My former psychologist put it like this (regarding anxiety): If you have a fear of chairs, and you walk into a room with a chair, see the chair and walk back out, you no longer feel the fear, or the anxiety. This way you teach your brain that this is what you should do, simply walk away and the fear goes away. However, if you go to the chair, stand by it, until the fear eventually dissipates, you will teach your brain that there is nothing to fear, and your anxiety will slowly decline. In a way Anxiety is a plus/minus calculation in your brain. Some things increase your anxiety and others decrease it. That is why it is so hard to get rid of anxiety, but it is possible! It required courage, it requires faith. I am personally not there yet, but I am on my way. hope this can prove useful to someone out there.
you nailed it! to "override" the old fear-flight pattern with new and positive experiences is the key. we will rock our fear until it dissipates in love and leaves us with more deepness, understanding and empathy
+Le Enderman Same here man. I also suffer from chronic pain, and the RX's for that don't do shit for me either. But cannabis helps with both social anxiety/general anxiety and my chronic pain. While the RX meds seem to make little to no difference :/ sadly I live in a state where it's still illegal and it's been hard to find as of late. DCI has been ravaging my town
pl0xyserver please seek help mate. or at least tell people. the quicker you face it the better mate trust me.honestly I had exactly the same mindset just 6 months ago. you just need to talk to someone man you'd be suprised the power communication can have on your mind. all you need it reassurance. stay safe man and it does get better. if you need a bit of motivation, I dropped out of school because of it and wouldn't come out my house. now I have 's full time job, loving life and going back to study the year I missed. something 8 months ago I thought I would never do.
also if you want a quick tip. it might seem impossible right now but it's not a quick fix. DO THE THING'S YOU ARE AFRAID TO DO! this is exactly what a therapist will tell you, I'm not saying jump straight into speaking in front of 1000 people. start simply by improving your self esteem. do this by getting in the gym, eating healthy, reading books, challenge your mind. don't sit there overthinking shit, occupy your brain to deter away from those negative thoughts. then once you feel confident enough in your self, simply take a step up and engage a conversation with a stranger. You may be anxious, you may start to panic, they make think your acting weird. but you need to keep reminding yourself that regardless of whether you are anxious, that you are still alive at the end of it. that is the only reason you have it, because you fear that you are in danger when it's just not the case. hope this helped a bit lads, hold you balls in your and say fuck it,if I don't speak to this person( or whatever situation) I won't get better. stop being so hard on yourself and try to seek positives from it to erase the negatives. eventually you do it enough times that fear will completely disappear
Keven thank you for your kind words and advice, i have been speaking to a therapist lately and i find it helps to hear things from a different point of view and be able to reflect on everything. I've also been trying to help myself through the use of psychedelics, only 3 days ago I took a really high dose of shrooms, it was mind blowing. it really helped me look deep into myself and see my problems so clearly. I feel my mindset slowly changing (for the better) and i hope this continues! Good tips :) I definitely am going to try and get out of my comfort zone more often from now on! You're a diamond. I appreciate you caring despite not knowing me, it means a lot!
mel Kalsen get some rest, relax, and have hope it'll get better, don't beat yourself up over this, just take your time and focus on your goals and one day you might reach them, just start with small steps.
+Mr Plainview Or 30s or 40s for that matter. People of all ages need friends to feel accepted and connected, and the older you get the harder it is to make friends because people have families, careers, and lots of distractions (such as watching RUclips videos). They aren't interested in making friends that much anymore. Sad. We are social creatures and don't do well in isolation.
+James Steele where do you guys live?? i live in Vancouver and it's friend city over here. my main advantage is that I'm an animator, so everyone else i work with is on average the same age or younger, and we share a lot of interests and love nerding out about anything. so.. my recommendation is put yourself in situations where friend making is more condusive. could be a job, could just be house parties, or those weird underground parties.. uhm, there's also those meetup groups online you could join to do things you like to do with other people. treat everyone how you'd like to be treated, and listen very carefully to what they say and just say whatever comes to mind first. ask about their interests, things that excite them.. don't ask things that would just bore them. play with imagination when talking to people. be weird as fuck. that last one comes with confidence, and what i mean by weird, is just be yourself. don't be afraid of the word weird, though.. I've been called weird affectionately by a lot of my friends.. everyone respects and likes hanging out with people who aren't afraid to be themselves.
Mr Plainview I completely agree. This is obviously not very much of an option to cure social anxiety as it's completely up to the people around you. It's a nice solution, but its not hugely realistic in most cases.
+mweh kweh You feel the fear and do it anyway. Risk versus Reward. Worst case scenario? You get rejected. Maybe you go home, feel hopeless, and mope about it for a while. "Boo-hoo, life is so hard, it sucks, blah blah blah." Best case scenario? You meet a new really awesome human being to share a connection with. Thing is, life *IS* hard. But who would put the effort in if life was on "easy" mode? How do you get better at chess? By playing against challenging opponents. Life is a game after all. And it would be no fun if it were easy.
+SWIM yeah i get that but i guess i give up before even trying. What do eveb you say to someone and why would they care for something you wanna say ? I dunno, great video tho
I am the opposite. I was a social butterfly when I was younger with many friends. very comfortable with myself. now I am 25 and isolated myself from everybody and have severe social anxiety to where I too, need to drink to be around people... I hate it but I am on the path to gradual self improvement... tomorrow I am supposed to take kambo (aka sapo) and then tuesday I am supposed to drink ayahuasca... I also made it a goal to meditate 20 minutes each day to form a daily habit... I recently quit alcohol, weed, coffee, meat and dairy... I still chain smoke cigarettes though...
you're infected, it will never be 100% OK EVER again. It might only progress in some other BS - autism, dissociation, schizophrenia, psychosis etc. Good luck
Franklin Sukmynutz thanks for hearing me out. I'm autistic and come often at a wrong angle. I think more often than not, psychological "problems" come in bundles. I mean, the sheer nature of isolation or social anxiety can only breed bad, it's a downward spirale. We always have to fight for ourselves and our well being. Check my chanel, I have some videos on codependency, lack of emotional borders etc. It was a huge revelation for me, when I realized my depression is just a SYMPTOM. This is huge paradigm shift, worth exploring. But ofc it's not always so, as I said, we have to explore the darkness in us and fight for ourselves every day all day. Good luck.
Been isolated my whole life, drink to wash it away- and eat... exactly what im doing now working from home, and not go out afterwards- I cant comprehend anything other than this, RUclips is like a friend- its like I know all these people- when I dont
John Walsh how about your family? If you want to make a change reconnect with old friends and take it easy, gradually make new acquaintances which could then turn to deeper connections/friendships
I was like that too. I grew up home-schooled, and all of my friends were RUclipsrs. One-way relationships require no investment or risk on your part. Trouble is, that investment is where all the reward is. No matter how weird you are, there will always be someone who appreciates you, and who sees what you have to offer the world. Start by appreciating others.
I came here over the Psyched Substance channel and i have to say: Adam you are such an interesting person. I love watching you talk, since your 'stories' fascinate me. They fascinate me because they are honest and because you talk about things other people would keep secret. Sharing your experiences is amazing. It inspires me, touches me and helpes me learn. Thank you.
I am an 18 year old male who has faced anxiety since I was an infant. It has always been an issue, and I have never been able to overcome it. When I was a small child I was meeting my mother's parents for the first time, and I was so anxious that I started biting the inside of my cheek until I started bleeding. Over my lifetime it had gotten worse and worse, until around May of 2018, last year. There was this girl that I had liked since my sophomore year of high school, at this point though she was a sophomore and I was a junior. She was a beautiful girl, very funny, very smart, and the scariest person I've ever met in my life. I had liked her for a year by the time I started talking to her but I could come up with the courage to speak to her. I was deathly afraid of this person, for why I know not because after speaking to her I realized that she is more like me than anyone I've ever met aside from my own father. But, I told myself I was going to talk to her. I came up with this plan for weeks, and eventually spoke to her. She smiled like I've never seen a person smile before when I talked to them. I was happy, we talked for the next two weeks. I got to know this girl really well, but every day before I spoke to her I would have crippling, sickening anxiety. I would speak to her after lunch, which at my school we have 1st-5th period, and then lunch. I would be sick, and unable to move all day long, only moving to get to the next class. This is the kind of anxiety I have always had. To speak to anyone it was like deciding to stip breathing. I would get close, but my body always pulled me away. I could never talk in front of people, I could never talk to new people, I couldn't function unless I knew you personally. I joined marching band my eighth grade year and this brought me out if my shell for the most part BUT like I said, the fear was still there. So, back to the girl. She caused me to do some deep diving in myself and into my brain in order to search for answers as to what could make me so fearful of that which I want. Why do I get afraid when I get a chance to have something I've always wanted. I could come up with no answers, and therefore decided that I wasn't afraid of what I wanted I was afraid of failing. But I realized something, something I had never realized before, you cannot get what you want in life unless you jump. You just have to let go, and fall. So I did, I let go and I started talking to this girl. Eventually I asked her to go see a movie with me, unfortunately I was denied what I had worked so hard for. I went home and I laid down, and I turned on the Eagles, and I cried. I cried until I realized that fate didn't want me to have that girl, fate wanted me to have knowledge. Fate wanted me to learn, not love. This sparked more diving, more realizations that I was immature and that I needed to mature before I loved because at that point I was selfish. Love is about two, not one. Fast forward about seven months, I was asked by a girl I had really liked for a couple years to prom. Once again I was afraid to talk to her I thought "Just because she asked me to prom doesn't mean she likes me." I thought things like "No one really cares for who I am deep down." Well, once again I decided despite my thoughts to jump, and I didn't land. I was denied, again, that which I had wished for so deeply yet this time I didn't cry. This time, I looked for a lesson, this time I learned that I am too quick to assume. The entire time I spoke to this girl I would get worried, and excited, and sad, and anxious all based on how she would respond, how fast or slow she responded to me, or even down to how long the responses were. Every little thing meant something good or bad no matter how neutral these things were. I wish both girls had said yes, especially right now I really wish that girl would have said yes to me, but, I am not upset that they said no. I have learned. I have been enlightened. The first girl gave me the ability to speak. She made me realize that there was so much to me that people wanted to see, things I would never do I do now. For example, my Jazz band had a concert at a local place called pullman square, I got up and wrapped myself in christmas lights and spoke in front of a crowd, and made these people smile. Something that had I not spoken to that girl would have taken years to be able to do but thanks to her existence I can do that now. The second girl humbled me. She made me realize that people may want to see parts of me, but only so much. I am overwhelming, and that's something I have to change. Fate set these girls in place for me to learn, whether to teach me to open up, or to teach me how to close myself back up because I had forgotten how. What is the point of this? The point of this is that anxiety is a bitch, it's a cunt, it's a goddamn stupid whore fucking jiggalo that can go suck a monkey dick. But, it's also a blessing. We do not learn comfortably. Fears are temporary. Fear itself is permanent, but what we fear is temporary. The moment you decide to approach your fear you start learning. So, to end this, I am still anxious as all hell. This girl that recently denied me caused me to curl up like a child, and made me literally immobile, though I had talked to the first girl I still had not overcome my anxiety, I thought I had, but I got my ass kicked like a child in a UFC match. But I learned. I hurt, and still do, but I LEARNED. Do yourself a favor and try your hardest to overcome your fear. Don't be afriad to be hurt. We are like our muscles, when one works out they tear their muscle fibers but when those muscles heal they are stronger. Think of yourself as a muscle, and embrace the pain because you will come out stronger than ever when you reach the other side.
