

#2

not many people here lol

#3

yes. it does.

but why cant you make friends? go out… talk to people… get together…

#4

From yoga we can learn to observe, practice awareness, and develop the ability to become a witness. Pedemo, I really think this will help you with your anxiety.

Consider this: When you are in an uncomfortable or new situation, many others are as well. Though you feel alone, you are not. Instead of worrying how others perceive you, observe the situation. Observe your thoughts without judgement. It’s ok to feel anxious, it’s a natural reaction and a mechanism the body and mind develops to protect us. The key is not to let your anxiety control it. Acknowledge it, and allow it to dissolve. You are not your anxiety, you are only experiencing it.

I understand feeling lonely, but every day is an opportunity to find community- especially in college. This is an opportunity for you to meet new people and create relationships with them. Your past doesn’t matter- your actions and thoughts today are simply your response to today’s experiences. Your past doesn’t dictate your future!

Good luck and enjoy each moment in the present :slight_smile:

#5

Hi Jen

I’m so sorry to hear about your social anxiety. I too have suffered with it since I was 17 and still do! There have been times when I’ve wanted to give up but something inside me has always kept me going. I’ve managed to get through University and have been a teacher for over 35 years. It hasn’t been easy and I’m sure my colleagues have no idea of the anguish I go through a lot of the time. I have found yoga helpful especially focussing on the breath but maybe you also need to see your doctor and have some counselling or psychotherapy.

Good luck and try to stay positive
Gill

#6

Pedemo,

Many years ago in high school, I became very sick and was stuck in the hospital, and was unable to get out of bed or do any of the activities I enjoyed for about two years of my life. Due to the fact I was sick, I in turn lost all of my friends because none of them wanted to deal with my sickness or be around me.

It was a very lonely time for me as well, where I often did not know where to turn or what to do. Instead of realizing maybe they were not good friends after all, I went from being very open to very shy, and very trusting to closed off. I am a senior in college now, and I still to this day have a hard time making friends and have trouble with trust. But Yoga helps me with this, it is about loving yourself for who you are and succumbing to the quiet and serene atmosphere of your mind.

Put a yoga mat outside in your backyard on a beautiful day, take in the sunshine, the earth, let it move through you and empower you, do a practice and when you are done, lie there and think of all the things that make you unique, amazing and different. Take this attitude to college with you, life is too short to hold yourself back.

Think of how amazing you are as an individual, sit in a classroom and say hello to someone sitting next to you, you would be surprised at how different college is and how much more friendly and accepting people are. It really is as easy as having confidence in yourself and just saying hello.

Use yoga to build your self esteem and appreciation for life and then act on it. You are alive and well and that is a blessing, overcome your fear and see all the potential and friends life has waiting for you. :slight_smile: and trust me there is a lot.

The world is a beautiful apple, just waiting for you to take a bite.

Good luck, you can do it!

#7

Thank you for dropping by.
You are not alone so don’t be alone.
Yes yoga practice can be a wonderful outlet to explore and embrace so many wonderful new experiences and facets of life worth living and perhaps of particular interest to you will be that of non judgement.

Congratulations on going to college! I’m sure your college, as challenging as it may be, will have a support team, or centre where you may find the help you need. I invite you to take advantage of it. Just drop by grab some pamphlets take note of the confidential contact numbers, and if your still hanging in there, check in and say hi.

Hang in there!

#8

Yes, yoga can definitely help the symptoms of what you’re experiencing, and eventually cure what you’re going through. Try as many classes as you can, find a teacher that you click with, that you feel comfortable with. Try and practice every day, every time you feel down do some yoga.
You’ll definitely feel better.
Don’t take silly thoughts and feelings too seriously.
Take care.

#9

[QUOTE=Living to learn;65863]Pedemo,

Many years ago in high school, I became very sick and was stuck in the hospital, and was unable to get out of bed or do any of the activities I enjoyed for about two years of my life. Due to the fact I was sick, I in turn lost all of my friends because none of them wanted to deal with my sickness or be around me.

It was a very lonely time for me as well, where I often did not know where to turn or what to do. Instead of realizing maybe they were not good friends after all, I went from being very open to very shy, and very trusting to closed off. I am a senior in college now, and I still to this day have a hard time making friends and have trouble with trust. But Yoga helps me with this, it is about loving yourself for who you are and succumbing to the quiet and serene atmosphere of your mind.
[/QUOTE]

Living to Learn,

I just wanted to comment that I have gone through the same thing recently. I actually moved away from home for college and created a large social network. I was very outgoing, fearless, and strong. However, depression has plagued me all though my life. After graduating, I had to move back home to deal with it. My moods were so unstable and I was using alcohol a lot to get by. I couldn’t stick with job and I was slowly becoming destitute. However, since then I have pretty much lost all of my friendships due to both the distance and depression. When I am depressed I just want to stay locked up inside and in bed. I don’t return phone calls and cancel social dates. Even when I feel better it is hard to pick up where I left off with my friends.