I used to be VERY social. I easily got along with anyone. I was the crazy, wild one pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone. I made GREAT memories 15-18. I am now about to be 21 and I am fearful of small talk. I am afraid of being approached. I am afraid of being hit on. I am afraid to talk to random people. I'm just very paranoid and my anxiety is awful. This is an issue that has started to happen in the past 2 years that has just progressively gotten worse. I moved states about 4 years ago and left everything and everyone i knew behind to live with a dad i did not even really know. since then, i have not been able to make friends and I am so paranoid that people hate me, laugh at me, spread mean and hurtful lies about me, etc. I am trying to force myself to go out and meet people. i am trying to find a job and it is probably the hardest thing ever. i refuse to take medication for this because you have to feel like shit to get better. that's all it comes down to.
Nikki Samek same shit , but , its maybe the surroundings around you , dont you have anyone to trust your feelings too , i have a few people and i think its enough
Probably the worst part of social anxiety is the fact that most people who suffer from it (mostly young adults) don't even know they are suffering from it. Everyone who has dealt with social anxiety at a point in their life (myself included) can probably relate to this guy 100% but even so, it's difficult to pin-point exactly what the cause is and even more difficult to solve. Essentially, social anxiety translates to a complete lack of self-esteem and self-confidence to the point it transforms into self-hate. Carrying that self-hate into social interactions is one of the worst things can go through. Now social anxiety in most cases can be traced back to your childhood experiences that resulted in a procedural and dramatic decrease in self-confidence. Everything from simple words, to traumatic experiences can affect a child's self-esteem and confidence on the long term. The best solution I personally know of is to force yourself into more and more social interactions that will slowly shatter that fear and insecurity. It's not easy, I know it better than anyone but it's possible.
+Andrew Markus Thanks for saying this Andrew, I relate to this 100%, I have battled with myself for far too long to care anymore. I am just turning my life around from drug addictions( clean for 3 month now), Depression and Social Anxiety. I know exactly what you mean about it being hard to converse in social interactions, when all that you have is negative thoughts in your mind. I have been recently forcing myself back into my families life and visiting siblings and cousins. And just taking every day that comes. it's the worst thing ever to hate your very own existence, but I will learn to love my faults again, and have confidence in my personality. All the best to you brother.
+Andrew Markus I used to have it as a teenager, was never especially popular etc (I had a couple of good friends though). Then in my early 20's (still there) I sort of just lost it. I made a lot of realizations and formed my "world view" so to speak, a process which was completely independent of others. After understanding things differently, especially social dynamics etc from a meta perspective, I eventually started to just not give a fuck. I've always been good at intuitively reading between the lines and understanding different systems, and this whole thing called social interaction was just another system to understand, not much more to it except for your own ingrained pride and fear being a part of the equation, which is something you'll just have to try to overcome. Once you get real good at it, people are fucking baffled and amazed at how you can "break" (more like bend) all of the social rules yet come of as socially competent in their eyes, and people who otherwise try to step on you get fucking stomped themselves due to not realizing beforehand that you're way ahead of them on understanding what they're actually doing themselves, it's hilarious.
Anglo-Sphere MP Meta-socialization Basically socializing with an awareness that you are involved in a very complex game. Most people are on auto-pilot and have no idea of the intricacies of the dance being preformed all around them, they aren't even aware that they are dancers themselves.
I suffer from anxiety and OCD, which has the effect of social anxiety as well, and social isolation. I am also gay and attended a rather homophobic high school, so just at the point where i began to come out of my shell, I came out of the closet and had a hell of a time trying to be social. I also self medicated and continue to do so at times, and although my social anxiety is pretty much gone, I still isolate myself a lot unfortunately. I relate to the over-analyzation of every single moment and interaction, it's a very isolating feeling because your mind just does things that other's don't.
Yea I definitely can relate Social anxiety and also dealing with homophobic people constantly surrounding you can be quite difficult thing to deal with !But I feel the best thing you can do is just be yourself and put your self out there and you will mindlessly attract positive people who genuinely care for you!!!Just be yourself and just try opening up to new people and new experiences!!Goodluck Patrick!!!😊🌞
Bro you are literally me, i have manic depression, ADHD, Bi-polar and anxiety and listening to you is like finally meeting someone that understands me :)
Social anxiety stems from the belief that you are an individual. Realize the human race is a whole, and your belief on being an individual is just some backstory you created inside your head, it isn't real. We all share the same conscience deep down. If you could realize this... social anxiety would be no more.
Wow this is a really nice um comment, I realized this and it kinda helped, once I started seeing others as a whole, it became a little easier to talk but there was still other issues at hand that stemmed from Social Anxiety, like Depression and just overall starting to have just anxiety problems. Fml fam, life can be so hard and sad, sometimes considering to end it all, but always, the little things that happen, the small moments of joy somehow keep me going... even if it’s less than 10 minutes, I find it worth it.
What kind of pseudo-spiritual shit are you spewing? Might as well disregard the fact that social anxiety exists altogether. We are individuals, that's why we're unique, we all have strengths and weaknesses, hopes, dreams and fears. I'm not you buddy. Nobody else is me but I.
I still feel so awkward passing a person in the hallway. I get nervous of what another person will think every time I interact with another human being. I place other people's opinion above my own and devalue myself. This video really helps.
I was homeschooled throughout my entire education up until college. In fact, I was so desperate to leave my abusive, conservative fundamentalist christian home that I took my GED at 17 and got the fuck out. Been an uphill battle since then, I'm now 27 and still fighting my social anxiety. Most days I literally feel like Im on a different "frequency" then everyone around me. Thank you for your video, and sharing your experience !
For a long time now I've really appreciated the fact that I'm very imaginitive, introverted, and can "survive on my own" well. After I broke up with my girlfriend of over a year about 7 months back, I've been basically all alone. Of course I saw my friends a couple times a week in school and all, but that was really the only social interaction I had for long time. I thought I was fine for a while, but I was really gradually losing happiness. I noticed that I really don't want to go and talk to girls, or anyone else for that matter anymore. It was kind of weird, because it used to be very thrilling to be in the moment talking with a girl and building new beautiful relationships. I just didn't somehow like it anymore, and in my mind that part got filled with other things. Finally, it came to a point where I really *couldn't* just go ahead and talk to someone anymore, just my closest friends and family. About a month ago I finally decided that I wanted to join my friend who was going out to a kind of a car/motorcycle meetup in my area, where pretty much every other person under the age of 20 (more or less, of course) goes to. I finally, after 6 months of gradually increasing seclusion, just went ahead and started to talk to people I used to know. It was horrible for me at first, but I decided that I will just continue. I knew I had to do it more and more, even though it really was painful. Even if it may've not seemed comfortable, I just had to do it for my own happiness. Just push myself forwards. After every day of being out there and having a little more fun every time, the feelings of anxiety just started fading away. I started finding out new things about me; I began loving it. If you suffer from social anxiety and happened to read my comment, you have to believe me when I tell you this; Just like Adam said, you HAVE to push your comfort zone and challenge yourself by just going out there and doing things. Talking to people, flirting, you know, just generally having fun in a social setting. It WILL feel uncomfortable, but if you just keep pushing yourself and doing more of it, it will be the greatest thing you've ever done. You will find yourself to be important in other people's lives, and notice that having conversations with a stranger or that girl you find cute, is just plain and simple fun. You'll feel unstoppable.
Man, I am so glad you have the courage to talk about this kind of stuff. What you're talking about hits so many people and I think is so important that we - YOU - bring this up. It's an appreciated contribution to the awareness of social anxiety.
This video was so helpful and so incredible. My social anxiety has been growing increasingly more crippling for the last year and a half, to the point that despite how empathetic I am, I can't connect with others anymore because I'm so stuck in my mind being positive that everyone is judging me. I have felt so alienated because of how difficult it is for me to talk to anyone at all, and the alcoholism is getting rough. I can't do this anymore and I've known this for so long but it terrified me. This gives me so much hope.
you know what? in every class im just chilling in the back watching your videos not socializing cuz my friends live in another town, and im fucking happy with what im doing. i love being on my own just chilling my life
Out of all your videos, on both channels, this one is my favorite. I don't struggle with social anxiety, the reason I like this video is because it's different than the others. You're not giving credit for a lesson to psychedelics, you're telling a story of a triumph you had without them. It's pure, sober, genuine Adam. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy all your videos, especially your trip reports. This one just stands out to me. :)
It's so nice to hear people be open about this. I know I'm not alone with it, but sometimes it feels so much like I am. Thank you for making this, you do amazing work on RUclips and I hope you continue to grow.
Your videos are pure gold! The way you talk about certain topics, especially this one, is spot on. I am always happy when I see that you've uploaded a new video because then i can watch it and soak all of the information up like a sponge.
I've always been shy, this video is me to a T. Weed makes my anxiety worse and I've been struggling hard to quit. I feel like everyone's judging me and that situations are awkward when they're really not, and then I panic because of it. I think my social anxiety has erupted over brutal things in my past, like you talked about being rejected.. I was the maid of honor at my best friend's wedding and I fucked up my speech so bad in front of 300 people. I completely forgot what I was trying to say and it was honestly the worst and embarrasing moment of my life. I've been struggling to get back to normal after that, when in reality it happened over 2 years ago and shouldn't even cross my mind anymore, but it does.
For those of you who have been trying exposure therapy and it doesn’t seem to be working, you have to approach your anxiety differently. Exposure never worked for me until I watched this video and learned feeling anxiety and getting weird looks is actually a GOOD thing. This was an epiphany for me because I always just fought though exposure sessions and it ended up just scaring me more. Months after watching this amazing video I finally feel like I’m making big strides against beating my social anxiety. Start off by daring yourself to say hi to someone and go from there with the dares. If you fuck up, GOOD! Because now your less sensitive to it.
Nice video bro, i'm 26 and I went through the same process of forcing myself to go out, meet and talk to new people since 8 years. what ended up happening was that i became kinda "automated", like switching to a new mindset everytime i find myself surrounded by people. It kinda worked and i was able to do stuff i never thought i'd do before. but deep inside, when i get back home and be on my own, i start shivering and tell myself "godd i hate social life !! i want to be an hermit !" it's been a long time since i was forcing myself to overcome my social anxiety but in the end, i always get back to my old self .. you know, the kinda guy who'd spend an entire summerbreak at home. i'm in no way "socially awkward" but i just hate social interactions in general .. excuse my bad english guys !
oh my god i have never seen a lifestyle i have been more like than him pre phsychedellic. i had an awakening just like an hour ago and i relate to his talk of getting better so much
I have had social anxiety for 14 years and no friends since I developed it around 14, weird thing is I had no anxiety before 14 at all, I was super confident. But I think it's because I broke my nose and it's always been a huge insecurity I never got fixed because at the time it happened I didn't care about it (playing rugby in the ice), but then after it got broke at 13 it grew crooked and has been a sorce of discomfort and anxiety for me for 14 years, basically the root cause, I atually shut myself away for 2 years with pretty much 0 contact, which was the worst thing you can do, then after that I got a full time job (been there 2 years) and that was brutal, pretty much as you said trail by fire. But my confidence has grown and I definatly feel better by FACING challenges and the best advice is being COMFORTABLE in UNCOMFORTABLE situations, a contradiction but it's so true, as life itself is a contradiction. This video helped me sooo much though to validate these lessons and help me to go forward and conquor my social anxiety which has crippled me and not let me be the person I have wanted to be for 14 years, I'm 28 now and recovering well from my social anxiety, still have no friends or girlfriend (ever) as negativity and anxiety have taken their toll on my appearance (and rebuilding confidence takes a long time) but I do my best to stay positive and do the best I can with the cards and circumstances I've been given. Just count your blessings, your alive and have access to the internet, cars, a house, a job, food, water etc life is good just face the challenges it presents, what's the worst that can happen? Also a good tip is to simply observe yourself in the 3rd person and detatch yourself from your emotions somewhat (never freeze up, I did this a LOT, just breath deep and imagine your lifeless body in the grave as life continues around you- this really works!). I am a VERY emotionally sensitive person just like you I cling on to others opinions and moods and tune into that and I sought approval by acting the same as them (right down to emotional state) I listened to peoples conversations as if I am the one talking but never joined in... I would identify too much with others to a point where I almost dissolved (note: I still felt extremely self concious) , but when my opinion was sought I would get nervous and not know what to say, eye contact was another big thing I have mostly gotten over, which was TERRIBLE for some years I couldn't even look a stranger in the eyes (male or female, even moreso), I always felt dread and fear and uncomfortable. But only by forcing yourself to do this can you overcome it. It feels impossible, but it really is possible. It's just a challange you must face. I could write a book on my personal experience over 10+ years with social anxiety, but it's good to exorcise the demons by typing it out to whoever may read this, so they can relate and see they are not alone, just as your video has done for me, thank you, and peace. :)
Dude i just need to tell you, I appreciate the shit out of you and everything you do. Not only have you given me very valuable information about the psychs that i so love to explore but perhaps even more importantly; I value very much your perspective on events in your life, giving me what feels like a jump start (being 21) on exploring ideas about myself and helping me reflect on certain events of my life in new light. As I'm sure you know, hearing from people who you can relate to can do a huge service to a person who may be struggling in one area or another and even feel like a breath of fresh air. All to say, you are a huge help/support to me in some areas and im sure to others, keep doing what you are doing, and good vibes man. Thank you so much for being you!
+Szafka Domowa hight thc makes social anxiety worse, i can testify to that, and from what i've read cbd does the opposite but i havent tried high cbd yet
I am exactly the same right now as you were when you were 19 (I'm 20), i'm shocked how similiar i am to what you described yourself wow. But sadly i don't think i will have a happy ending like yours, i accepted the fact that i won't change, i'm pretty much waist deep in the quick sand that is the comfort zone :(
+Tranc estor Maybe this advice will sound stupid , but smoking cannabis allowed me to gradually stop worrying about other people's opinions. For example, when I was in high school, people used to ridicule me and tell me that I walk like I have a broomstick stuck up in my ass. It used to make me feel like shit. Even my own family used to ridicule me about how I don't maintain eye contact when talking and how I don't carry myself properly. I used to feel like killing everybody who told me this. One day I watched a documentary about cannabis, and I decided to try it. I bought a 100 € worth or growing equipment, and some seeds online, and I grew about 100g of weed. The first time I smoked it, I got into panic mode, I was paranoid, I thought I was about to die. I had a big panic attack for about 30 minutes. Then the panic stopped, and I started laughing uncontrollably, then I got hungry, I ate like a pig, the food tasted like god's gift, even though I was just eating some simple chocolate cookies. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching episodes of south park on my laptop. The most important thing cannabis did for me is allowing me to go into deep introspection about myself and the world, realizing that other people's opinions of me are absolutely unimportant. I gradually stopped giving a fuck about people, nobody is perfect, everyone has it's own set of circumstances in life. Fuck everyone's negative opinions I say :-) I'm still quite awkward and nervous in social settings, but I absolutely don't feel like crap anymore about my weirdness like I used to. I accept myself the way I am.
+john max Don't take this the wrong way, but I laughed my ass off to this :) Bit of advice though, you can think of some really cool shit on weed, and truly find out who you are. But you can also get lost in the fog and over think everything. I don't do cannabis anymore, and I personally feel better for it. I still get social anxiety, but it's more controllable than when I am on the green. It seems to me you have just discovered it though and you are experiencing the munchies and giggles, good for you lol It used to have the same effect for me when I first tried it, but now 15 years on, it does fuck all for me and became an addiction. So be careful.
I appreciate your advice ;-) Don't worry, I'm not abusing cannabis, I've been smoking for 5 years now, and it gave me a lot of good times. I use the herb properly, I eat healhy and exercise on a daily basis. In fact I got globally healthier over the last few years.
Your outlook is almost a mirror of my own as someone who also had to struggle to overcome their shyness, anxiety and feeling of not fitting in. I also had a similarly brutal rejection in a noisy club once, and decided in the moments afterwards to pretend I hadn't heard it due to the noise as it would hurt me more if I acknowledged what had been said to me. It was definitely the right course of action. Learning to shrug off rejection is key. I still feel I have work to do on being who I really am but I've come a long way and will keep pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone. Great video, thanks for sharing.
Wow. Alright. Going into this video, I never expected that I'd end up crying. Literally every point you touched upon, feeling like I can't be myself, constantly holding others' opinions over my own, etc. is what I'm currently dealing with. And I'm done with it. I'm going to take your advice, I'm gonna throw myself out there and if people aren't willing to accept that, too bad. They're not worth my time. Of course, I'm not going to heckle them or be overbearing, but they clearly have no place in my life. Thank you. So much.
I too have cured my social anxiety and depression, it all stemmed from a rejection when I was 8 years old because my first girlfriend dumped me and I was obsessed with her for like 3-4 years, I then failed my 6th grade year, this was when I realized the infraction I had upon myself...it took me till I was halfway through my 17th year of life on this planet for me too get over it, I had a close circle of supportive friends, which helped a ton and I was smoking weed since I was 12 years old, which both hindered and helped, as sativa aggravates anxiety sometimes while indica helps it.So last year, roundabout September or November I think, I went to a music festival and had yet another form of rejection, I was sitting by a bench on my own after trying to dance for a while at the trance tent, and a beautiful beach blonde girl comes and sits next to me, she looks distressed and gives off signs that she wasn't happy with something, so I let her have her space but obviously intrigued I continued to observe, she notices this and looks at me, I give a quick look away as to signal that I don't mean to intrude, and she spaces of for a sec, we then meet eyes again and smile at each other and she just decides to lay her head on my lap, we exchange a couple soft spoken words and she kisses my hand once or twice, we stay like this calmly outised the roaring tent for an hour until the staff closes the venue, she was like almost asleep, she did not want to move at all but the staff insisted so I got her up and walked with her a while.She was a bit chilly so I lend her my leather jacket given to me by my grandfather, she speaks with another person and proceeds to wander leaving me behind a little, so I leave her be and sit down at a bench, just watching because there wa no way I'm just going to let her go with my jacket, so she starts heading into the crowd and I'm like okay woah fuck that, I'm not losing my jacket on the whim of a kind gesture, she goes and just drops it on the floor.Felt pretty shit, so I grabbed it and went to sit at a different bench, the thoughts in my mind just going through, trying to process why the hell would someone be so unthankful. As I sit there, I hear hello from behind me, I think it's not directed at me so I just resume spacing out, I hear it again so I turn around to see who could be speaking, and it's two very attractive middle aged ladies, total ravers lol. we make small chat and they invite me to party with them, we go to the dance section and the one hands me a small pink glittery capsule, I think for a second, I shouldn't take it, but I do, without even asking what it is(don't do this! lol)I swallow it, and then ask a bit later what it was, the lady tells me it's MDMA, immediately I am like oh my fucking shit, but I calm myself quickly knowing how one can amp oneself up in these situations, like with weed for example, I prepare for anything mentally, bolster my confidence, talk and dance with them, take a drag or two of a joint offered to me by one of the awesome ladies, and pretty much it was an amazing night.No nothing "funky" happened for the dirty minds of you out there, just a whole ton of happy, great positive vibes, and it was on this night, I can finally say I cured my anxiety, completely...the epiphany for lack of a better term, that night was what opened my eyes, the more you close yourself to a social situation, the less you will make of that opportunity, when I met the two ladies, I rather jumped at they're warm gesturing emotes, as I'm sure they could see, I was on my own, and probably having a less than amazing time, I am friends with both of them till today and plan on having more "adventures" in the realm of psychedelics, hopefully mushrooms soon. Maybe this story helps or is relatable in some way, other than that peace love and happiness, and thank you +SWIM / +Psyched Substance for spreading the helpful information around :)
***** I do agree, I was stupidly impulsive that night, but I felt like I could trust them so I took it lol, thankfully it was the right people to meet and not otherwise.
maxsiehier / bravethinkers Never had sex that night, It was just a simple epiphany, see..the way it happened was I was already making an effort against my anxiety, I had a bunch of close friends who I would hang out with exclusively, smoking weed, getting drunk together playing games, but I would still be challenged socially to speak even to them, who I had known for years at this point... I went to this party, expectin to get a little high a little drunk and dance to some insane tunes, but I never expected what happened, and the amount of happiness I experienced taking the MDMA showed me, just how ungrateful I had been concerning my self-pity for my anxiety and how I affected myself and others by just being slightly negative, when I spoke to the chick who took my jacket, I was only somewhat positively thinking, and was very anxious, you know hoping it could go further and all, but then because of that, she probably reasoned to go. When I met the two 30 odd year olds, I wasn't thinking about sex, more about friendship, considering I had just been through that short rejection with the chick, so I was happy, happy that somebody took the time to talk with me, when I was naught but talking with myself and my mind. Either way, I am grateful for what happened.
So.. if anything, it was the combination of meeting two such bright and kind individuals, and taking the MDMA, basically made my weekend something I would and will always graciously remember, and as such, It flipped a switch within me, I still get anxious from time to time, but the major roadblock which was a severe depression and anxiety, was finally absent.
I don't really have anything to do. I pretty much lost all my friends and all I have is my part time delivery job which doesn't add anything to my social circumstances. All I do is watch RUclips videos and other stuff at home. I really want to change and get over my social anxiety but my social anxiety is caused by a really deep, spiritual philosophy. I always have way too many philosophical thoughts throughout the entire day to the point where it's starting to bother me. I am constantly thinking about how weird reality is and the fact this universe and all of us exist, how beautiful and simultaneously horrifying this universe is. I am always thinking way too much about everything from a deep perspective. For example I see people as consciousness inside a brain which expresses itself through it's physical body. I have to stop thinking about everything from this philosophical point of view but I just can't because it is the truth. Same goes for my social skills. All I ever think about
and am interested in talking about is deep philosophical stuff, because all the shallow, superficial stuff just really doesn't interest me a single bit. But I realize that most people are used to talking about superficial stuff so I guess I have to step down a notch and try to become interested in the 'normal' stuff again. I don't know man I am just lost.. I have Asperger's syndrome. I don't know why I can't stop seeing everything from a philosophical point of view, it is almost like I am becoming somewhat psychotic or schizophrenic. I don't really know if those insights are delusions or not. They seem irrefutable and 100% true but at the same time they could be wrong and not many other people seem to think like me. I guess I just need someone to talk to who really has the same experiences as me and can relate to my philosophy. I need to learn to stop thinking so much, it is destroying my life. I kind of feel like I am in a perma-trip of acid. I have done acid 4 times in my life and
the last time I did it I had a spiritual awakening with infinite insights and realizations. It felt like all the puzzle pieces finally came together. But now I feel like I am messed up and have mild HPPD and maybe developing schizophrenia (I think this because of the constant philosophical thoughts I have which could be delusions but seem irrefutable). I just don't know what's wrong with me or if there is even anything wrong with me. All I know is I am an outcast even compared to how you described yourself as being a 'weird' guy. I mean, I am much like you, only I have constant thoughts going on about the universe and reality and my entire perception of reality has shifted to a point where I kind of wish I could go back. Perceiving reality from this point of view isn't benefitting me at all, in fact it is bugging the hell out of me. It makes my social anxiety 100x worse because I am constantly in another world thinking about the universe, consciousness, politics, nature, reality,
history, my body, life forms, and all the stuff you can think of while all I want to do is have a normal conversation with someone. Am I developing schizophrenia or do I have some kind of psychotic disorder because of my acid trips? Someone please enlighten me😔
Alaya-Vijnana hey girl (?) how are you doing? Would u like to chat a bit? I like what u wrote! You Seem to be an intetesting Person! DM me if u like. Would be happy xx
I LOVE this video! I just get you, I am a kind of zany wacky girl, and I find it hard to understand people's advice or explanations, but somehow, don't ask me how because I don't know, but somehow you always make complete sense to me. Once again, thank you so much.