Pedemo,

I know that some people are against it but a good therapist and psychiatrist can help. I have tried to use natural remedies for my depression but they proved ineffective. Also, you don’t have to go on medication if you don’t want to. Sometimes talk therapy is all you need.

Yoga has vast benefits but it isn’t a cure all potion. The fact that you are contemplating suicide is indicative that you need serious professional help.

Please don’t hurt yourself. Hang in there.

#10

[QUOTE=Living to learn;65863]Pedemo,

Many years ago in high school, I became very sick and was stuck in the hospital, and was unable to get out of bed or do any of the activities I enjoyed for about two years of my life. Due to the fact I was sick, I in turn lost all of my friends because none of them wanted to deal with my sickness or be around me.

It was a very lonely time for me as well, where I often did not know where to turn or what to do. Instead of realizing maybe they were not good friends after all, I went from being very open to very shy, and very trusting to closed off. I am a senior in college now, and I still to this day have a hard time making friends and have trouble with trust. But Yoga helps me with this, it is about loving yourself for who you are and succumbing to the quiet and serene atmosphere of your mind.

Put a yoga mat outside in your backyard on a beautiful day, take in the sunshine, the earth, let it move through you and empower you, do a practice and when you are done, lie there and think of all the things that make you unique, amazing and different. Take this attitude to college with you, life is too short to hold yourself back.

Think of how amazing you are as an individual, sit in a classroom and say hello to someone sitting next to you, you would be surprised at how different college is and how much more friendly and accepting people are. It really is as easy as having confidence in yourself and just saying hello.

Use yoga to build your self esteem and appreciation for life and then act on it. You are alive and well and that is a blessing, overcome your fear and see all the potential and friends life has waiting for you. :slight_smile: and trust me there is a lot.

The world is a beautiful apple, just waiting for you to take a bite.

Good luck, you can do it![/QUOTE]

I enjoyed reading this, thank you.

#11

pedemo, I’d recommend a book called The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety by John Forsyth and Georg Eifert.

I’ve been dealing with social anxiety and occasional bouts of depression since my early teens. I’m in my mid-twenties now. I’ve always refused to take medication, but I have spent a lot of time talking to psychiatrists. For me, this ended up being a big waste of time and money. A little over two years ago, I started cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), which has been the standard approach for dealing with social anxiety for a long time. It was certainly helpful, but I found that progress was very slow.

About a year ago, I started reading about Buddhism and Eastern philosophy, which led me to begin a meditation practice. It also led me to start looking for a new way to deal with my anxiety, and this is how I came across Mindfulness and Acceptance therapy, which has been immensely helpful. I’m new to yoga, but I think that it can be very beneficial in terms of developing a mindfulness practice which is what for me has been more helpful than anything else in dealing with my anxiety issues. So, yoga could be beneficial, as could meditation, but these two things alone are not going to help you overcome your social anxiety. You need to start taking small steps in your everyday life to really deal with your anxiety issues and the Mindfulness and Acceptance book can show you how to do that.

I know that college can be a very frightening prospect. Admittedly, it was not a good period of time for me. I felt very isolated and very alone, and ended up dealing with an extended bout of depression in my junior year. I only wish I knew then what I do now because things could have been very different. College might be a little scary, but if you’re serious about curing your social anxiety, there is no better place and no better time. It really is a wonderful opportunity, and I only wish that I would have taken advantage of it instead of running away from my fears, only to have to face them years later. So whatever approach you decide to take, just don’t wait. The time is going to pass no matter what, so you might as well spend it working toward a better life.

As an aside, I think yoga is great and is worthwhile for anyone regardless of their situation. :wink:

#12

Related:

http://www.youtube.com/benjaminsmythe#p/a/u/0/5b9RqGEfLBM

#13

Respect to all the opinions on this positive thread.

I’d say that yoga and meditation can cure the symptoms discussed. But it might take a period of full time practice to do so. Iyengar was bedridden for 2 years with illness, his practice saved him. The Tai Chi master Chen Man Ching was also bedridden on the brink of death but was saved by full immersion in the practice of Tai Chi.

If a mental or physical ‘illness’ is chronic, it sometimes takes real persistent effort to cure it. But after each session, you’re going to feel better.

#14

i wouldn’t say yoga is a cure for social anxiety but it does get you closer. in that i mean it relaxes you, your muscles and eventually you’ll see a difference in how you interact with people. there’s less of a judgement in yoga than in church let’s say. but yoga is a physical activity. but for some of us folks it’s all we need for that time of the day.

#15

have you noticed that the “original poster” have dropped off conversation? :wink:

#16

maybe because people say things like why can’t u go out and make friends. social anxiety here… durr?

#17

Indeed - social anxiety is a terrible thing - it has blighted my life for almost 40 years - there’s no simple solution and with all respect to others I don’t think people who haven’t suffered from it can even begin to understand how devastating it is. Having said that, yoga and relaxation definitely do help - its just that in my opinion there’s no quick fix.

#18

[QUOTE=rockyracoonfell;66121]maybe because people say things like why can’t u go out and make friends. social anxiety here… durr?[/QUOTE]

you never know what is going to inspire this people…