having social anxiety brought some of the most amazing people in my life. now i look from the outside seeing in all these people trying to be the same just to make other people like them
This video really opened my mind. I have struggled personally with social anxiety extensively since I was a teenager. I was never a very attractive individual as a kid, and that was reflected by the fact that women never had interest in me and I could never really fit into the "popular group" despite my efforts. as I grew into my early teens I began to understand truth. The world is a cruel place, people will judge you for your appearance; sometimes consciously, but very often unconsciously which is arguably even worse. And once I understood that fact it made me become extremely self aware. So I began to hyper focus this. Anytime I would go into a social situation I would always think about how I look, and how I am acting (I also happen to be slightly neuro-divergent, so verbal communication is not my strong suite) this only compounded the issue. As I got older and older my anxiety only further got worse, and even despite that I did nothing to actually solve the problem that was causing my anxiety in the first place - The fact that I didn't feel good about myself. At the time I kind of realized it; but I would instead choose to play the victim, and blame my anxiety on being picked on as a kid even if that may have been partially true. But deep down I knew the real cause. I was just too complacent in my ways to want to make a change. playing the victim was the easy way out, and for a long time I chose that over actually improving myself and becoming the person that I wanted to become. We are all creatures of habit, and my habitual addictions to video games, the internet and other forms of quick releasing dopaminergic pleasure made me become a stagnant person. After a while of this constant, almost paralyzing social anxiety that never seemed to improve I began to do research into the potential neurological causes of anxiety. after much time of research I concluded that a lack of serotonin in the brain could be the cause for my anxiety. So naturally I searched for the drugs that would remedy this supposed "deficit" of serotonin; SSRI's and benzos. Long story short I came close to going down a very dark road, but fortunately for myself, after a few (not so fun) ego destroying trips off the "psyched substances" I began to break out of many of the habits that I had formed far back in my childhood. I began to improve my life; I began to go to the gym. I began to meditate, and in that I learned to be more in control of my mind. I began to read into psychology, philosophy, and just any fiction literature that I enjoyed. I was turning my life around. I was becoming more attractive physically, mentally, and spiritually. I finally started to feel good about myself. I am currently 18 years of age, and my journey into self improvement is still very much in its infancy. But in the past few years my anxiety has slowly began to fade away. I still have a long way to go, but I continue to remind myself of how much progress Ive made and how much progress I will continue to make. Benzos will make your anxiety go away, but only temporarily. and in many cases it is merely a bandaid for much a bigger wound, and not a lack of essential brain chemicals. You have to find the root cause for the anxiety , and actively work to find a solution. for me it was my self image, but the solution will often be different for everyone. The SSRI's won't always help, the benzos will only work for so long. To truly eradicate anxiety you need to strike the problem at its head. It will be difficult, but the only person you will be doing a disservice to if you decided to not put in the work is - yourself. Be the person that you want to become. anxiety is the fear of what is to come.. the unknown; the future. but to overcome it you need to put yourself in a future mindset, and think everyday about where you are now, and about where you someday want to be. kind of ironic isn't it? Thank you for reading, I partially wrote this post for myself as a reminder, but I hope this can help someone going through the same mental turmoil that I did for a long time. This video really helped me to connect the dots to everything and help me put my thoughts into words. Adam you will never read this, but thank you for this video.
Can't wait to hear your insight. Also just experienced astral projection for the first time last night after hearing so many stories about it from modern people all the way back to ancient times. Totally trippy experience, I left my body as saw our entire Milky Way Galaxy and zoomed in faster than light all the way to Earth and into my room, where my body was lying in bed...it was so emotional that I only did it for maybe 25 seconds or so before I returned to my body. I have no idea why I was so far out in space at the beginning...whether my consciousness was literally outside of my body or it was a hallucination I have almost no idea.
It was insane. It makes me wonder if my mind really was seeing the milky way or if it was all in my mind...all i know is that everything is connected in this universe, and my mind could have been in a higher spiritual realm. But yes the zooming feeling was insane, one moment i saw the entire galaxy, and the next I'm hovering above my body
It's definitely an amazing feeling. If you're startled awake somehow it feels like you've been shot back into your body at 100x the speed of light. Be careful with the sleep paralysis thing. It can be kind of scary sometimes lol. Just remember that you're dreaming when anything weird happens. It's definitely the most effective method in my opinion.
+SWIM this so ridicoules. its like I am listening to myself talking about my problems in life. Social anxiety, shynes, as a kid feeling like an outsider, putting so much value on other peoples thoughts about me... I am so grateful, that I've managed to solve those problems (accept the social anxiety, but I did manage talking normaly to people and girls, but I still struggle with going up to a random girl and start talking to her. Although I am working on that 💪🏼). My life turned so much to the better in the past 6 months and I am proud of putting this much effort in solving my problems. I also was addicted to weed the last year and a half( like smoking closly every day if I could get enough money) and now I didnt really stop but I am now only smoking like every 2-4 weeks and I try keeping it on the 4 week mark though, which is completly fine in my opinion
Thanks so much for this. I’ve been battling social anxiety for too long and I feel like it’s ruining all my relationships and life in general. What you’re doing is really going to change peoples lives and I respect that. Good things take time
Doing my first music gig tomorrow for similar reasons... and I already feel kind of good about it, no matter the way it will end up going. Thanks for reminding me it was a good decision to actualy go for it! You're a kind and cool (and sadly also unique) person ^^
Haha totally forgot to answer; it went great! one of the most fun evenings i had the past few months. Even though it was some kind of 'competition' and we ended up second place by one vote, i loved just doing it! As said in the video; just DO stuff, people who judge are not worthy of a place in your life, so no need to worry about their judgement ^^
I just was reminded about this comment and wanted to give another update for anyone possibly reading this with anxiety. 2 years on and i played an insanely big venue a few weeks ago with almost zero stress, (was confident enough even to put some silly things in my hair on stage)... you can think your way out of certain things, but not social anxiety; you will 'simply' have to do stuff: don't THINK about talking to people, just talk to 'em.
This sounds like me, except the overly anxious part. It comes in waves for me. 1 min i'm ok and the next i'm analyzing what I said or what someone said to me.
You have no idea of how much this video helped me personally. I'm getting out of it with the same method (getting out of my comfort zone) and this video just made me know there's a way to scrape through this. Thank you for this, still I have a shitload of work to do!
I just stumbled on this video today, i am 47 and have struggled with social anxiety and avoidant personality disorder all of my life. Recently im making some progress. I went through a divorce, im getting back out into the world slowly, im having a lot of bad experiences, but im also learning and having some good experiences too. I think the whole key is to just keep going no matter what. To keep trying and to be patient and forgive yourself if you make a mistake, and realize that those mistakes are not mistakes at all but learning oppurtunities. Its how we learn as humans by doing and experiencing. I still overthink way too much, im doing that today, might be how i happened upon this video. If you are suffering with SAD or AVPD or youre shy, isolated etc know that it can and will get better but you HAVE to step outside your comfort zone at some point or it never will. I am REALLY uncomfortable lately but its all worth it because of the connections im making. Im learning some of the things i thought about people are not true, im learning unfortunately some of them are and even worse lol. But theres a lot of good to be discovered. A lot of fun to be had, a lot of life to be lived. Please please seriously dont let fear rob you of a life. It stole a good portion of mine but im not going to let it steal anymore. Im healing, im growing, im changing and adapting, and most of all im never quitting. Its not what others do, its what we do to ourselves that hurt us. You got this, i believe in you, YOU believe in you too. All the best to you reading this, your family and anybody else struggling. It gets better, because we make it better, one day, one moment, one step at a time.
man, at least you had friends, what would you have done if you had no one except your sister to care for you? its so hard dealing with social fucking anxiety.
The Casul. im a shallow fuckwit, we all are. but some people are aware of it and can control the basic impulse of the nature of humans. and im sure there are people like me, ive met a few it just didnt work out for some reason.
+The Casul. True indeed, if only i wouldn't get that extremely lonely feeling and depressed over time, i wouldn't give a shit about socializing with people.
This described my life. I really need to overcome my social anxiety and put myself in stressful situations to come out of it stronger. I don’t want to feel tied down by my anxiety anymore. It really does prevent me from meeting new people and having genuine connections...I’m also going through a friend breakup during this time so it just makes me feel more alone. This video made me feel less alone so thank you for this
I know you probably don't agree with me, and you would never imagine yourself as a person someone would look up to, but you're really inspiring. Especially in this video, hearing how much you struggled to break through this problem, it's inspiring me to fix my problems that aren't even related to this. Thanks, keep doing what you're doing.
Weeds really helped with my social anxiety it’s gotten me to realize that I don’t give a shit what people think about me as long as I’m happy being the way I am.
You look good with no hair. You have a new subscriber! Thank you for sharing your story. I resonate so much with everything you were talking about. I look forward to seeing more of your videos!
I'm in the same boat as lots of ppl in the comments. I worked a sales retail job that sells spiritual stuff to try and help my anxiety and find like mind ppl. It was great at first ppl would ask for my social media and compliment me, the best was when ppl ask for advice in their spiritual journey. But then, i Can't remember if the loneliness or anxiety came back first of the depression. Idk what caused what but it all came back along with substance abuse. I felt like my co-workers hated me and I got scared to approach people. I am still working and doing better after I watched this video. Thank you Adam! I took your advice seriously along with Toms video on social anxiety. I tried this technique to approach customers without thinking twice and it helped. But I realize away from my job I lock myself in my room and sleep all day, no motivation. No desire to try and connect with ppl bc I am scared. But so lonely. I know I couldn't give someone proper love to I don't pursue relationships. Anyone in the same boat? It's hard enjoying life when you feel like you're doing it wrong but don't know how to find motivation to work on anxiety and depression.
I'm 19 and I'm struggling with social anxiety right now because of an abusive use of marijuana, and your videos inspire me a lot to be myself. I am starting to no longer feel stressed when I talk to other people and it's mostly because of you. I hope you will still do videos about yourself in the future. I never knew someone talking in front of a camera could be so entertaining and such a source for learning matter. also, I hope that you get monetized more often on your main channel ;-). Hopes aside, I wanted to tell you how big of an inspiration you are to me and I also wanted to thank you for being yourself. You helped me without knowing it, and you'll maybe never know since it's an old video,(I wanted to fit with the topic) but I had to share how I'm thankful to see a RUclipsr so true to himself. Thank you very much!!
Great Content as always Adam. Small tip about the video quality: your lighting reproduces colours rather poorly. A window will always be the best looking source of light. :)
Hey Adam, I just wanna ask something. So I also have a social anxiety issue and what I usually feel is that whenever I smoke weed with people, basically my friends, most of the time I become nervous about myself. As I start getting high, I also start having weird thoughts of those people judging me or making fun of me. I eventually start to feel miserable and always decide that I will never smoke with anyone again. It's like my social anxiety is on steroids because I never feel like this when I am sober. I mean sure I have an issue with it but its not that big of a deal normally. And as soon as I get high, most trips don't really go good for me. Any thoughts?
Thats me dude ! I dont know what to do with this, cause normally its okay, but after smoking weed i think bad things about myself even when i try to convince myself that its ok.
same dude. i stoped smoking weed because of that and if im not gonna enjoy the high i feel like im wasting my money for something that doesnt even makes me feel good.
Bruh im the same exact way, you're not alone on this. I can only smoke either by my self or at concerts. I'm completely fine sober with social anxiety but as soon as I smoke weed this wave of anxiety hits me and I feel like im being judged by who ever I'm with even if its my best friend.
Hi Sahil, Honestly don't rule out the massive effect that a good diet and exercise routine can have. If you've already tried that and are still experiencing social anxiety I would recommend talking to your doctor about potentially getting on a SSRI. I know lots of people negatively talk about them but for me it helped IMMENSELY and I've never felt better. Good luck!
bro i started binging ur videos. And completely relate. As a 21yr old welder u get molded to be completely hard, not give a fck about anything, in ways be an asshole. When i truly depict myself as a very caring loving person, thats willing to help anybody. But just watching ur stuff aloud me to step back and realize stuff about my self that i need to change. And for that I thank u dude.
I feel like I have gone through similar leaps, potholes, and setbacks as you. After awhile I feel like the anxiety tries to sneak back in after a period of no social interaction. I feel like it's a muscle that if you don't exercise it, it becomes weak. Awesome video man, keep it up! The new Alan Watts in the making right here.
i like your metallica shirt,it sucks to deal with anxiety everyday as i deal with it. it really hard for me it stresses me out.... hard for me talk to others to
I though watching you that I could never be possibly as successful as you are because of my social and inner problems but after watching this video you made me realize that even successful people have or had normal problems, thank you so much mate.
You are a great person, at least that's what I think after watching a few of your videos! I hope I will meet people like you when I start studying at the university. The last 6 months after finishing high school were 6 months of boredom, doing nothing other than shit, eat, drink, listening to music, buying food and hitting the gym. You are absolutely right about your points. 'The beginning of your life starts at the end of your comfort zone' - that's a quote I'll remember.
Thank you so so much for what you do, you really help a ton of people. One day I was tripping and my friend had a bad trip I was almost in a bad trip but then I looked up how to get out of a bad trip and you showed up. The way you guide things and the way you say certain stuff in those types of situations really help! Also we called someone to help us get out of it and she walked in and she was like “HEY! That’s psych guy he helped me too” So even tho you may think you are not helping anyone you are and please don’t stop doing videos there so guiding and helping!
My former psychologist put it like this (regarding anxiety):
If you have a fear of chairs, and you walk into a room with a chair, see the chair and walk back out, you no longer feel the fear, or the anxiety.
This way you teach your brain that this is what you should do, simply walk away and the fear goes away.
However, if you go to the chair, stand by it, until the fear eventually dissipates, you will teach your brain that there is nothing to fear, and your anxiety will slowly decline.
In a way Anxiety is a plus/minus calculation in your brain. Some things increase your anxiety and others decrease it.
That is why it is so hard to get rid of anxiety, but it is possible!
It required courage, it requires faith.
I am personally not there yet, but I am on my way.
hope this can prove useful to someone out there.
you nailed it! to "override" the old fear-flight pattern with new and positive experiences is the key.
we will rock our fear until it dissipates in love and leaves us with more deepness, understanding and empathy
Niklasbrock, that's how I overcome my fear of heights.
Niklasbrock Thanks dude, this helped me.
This is fabulous! Hoping your journey has been successful!
I, however, haven’t reached the point that I can stay in the room with said chair.
Wizard.
I relate to this alot
Congratulations
I feel ya man, even the part about needing to be under the influence at like a party, marijuana is actually helping me be out in public
+Jose Saavedra Same here. I've been on different combinations of SSRIs, and xanax. None of which have worked as well as cannabis.
+Le Enderman same thing
+Le Enderman Same here man. I also suffer from chronic pain, and the RX's for that don't do shit for me either. But cannabis helps with both social anxiety/general anxiety and my chronic pain. While the RX meds seem to make little to no difference :/ sadly I live in a state where it's still illegal and it's been hard to find as of late. DCI has been ravaging my town
my social anxiety is messing up my life
same here it's like i cant make any progress towards anything :(
pl0xyserver please seek help mate. or at least tell people. the quicker you face it the better mate trust me.honestly I had exactly the same mindset just 6 months ago. you just need to talk to someone man you'd be suprised the power communication can have on your mind. all you need it reassurance. stay safe man and it does get better. if you need a bit of motivation, I dropped out of school because of it and wouldn't come out my house. now I have 's full time job, loving life and going back to study the year I missed. something 8 months ago I thought I would never do.
McBummly same goes to you Bro.
also if you want a quick tip. it might seem impossible right now but it's not a quick fix. DO THE THING'S YOU ARE AFRAID TO DO! this is exactly what a therapist will tell you, I'm not saying jump straight into speaking in front of 1000 people. start simply by improving your self esteem. do this by getting in the gym, eating healthy, reading books, challenge your mind. don't sit there overthinking shit, occupy your brain to deter away from those negative thoughts. then once you feel confident enough in your self, simply take a step up and engage a conversation with a stranger. You may be anxious, you may start to panic, they make think your acting weird. but you need to keep reminding yourself that regardless of whether you are anxious, that you are still alive at the end of it. that is the only reason you have it, because you fear that you are in danger when it's just not the case. hope this helped a bit lads, hold you balls in your and say fuck it,if I don't speak to this person( or whatever situation) I won't get better. stop being so hard on yourself and try to seek positives from it to erase the negatives. eventually you do it enough times that fear will completely disappear
Keven thank you for your kind words and advice, i have been speaking to a therapist lately and i find it helps to hear things from a different point of view and be able to reflect on everything. I've also been trying to help myself through the use of psychedelics, only 3 days ago I took a really high dose of shrooms, it was mind blowing. it really helped me look deep into myself and see my problems so clearly. I feel my mindset slowly changing (for the better) and i hope this continues! Good tips :) I definitely am going to try and get out of my comfort zone more often from now on!
You're a diamond. I appreciate you caring despite not knowing me, it means a lot!
I suffer from social anxiety and I am not working at the moment. It takes away my confidence, my life, my dreams from me. I am tired...
mel Kalsen get some rest, relax, and have hope it'll get better, don't beat yourself up over this, just take your time and focus on your goals and one day you might reach them, just start with small steps.
You reply made me feel a lot better, thank you *****
Me too exactly, haven't been employed for like 11 months:/
Haizi 2 months hopefully thibgs will get better for eveyone
MDMA or magic mushrooms
"walk into the club like wadddup i brought my bro 'crippling social anxiety' w me"
Sounds reasonable
trippykitty I cried tears because of you
i chuckled
Phenibut
Ashley Taylor Phenibut helps a lot, but it isn’t a solution. If you have a little too much it can also be counterproductive, in my experience.
A lot of times all it takes to cure social anxiety is one accepting friend group. Just the feeling that you're liked by someone out there.
+Jake Hartman
True.
+Jake Hartman It's not exactly easy getting into a friend group in your early twenties
+Mr Plainview Or 30s or 40s for that matter. People of all ages need friends to feel accepted and connected, and the older you get the harder it is to make friends because people have families, careers, and lots of distractions (such as watching RUclips videos). They aren't interested in making friends that much anymore. Sad. We are social creatures and don't do well in isolation.
+James Steele where do you guys live?? i live in Vancouver and it's friend city over here. my main advantage is that I'm an animator, so everyone else i work with is on average the same age or younger, and we share a lot of interests and love nerding out about anything. so.. my recommendation is put yourself in situations where friend making is more condusive. could be a job, could just be house parties, or those weird underground parties.. uhm, there's also those meetup groups online you could join to do things you like to do with other people. treat everyone how you'd like to be treated, and listen very carefully to what they say and just say whatever comes to mind first. ask about their interests, things that excite them.. don't ask things that would just bore them. play with imagination when talking to people. be weird as fuck. that last one comes with confidence, and what i mean by weird, is just be yourself. don't be afraid of the word weird, though.. I've been called weird affectionately by a lot of my friends.. everyone respects and likes hanging out with people who aren't afraid to be themselves.
Mr Plainview I completely agree. This is obviously not very much of an option to cure social anxiety as it's completely up to the people around you. It's a nice solution, but its not hugely realistic in most cases.
There is no way in hell i could ever approach a random girl like you did i mean, HOW MAN ?
+mweh kweh You feel the fear and do it anyway. Risk versus Reward. Worst case scenario? You get rejected. Maybe you go home, feel hopeless, and mope about it for a while. "Boo-hoo, life is so hard, it sucks, blah blah blah." Best case scenario? You meet a new really awesome human being to share a connection with.
Thing is, life *IS* hard. But who would put the effort in if life was on "easy" mode? How do you get better at chess? By playing against challenging opponents. Life is a game after all. And it would be no fun if it were easy.
+SWIM yeah i get that but i guess i give up before even trying. What do eveb you say to someone and why would they care for something you wanna say ? I dunno, great video tho
+mweh kweh you're looking for some secret tip that doesn't exist. there is only trying, succeeding and failing.
Consider this: If you can't summon the courage to talk to her, maybe you don't deserve her.
+louie540x nice advice jackass
bro, i respect you in the highest degree
Ciano Roberts
Lambda
Phi
Pie
Delta
Ug
@@astronomyguy976 u high
@@astronomyguy976 theta
@@astronomyguy976 mu
@@astronomyguy976 epsilon
This guy is fucking good at talking.
YOUR A BEAUTIFUL HUMAN BEING. THANKS FOR SHARING THAT WITH THE WORLD.
What a gorgeous human being you are! thank you!!!
welcome
Truth.
i agree with that man
totally agree ^^
I'm 5'6 #TeamShortPeople don't mess with us we're closer to hell
+TirykB. lmao i like this
+TirykB. racist
im 5'9, in the netherlands thats like being 5'5/5'6... it kinda sucks real baf
+Jim Fastenau bad
Lol I'm 5'2 what...
i did go to war, just to avoid rejection from a woman
+BlurryFace “Sublime” Nick you a savage, son
I am the opposite. I was a social butterfly when I was younger with many friends. very comfortable with myself. now I am 25 and isolated myself from everybody and have severe social anxiety to where I too, need to drink to be around people... I hate it but I am on the path to gradual self improvement... tomorrow I am supposed to take kambo (aka sapo) and then tuesday I am supposed to drink ayahuasca... I also made it a goal to meditate 20 minutes each day to form a daily habit... I recently quit alcohol, weed, coffee, meat and dairy... I still chain smoke cigarettes though...
Franklin Sukmynutz Good on ya dude, stay strong. Really hope you get more comfortable socially
you're infected, it will never be 100% OK EVER again. It might only progress in some other BS - autism, dissociation, schizophrenia, psychosis etc. Good luck
Shapka huh. that's an interesting theory. i am definitely neurotic, that is for sure.
ToeStubbin thank you.
Franklin Sukmynutz thanks for hearing me out. I'm autistic and come often at a wrong angle. I think more often than not, psychological "problems" come in bundles. I mean, the sheer nature of isolation or social anxiety can only breed bad, it's a downward spirale. We always have to fight for ourselves and our well being. Check my chanel, I have some videos on codependency, lack of emotional borders etc. It was a huge revelation for me, when I realized my depression is just a SYMPTOM. This is huge paradigm shift, worth exploring. But ofc it's not always so, as I said, we have to explore the darkness in us and fight for ourselves every day all day. Good luck.
Been isolated my whole life, drink to wash it away- and eat... exactly what im doing now working from home, and not go out afterwards- I cant comprehend anything other than this, RUclips is like a friend- its like I know all these people- when I dont
John Walsh how about your family? If you want to make a change reconnect with old friends and take it easy, gradually make new acquaintances which could then turn to deeper connections/friendships
John Walsh What do you do? Like for work.
I was like that too. I grew up home-schooled, and all of my friends were RUclipsrs. One-way relationships require no investment or risk on your part. Trouble is, that investment is where all the reward is. No matter how weird you are, there will always be someone who appreciates you, and who sees what you have to offer the world. Start by appreciating others.
Snort a couple of lines and then go out. You can’t not make friends
Phenibut
the part about being anxious and shaking before the club is so relateable lol I psych myself out so bad before parties
DONT U EVER STOP DOING THIS VIDEOS MAN, U ARE AWESOME!
I came here over the Psyched Substance channel and i have to say: Adam you are such an interesting person. I love watching you talk, since your 'stories' fascinate me. They fascinate me because they are honest and because you talk about things other people would keep secret. Sharing your experiences is amazing. It inspires me, touches me and helpes me learn.
Thank you.
I have bad social anxiety but meditation has helped a lot. I still have a long way to go tho
keep fighting, i also deal with social anxiety and its tough but we can do this !:)
Same! Never underestimate what meditation, diet and exercise can do. Good luck, hope you feel 100% soon!
same man good fucking luck. god bless
oh yes we can
Same and same
I am an 18 year old male who has faced anxiety since I was an infant. It has always been an issue, and I have never been able to overcome it. When I was a small child I was meeting my mother's parents for the first time, and I was so anxious that I started biting the inside of my cheek until I started bleeding. Over my lifetime it had gotten worse and worse, until around May of 2018, last year. There was this girl that I had liked since my sophomore year of high school, at this point though she was a sophomore and I was a junior. She was a beautiful girl, very funny, very smart, and the scariest person I've ever met in my life. I had liked her for a year by the time I started talking to her but I could come up with the courage to speak to her. I was deathly afraid of this person, for why I know not because after speaking to her I realized that she is more like me than anyone I've ever met aside from my own father. But, I told myself I was going to talk to her. I came up with this plan for weeks, and eventually spoke to her. She smiled like I've never seen a person smile before when I talked to them. I was happy, we talked for the next two weeks. I got to know this girl really well, but every day before I spoke to her I would have crippling, sickening anxiety. I would speak to her after lunch, which at my school we have 1st-5th period, and then lunch. I would be sick, and unable to move all day long, only moving to get to the next class. This is the kind of anxiety I have always had. To speak to anyone it was like deciding to stip breathing. I would get close, but my body always pulled me away. I could never talk in front of people, I could never talk to new people, I couldn't function unless I knew you personally. I joined marching band my eighth grade year and this brought me out if my shell for the most part BUT like I said, the fear was still there. So, back to the girl. She caused me to do some deep diving in myself and into my brain in order to search for answers as to what could make me so fearful of that which I want. Why do I get afraid when I get a chance to have something I've always wanted. I could come up with no answers, and therefore decided that I wasn't afraid of what I wanted I was afraid of failing. But I realized something, something I had never realized before, you cannot get what you want in life unless you jump. You just have to let go, and fall. So I did, I let go and I started talking to this girl. Eventually I asked her to go see a movie with me, unfortunately I was denied what I had worked so hard for. I went home and I laid down, and I turned on the Eagles, and I cried. I cried until I realized that fate didn't want me to have that girl, fate wanted me to have knowledge. Fate wanted me to learn, not love. This sparked more diving, more realizations that I was immature and that I needed to mature before I loved because at that point I was selfish. Love is about two, not one. Fast forward about seven months, I was asked by a girl I had really liked for a couple years to prom. Once again I was afraid to talk to her I thought "Just because she asked me to prom doesn't mean she likes me." I thought things like "No one really cares for who I am deep down." Well, once again I decided despite my thoughts to jump, and I didn't land. I was denied, again, that which I had wished for so deeply yet this time I didn't cry. This time, I looked for a lesson, this time I learned that I am too quick to assume. The entire time I spoke to this girl I would get worried, and excited, and sad, and anxious all based on how she would respond, how fast or slow she responded to me, or even down to how long the responses were. Every little thing meant something good or bad no matter how neutral these things were. I wish both girls had said yes, especially right now I really wish that girl would have said yes to me, but, I am not upset that they said no. I have learned. I have been enlightened. The first girl gave me the ability to speak. She made me realize that there was so much to me that people wanted to see, things I would never do I do now. For example, my Jazz band had a concert at a local place called pullman square, I got up and wrapped myself in christmas lights and spoke in front of a crowd, and made these people smile. Something that had I not spoken to that girl would have taken years to be able to do but thanks to her existence I can do that now. The second girl humbled me. She made me realize that people may want to see parts of me, but only so much. I am overwhelming, and that's something I have to change. Fate set these girls in place for me to learn, whether to teach me to open up, or to teach me how to close myself back up because I had forgotten how. What is the point of this? The point of this is that anxiety is a bitch, it's a cunt, it's a goddamn stupid whore fucking jiggalo that can go suck a monkey dick. But, it's also a blessing. We do not learn comfortably. Fears are temporary. Fear itself is permanent, but what we fear is temporary. The moment you decide to approach your fear you start learning. So, to end this, I am still anxious as all hell. This girl that recently denied me caused me to curl up like a child, and made me literally immobile, though I had talked to the first girl I still had not overcome my anxiety, I thought I had, but I got my ass kicked like a child in a UFC match. But I learned. I hurt, and still do, but I LEARNED. Do yourself a favor and try your hardest to overcome your fear. Don't be afriad to be hurt. We are like our muscles, when one works out they tear their muscle fibers but when those muscles heal they are stronger. Think of yourself as a muscle, and embrace the pain because you will come out stronger than ever when you reach the other side.
I appreciate your sharing your story so much dude ✌️
I used to be VERY social. I easily got along with anyone. I was the crazy, wild one pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone. I made GREAT memories 15-18. I am now about to be 21 and I am fearful of small talk. I am afraid of being approached. I am afraid of being hit on. I am afraid to talk to random people. I'm just very paranoid and my anxiety is awful.
This is an issue that has started to happen in the past 2 years that has just progressively gotten worse. I moved states about 4 years ago and left everything and everyone i knew behind to live with a dad i did not even really know. since then, i have not been able to make friends and I am so paranoid that people hate me, laugh at me, spread mean and hurtful lies about me, etc.
I am trying to force myself to go out and meet people. i am trying to find a job and it is probably the hardest thing ever.
i refuse to take medication for this because you have to feel like shit to get better. that's all it comes down to.
Nikki Samek same shit , but , its maybe the surroundings around you , dont you have anyone to trust your feelings too , i have a few people and i think its enough
Probably the worst part of social anxiety is the fact that most people who suffer from it (mostly young adults) don't even know they are suffering from it. Everyone who has dealt with social anxiety at a point in their life (myself included) can probably relate to this guy 100% but even so, it's difficult to pin-point exactly what the cause is and even more difficult to solve.
Essentially, social anxiety translates to a complete lack of self-esteem and self-confidence to the point it transforms into self-hate. Carrying that self-hate into social interactions is one of the worst things can go through. Now social anxiety in most cases can be traced back to your childhood experiences that resulted in a procedural and dramatic decrease in self-confidence. Everything from simple words, to traumatic experiences can affect a child's self-esteem and confidence on the long term.
The best solution I personally know of is to force yourself into more and more social interactions that will slowly shatter that fear and insecurity. It's not easy, I know it better than anyone but it's possible.
+Andrew Markus I'm crying.
+Andrew Markus Thanks for saying this Andrew, I relate to this 100%, I have battled with myself for far too long to care anymore. I am just turning my life around from drug addictions( clean for 3 month now), Depression and Social Anxiety. I know exactly what you mean about it being hard to converse in social interactions, when all that you have is negative thoughts in your mind. I have been recently forcing myself back into my families life and visiting siblings and cousins. And just taking every day that comes. it's the worst thing ever to hate your very own existence, but I will learn to love my faults again, and have confidence in my personality. All the best to you brother.
+Andrew Markus
I used to have it as a teenager, was never especially popular etc (I had a couple of good friends though).
Then in my early 20's (still there) I sort of just lost it.
I made a lot of realizations and formed my "world view" so to speak, a process which was completely independent of others. After understanding things differently, especially social dynamics etc from a meta perspective, I eventually started to just not give a fuck.
I've always been good at intuitively reading between the lines and understanding different systems, and this whole thing called social interaction was just another system to understand, not much more to it except for your own ingrained pride and fear being a part of the equation, which is something you'll just have to try to overcome. Once you get real good at it, people are fucking baffled and amazed at how you can "break" (more like bend) all of the social rules yet come of as socially competent in their eyes, and people who otherwise try to step on you get fucking stomped themselves due to not realizing beforehand that you're way ahead of them on understanding what they're actually doing themselves, it's hilarious.
Anglo-Sphere MP
Meta-socialization
Basically socializing with an awareness that you are involved in a very complex game. Most people are on auto-pilot and have no idea of the intricacies of the dance being preformed all around them, they aren't even aware that they are dancers themselves.
is there a way i can become your friend? cause you are fucking amazing
+erti190 Everyone in the comment section is my friend!!! I love you all :) :) :)
+SWIM but i want to be your best friend
ha!
+SWIM Hi
What is the secret he reveals like he said he was going to at the end of his "DXM" video!?
"If somebody elses negative response gives you an emotional response in you it means you probably share those qualities deep down."
I suffer from anxiety and OCD, which has the effect of social anxiety as well, and social isolation. I am also gay and attended a rather homophobic high school, so just at the point where i began to come out of my shell, I came out of the closet and had a hell of a time trying to be social. I also self medicated and continue to do so at times, and although my social anxiety is pretty much gone, I still isolate myself a lot unfortunately. I relate to the over-analyzation of every single moment and interaction, it's a very isolating feeling because your mind just does things that other's don't.
Yea I definitely can relate Social anxiety and also dealing with homophobic people constantly surrounding you can be quite difficult thing to deal with !But I feel the best thing you can do is just be yourself and put your self out there and you will mindlessly attract positive people who genuinely care for you!!!Just be yourself and just try opening up to new people and new experiences!!Goodluck Patrick!!!😊🌞
Apart from some minor details I felt like you were telling my life's story..
Bro you are literally me, i have manic depression, ADHD, Bi-polar and anxiety and listening to you is like finally meeting someone that understands me :)
+Josh Mugen already have many times, most I've ever done was 440 UGs
Dude I can't believe you had a prank channel. That blew my mind hahaha
yeah man, odd
HEY can i pretend to know and care about you too tom?!
@@treyoleson6140??
um...yes?
@@treyoleson6140 that made no sense
Social anxiety stems from the belief that you are an individual. Realize the human race is a whole, and your belief on being an individual is just some backstory you created inside your head, it isn't real. We all share the same conscience deep down.
If you could realize this... social anxiety would be no more.
Mario Cavallero yeah, separation is the cause of all that shit
Wow this is a really nice um comment, I realized this and it kinda helped, once I started seeing others as a whole, it became a little easier to talk but there was still other issues at hand that stemmed from Social Anxiety, like Depression and just overall starting to have just anxiety problems. Fml fam, life can be so hard and sad, sometimes considering to end it all, but always, the little things that happen, the small moments of joy somehow keep me going... even if it’s less than 10 minutes, I find it worth it.
Stop selling that bunk!
What kind of pseudo-spiritual shit are you spewing? Might as well disregard the fact that social anxiety exists altogether. We are individuals, that's why we're unique, we all have strengths and weaknesses, hopes, dreams and fears. I'm not you buddy. Nobody else is me but I.
Different races are different
I still feel so awkward passing a person in the hallway. I get nervous of what another person will think every time I interact with another human being. I place other people's opinion above my own and devalue myself. This video really helps.
You will never know how much this video actually helped me.
how much have things changed since you posted this comment?
^
yea man how much
I was homeschooled throughout my entire education up until college. In fact, I was so desperate to leave my abusive, conservative fundamentalist christian home that I took my GED at 17 and got the fuck out. Been an uphill battle since then, I'm now 27 and still fighting my social anxiety. Most days I literally feel like Im on a different "frequency" then everyone around me.
Thank you for your video, and sharing your experience !
yeah, I get the frequency shit too :/
similar story here. Goodluck in life dude.
didn't watch the vid but cool shirt
edit: did watch the video, really enjoyed it, related deeply, still like the shirt
Whims lmfao
This comment is so pure tf
four horsemen ey
@@69daniel69 The holy one has descended.
For a long time now I've really appreciated the fact that I'm very imaginitive, introverted, and can "survive on my own" well. After I broke up with my girlfriend of over a year about 7 months back, I've been basically all alone. Of course I saw my friends a couple times a week in school and all, but that was really the only social interaction I had for long time. I thought I was fine for a while, but I was really gradually losing happiness. I noticed that I really don't want to go and talk to girls, or anyone else for that matter anymore. It was kind of weird, because it used to be very thrilling to be in the moment talking with a girl and building new beautiful relationships. I just didn't somehow like it anymore, and in my mind that part got filled with other things. Finally, it came to a point where I really *couldn't* just go ahead and talk to someone anymore, just my closest friends and family. About a month ago I finally decided that I wanted to join my friend who was going out to a kind of a car/motorcycle meetup in my area, where pretty much every other person under the age of 20 (more or less, of course) goes to. I finally, after 6 months of gradually increasing seclusion, just went ahead and started to talk to people I used to know. It was horrible for me at first, but I decided that I will just continue. I knew I had to do it more and more, even though it really was painful. Even if it may've not seemed comfortable, I just had to do it for my own happiness. Just push myself forwards. After every day of being out there and having a little more fun every time, the feelings of anxiety just started fading away. I started finding out new things about me; I began loving it.
If you suffer from social anxiety and happened to read my comment, you have to believe me when I tell you this; Just like Adam said, you HAVE to push your comfort zone and challenge yourself by just going out there and doing things. Talking to people, flirting, you know, just generally having fun in a social setting. It WILL feel uncomfortable, but if you just keep pushing yourself and doing more of it, it will be the greatest thing you've ever done. You will find yourself to be important in other people's lives, and notice that having conversations with a stranger or that girl you find cute, is just plain and simple fun. You'll feel unstoppable.
i wish i could speak to you in real life man thank you for all your videos man it helps hearing from other people
Man, I am so glad you have the courage to talk about this kind of stuff. What you're talking about hits so many people and I think is so important that we - YOU - bring this up. It's an appreciated contribution to the awareness of social anxiety.
youtube needs more videos like this, this is great man. appreciate the upload
This video was so helpful and so incredible. My social anxiety has been growing increasingly more crippling for the last year and a half, to the point that despite how empathetic I am, I can't connect with others anymore because I'm so stuck in my mind being positive that everyone is judging me. I have felt so alienated because of how difficult it is for me to talk to anyone at all, and the alcoholism is getting rough. I can't do this anymore and I've known this for so long but it terrified me. This gives me so much hope.
you know what? in every class im just chilling in the back watching your videos not socializing cuz my friends live in another town, and im fucking happy with what im doing. i love being on my own just chilling my life
Out of all your videos, on both channels, this one is my favorite. I don't struggle with social anxiety, the reason I like this video is because it's different than the others. You're not giving credit for a lesson to psychedelics, you're telling a story of a triumph you had without them. It's pure, sober, genuine Adam.
Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy all your videos, especially your trip reports. This one just stands out to me. :)
It's so nice to hear people be open about this. I know I'm not alone with it, but sometimes it feels so much like I am. Thank you for making this, you do amazing work on RUclips and I hope you continue to grow.
Your videos are pure gold! The way you talk about certain topics, especially this one, is spot on. I am always happy when I see that you've uploaded a new video because then i can watch it and soak all of the information up like a sponge.
You hit the nail on its head
FEAR- False Expectations Appear Real
Wow. I'm gonna remember that.
+OfficialEDC Can I get a hellooooooo there! ^^
BS = Belief Systems
Diving deep 😎
I've always been shy, this video is me to a T. Weed makes my anxiety worse and I've been struggling hard to quit. I feel like everyone's judging me and that situations are awkward when they're really not, and then I panic because of it. I think my social anxiety has erupted over brutal things in my past, like you talked about being rejected.. I was the maid of honor at my best friend's wedding and I fucked up my speech so bad in front of 300 people. I completely forgot what I was trying to say and it was honestly the worst and embarrasing moment of my life. I've been struggling to get back to normal after that, when in reality it happened over 2 years ago and shouldn't even cross my mind anymore, but it does.
marry me... i'll never judge in any sort of way
you mustve looked so stupid LOL
@@cjames2925 you are a dick head
For those of you who have been trying exposure therapy and it doesn’t seem to be working, you have to approach your anxiety differently. Exposure never worked for me until I watched this video and learned feeling anxiety and getting weird looks is actually a GOOD thing. This was an epiphany for me because I always just fought though exposure sessions and it ended up just scaring me more. Months after watching this amazing video I finally feel like I’m making big strides against beating my social anxiety. Start off by daring yourself to say hi to someone and go from there with the dares. If you fuck up, GOOD! Because now your less sensitive to it.
Nice video bro, i'm 26 and I went through the same process of forcing myself to go out, meet and talk to new people since 8 years.
what ended up happening was that i became kinda "automated", like switching to a new mindset everytime i find myself surrounded by people. It kinda worked and i was able to do stuff i never thought i'd do before.
but deep inside, when i get back home and be on my own, i start shivering and tell myself "godd i hate social life !! i want to be an hermit !"
it's been a long time since i was forcing myself to overcome my social anxiety but in the end, i always get back to my old self .. you know, the kinda guy who'd spend an entire summerbreak at home.
i'm in no way "socially awkward" but i just hate social interactions in general ..
excuse my bad english guys !
OMG the first 2:50 minutes is like look at my own life! every single word you say could be said by me!
You are the only "youtuber" I watch for over than 10 minutes straight.
+Alain Sadun me 2
When I drink, it stops me getting anxious, so I feel like I need to drink before social situations to actually talk to people.
DeadNan420 very much so bud very much so. It's unfortunate but I'm the same way
Thats a very unhealthy coping mechanism.
DeadNan420 "if you're nothing without the suit, then you shouldn't have it"
that exact thing led me to heavy alcoholism
It sucks im the same way
oh my god i have never seen a lifestyle i have been more like than him pre phsychedellic. i had an awakening just like an hour ago and i relate to his talk of getting better so much
I have had social anxiety for 14 years and no friends since I developed it around 14, weird thing is I had no anxiety before 14 at all, I was super confident. But I think it's because I broke my nose and it's always been a huge insecurity I never got fixed because at the time it happened I didn't care about it (playing rugby in the ice), but then after it got broke at 13 it grew crooked and has been a sorce of discomfort and anxiety for me for 14 years, basically the root cause, I atually shut myself away for 2 years with pretty much 0 contact, which was the worst thing you can do, then after that I got a full time job (been there 2 years) and that was brutal, pretty much as you said trail by fire. But my confidence has grown and I definatly feel better by FACING challenges and the best advice is being COMFORTABLE in UNCOMFORTABLE situations, a contradiction but it's so true, as life itself is a contradiction.
This video helped me sooo much though to validate these lessons and help me to go forward and conquor my social anxiety which has crippled me and not let me be the person I have wanted to be for 14 years, I'm 28 now and recovering well from my social anxiety, still have no friends or girlfriend (ever) as negativity and anxiety have taken their toll on my appearance (and rebuilding confidence takes a long time) but I do my best to stay positive and do the best I can with the cards and circumstances I've been given.
Just count your blessings, your alive and have access to the internet, cars, a house, a job, food, water etc life is good just face the challenges it presents, what's the worst that can happen?
Also a good tip is to simply observe yourself in the 3rd person and detatch yourself from your emotions somewhat (never freeze up, I did this a LOT, just breath deep and imagine your lifeless body in the grave as life continues around you- this really works!).
I am a VERY emotionally sensitive person just like you I cling on to others opinions and moods and tune into that and I sought approval by acting the same as them (right down to emotional state) I listened to peoples conversations as if I am the one talking but never joined in... I would identify too much with others to a point where I almost dissolved (note: I still felt extremely self concious) , but when my opinion was sought I would get nervous and not know what to say, eye contact was another big thing I have mostly gotten over, which was TERRIBLE for some years I couldn't even look a stranger in the eyes (male or female, even moreso), I always felt dread and fear and uncomfortable. But only by forcing yourself to do this can you overcome it. It feels impossible, but it really is possible. It's just a challange you must face. I could write a book on my personal experience over 10+ years with social anxiety, but it's good to exorcise the demons by typing it out to whoever may read this, so they can relate and see they are not alone, just as your video has done for me, thank you, and peace. :)
Holy shit... hilarious and awesome, that you had a prankchannel and you started those kind of vids^^
bro you are literally exactly the fucking same as me. i had the same problems. thanks
+John M same here bruz
+David Perica same
+NotYourEnemy™ same
same
Same bro
Dude i just need to tell you, I appreciate the shit out of you and everything you do. Not only have you given me very valuable information about the psychs that i so love to explore but perhaps even more importantly; I value very much your perspective on events in your life, giving me what feels like a jump start (being 21) on exploring ideas about myself and helping me reflect on certain events of my life in new light. As I'm sure you know, hearing from people who you can relate to can do a huge service to a person who may be struggling in one area or another and even feel like a breath of fresh air. All to say, you are a huge help/support to me in some areas and im sure to others, keep doing what you are doing, and good vibes man. Thank you so much for being you!
As a short kid, who has alot of anxiety, and was homeschooled until highschool, I relate so much.
"Going out felt like I was going to war"
I couldn't describe it any better.. Social anxiety sucks, but with cannabis I can kind handle it better.
+ruberband29 Me too.
+ruberband29 weed make it worst for me.
***** ever tried indicas?
All kinds and hash also. I was smoking weed for ~7-8 years everyday untill that shit hit me. I cant enjoy any drugs anymore.
+Szafka Domowa hight thc makes social anxiety worse, i can testify to that, and from what i've read cbd does the opposite but i havent tried high cbd yet
I am exactly the same right now as you were when you were 19 (I'm 20), i'm shocked how similiar i am to what you described yourself wow. But sadly i don't think i will have a happy ending like yours, i accepted the fact that i won't change, i'm pretty much waist deep in the quick sand that is the comfort zone :(
+Tranc estor Maybe this advice will sound stupid , but smoking cannabis allowed me to gradually stop worrying about other people's opinions. For example, when I was in high school, people used to ridicule me and tell me that I walk like I have a broomstick stuck up in my ass. It used to make me feel like shit. Even my own family used to ridicule me about how I don't maintain eye contact when talking and how I don't carry myself properly. I used to feel like killing everybody who told me this. One day I watched a documentary about cannabis, and I decided to try it. I bought a 100 € worth or growing equipment, and some seeds online, and I grew about 100g of weed. The first time I smoked it, I got into panic mode, I was paranoid, I thought I was about to die. I had a big panic attack for about 30 minutes. Then the panic stopped, and I started laughing uncontrollably, then I got hungry, I ate like a pig, the food tasted like god's gift, even though I was just eating some simple chocolate cookies. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching episodes of south park on my laptop. The most important thing cannabis did for me is allowing me to go into deep introspection about myself and the world, realizing that other people's opinions of me are absolutely unimportant. I gradually stopped giving a fuck about people, nobody is perfect, everyone has it's own set of circumstances in life. Fuck everyone's negative opinions I say :-) I'm still quite awkward and nervous in social settings, but I absolutely don't feel like crap anymore about my weirdness like I used to. I accept myself the way I am.
+john max Me too, smoking helped me to stop giving a fuck and appreciate my authentic self
+john max Don't take this the wrong way, but I laughed my ass off to this :) Bit of advice though, you can think of some really cool shit on weed, and truly find out who you are. But you can also get lost in the fog and over think everything. I don't do cannabis anymore, and I personally feel better for it. I still get social anxiety, but it's more controllable than when I am on the green. It seems to me you have just discovered it though and you are experiencing the munchies and giggles, good for you lol It used to have the same effect for me when I first tried it, but now 15 years on, it does fuck all for me and became an addiction. So be careful.
totally get you man. Ive had family members tell me the same. Appreciate the advice :)
I appreciate your advice ;-) Don't worry, I'm not abusing cannabis, I've been smoking for 5 years now, and it gave me a lot of good times. I use the herb properly, I eat healhy and exercise on a daily basis. In fact I got globally healthier over the last few years.
25 have social anxiety and never had a relationship come back to you guys when i hit 30 !
Your outlook is almost a mirror of my own as someone who also had to struggle to overcome their shyness, anxiety and feeling of not fitting in. I also had a similarly brutal rejection in a noisy club once, and decided in the moments afterwards to pretend I hadn't heard it due to the noise as it would hurt me more if I acknowledged what had been said to me. It was definitely the right course of action. Learning to shrug off rejection is key.
I still feel I have work to do on being who I really am but I've come a long way and will keep pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone.
Great video, thanks for sharing.
Wow. Alright. Going into this video, I never expected that I'd end up crying. Literally every point you touched upon, feeling like I can't be myself, constantly holding others' opinions over my own, etc. is what I'm currently dealing with. And I'm done with it. I'm going to take your advice, I'm gonna throw myself out there and if people aren't willing to accept that, too bad. They're not worth my time. Of course, I'm not going to heckle them or be overbearing, but they clearly have no place in my life.
Thank you.
So much.
I too have cured my social anxiety and depression, it all stemmed from a rejection when I was 8 years old because my first girlfriend dumped me and I was obsessed with her for like 3-4 years, I then failed my 6th grade year, this was when I realized the infraction I had upon myself...it took me till I was halfway through my 17th year of life on this planet for me too get over it, I had a close circle of supportive friends, which helped a ton and I was smoking weed since I was 12 years old, which both hindered and helped, as sativa aggravates anxiety sometimes while indica helps it.So last year, roundabout September or November I think, I went to a music festival and had yet another form of rejection, I was sitting by a bench on my own after trying to dance for a while at the trance tent, and a beautiful beach blonde girl comes and sits next to me, she looks distressed and gives off signs that she wasn't happy with something, so I let her have her space but obviously intrigued I continued to observe, she notices this and looks at me, I give a quick look away as to signal that I don't mean to intrude, and she spaces of for a sec, we then meet eyes again and smile at each other and she just decides to lay her head on my lap, we exchange a couple soft spoken words and she kisses my hand once or twice, we stay like this calmly outised the roaring tent for an hour until the staff closes the venue, she was like almost asleep, she did not want to move at all but the staff insisted so I got her up and walked with her a while.She was a bit chilly so I lend her my leather jacket given to me by my grandfather, she speaks with another person and proceeds to wander leaving me behind a little, so I leave her be and sit down at a bench, just watching because there wa no way I'm just going to let her go with my jacket, so she starts heading into the crowd and I'm like okay woah fuck that, I'm not losing my jacket on the whim of a kind gesture, she goes and just drops it on the floor.Felt pretty shit, so I grabbed it and went to sit at a different bench, the thoughts in my mind just going through, trying to process why the hell would someone be so unthankful. As I sit there, I hear hello from behind me, I think it's not directed at me so I just resume spacing out, I hear it again so I turn around to see who could be speaking, and it's two very attractive middle aged ladies, total ravers lol. we make small chat and they invite me to party with them, we go to the dance section and the one hands me a small pink glittery capsule, I think for a second, I shouldn't take it, but I do, without even asking what it is(don't do this! lol)I swallow it, and then ask a bit later what it was, the lady tells me it's MDMA, immediately I am like oh my fucking shit, but I calm myself quickly knowing how one can amp oneself up in these situations, like with weed for example, I prepare for anything mentally, bolster my confidence, talk and dance with them, take a drag or two of a joint offered to me by one of the awesome ladies, and pretty much it was an amazing night.No nothing "funky" happened for the dirty minds of you out there, just a whole ton of happy, great positive vibes, and it was on this night, I can finally say I cured my anxiety, completely...the epiphany for lack of a better term, that night was what opened my eyes, the more you close yourself to a social situation, the less you will make of that opportunity, when I met the two ladies, I rather jumped at they're warm gesturing emotes, as I'm sure they could see, I was on my own, and probably having a less than amazing time, I am friends with both of them till today and plan on having more "adventures" in the realm of psychedelics, hopefully mushrooms soon. Maybe this story helps or is relatable in some way, other than that peace love and happiness, and thank you +SWIM / +Psyched Substance for spreading the helpful information around :)
***** Sure is man, thanks for taking the time to give it a read through :)
***** Same man, the people at those parties can be so amazing, peace and love bro! :)
***** I do agree, I was stupidly impulsive that night, but I felt like I could trust them so I took it lol, thankfully it was the right people to meet and not otherwise.
maxsiehier / bravethinkers Never had sex that night, It was just a simple epiphany, see..the way it happened was I was already making an effort against my anxiety, I had a bunch of close friends who I would hang out with exclusively, smoking weed, getting drunk together playing games, but I would still be challenged socially to speak even to them, who I had known for years at this point...
I went to this party, expectin to get a little high a little drunk and dance to some insane tunes, but I never expected what happened, and the amount of happiness I experienced taking the MDMA showed me, just how ungrateful I had been concerning my self-pity for my anxiety and how I affected myself and others by just being slightly negative, when I spoke to the chick who took my jacket, I was only somewhat positively thinking, and was very anxious, you know hoping it could go further and all, but then because of that, she probably reasoned to go.
When I met the two 30 odd year olds, I wasn't thinking about sex, more about friendship, considering I had just been through that short rejection with the chick, so I was happy, happy that somebody took the time to talk with me, when I was naught but talking with myself and my mind.
Either way, I am grateful for what happened.
So.. if anything, it was the combination of meeting two such bright and kind individuals, and taking the MDMA, basically made my weekend something I would and will always graciously remember, and as such, It flipped a switch within me, I still get anxious from time to time, but the major roadblock which was a severe depression and anxiety, was finally absent.
I don't really have anything to do. I pretty much lost all my friends and all I have is my part time delivery job which doesn't add anything to my social circumstances. All I do is watch RUclips videos and other stuff at home. I really want to change and get over my social anxiety but my social anxiety is caused by a really deep, spiritual philosophy. I always have way too many philosophical thoughts throughout the entire day to the point where it's starting to bother me. I am constantly thinking about how weird reality is and the fact this universe and all of us exist, how beautiful and simultaneously horrifying this universe is. I am always thinking way too much about everything from a deep perspective. For example I see people as consciousness inside a brain which expresses itself through it's physical body. I have to stop thinking about everything from this philosophical point of view but I just can't because it is the truth. Same goes for my social skills. All I ever think about
and am interested in talking about is deep philosophical stuff, because all the shallow, superficial stuff just really doesn't interest me a single bit. But I realize that most people are used to talking about superficial stuff so I guess I have to step down a notch and try to become interested in the 'normal' stuff again. I don't know man I am just lost.. I have Asperger's syndrome. I don't know why I can't stop seeing everything from a philosophical point of view, it is almost like I am becoming somewhat psychotic or schizophrenic. I don't really know if those insights are delusions or not. They seem irrefutable and 100% true but at the same time they could be wrong and not many other people seem to think like me. I guess I just need someone to talk to who really has the same experiences as me and can relate to my philosophy. I need to learn to stop thinking so much, it is destroying my life. I kind of feel like I am in a perma-trip of acid. I have done acid 4 times in my life and
the last time I did it I had a spiritual awakening with infinite insights and realizations. It felt like all the puzzle pieces finally came together. But now I feel like I am messed up and have mild HPPD and maybe developing schizophrenia (I think this because of the constant philosophical thoughts I have which could be delusions but seem irrefutable). I just don't know what's wrong with me or if there is even anything wrong with me. All I know is I am an outcast even compared to how you described yourself as being a 'weird' guy. I mean, I am much like you, only I have constant thoughts going on about the universe and reality and my entire perception of reality has shifted to a point where I kind of wish I could go back. Perceiving reality from this point of view isn't benefitting me at all, in fact it is bugging the hell out of me. It makes my social anxiety 100x worse because I am constantly in another world thinking about the universe, consciousness, politics, nature, reality,
history, my body, life forms, and all the stuff you can think of while all I want to do is have a normal conversation with someone. Am I developing schizophrenia or do I have some kind of psychotic disorder because of my acid trips? Someone please enlighten me😔
Alaya-Vijnana hey girl (?) how are you doing? Would u like to chat a bit? I like what u wrote! You Seem to be an intetesting Person! DM me if u like. Would be happy xx
I LOVE this video! I just get you, I am a kind of zany wacky girl, and I find it hard to understand people's advice or explanations, but somehow, don't ask me how because I don't know, but somehow you always make complete sense to me. Once again, thank you so much.
having social anxiety brought some of the most amazing people in my life. now i look from the outside seeing in all these people trying to be the same just to make other people like them
This video really opened my mind.
I have struggled personally with social anxiety extensively since I was a teenager. I was never a very attractive individual as a kid, and that was reflected by the fact that women never had interest in me and I could never really fit into the "popular group" despite my efforts. as I grew into my early teens I began to understand truth. The world is a cruel place, people will judge you for your appearance; sometimes consciously, but very often unconsciously which is arguably even worse. And once I understood that fact it made me become extremely self aware. So I began to hyper focus this. Anytime I would go into a social situation I would always think about how I look, and how I am acting (I also happen to be slightly neuro-divergent, so verbal communication is not my strong suite) this only compounded the issue. As I got older and older my anxiety only further got worse, and even despite that I did nothing to actually solve the problem that was causing my anxiety in the first place - The fact that I didn't feel good about myself.
At the time I kind of realized it; but I would instead choose to play the victim, and blame my anxiety on being picked on as a kid even if that may have been partially true. But deep down I knew the real cause. I was just too complacent in my ways to want to make a change. playing the victim was the easy way out, and for a long time I chose that over actually improving myself and becoming the person that I wanted to become. We are all creatures of habit, and my habitual addictions to video games, the internet and other forms of quick releasing dopaminergic pleasure made me become a stagnant person.
After a while of this constant, almost paralyzing social anxiety that never seemed to improve I began to do research into the potential neurological causes of anxiety. after much time of research I concluded that a lack of serotonin in the brain could be the cause for my anxiety. So naturally I searched for the drugs that would remedy this supposed "deficit" of serotonin; SSRI's and benzos. Long story short I came close to going down a very dark road, but fortunately for myself, after a few (not so fun) ego destroying trips off the "psyched substances" I began to break out of many of the habits that I had formed far back in my childhood.
I began to improve my life; I began to go to the gym. I began to meditate, and in that I learned to be more in control of my mind. I began to read into psychology, philosophy, and just any fiction literature that I enjoyed. I was turning my life around. I was becoming more attractive physically, mentally, and spiritually. I finally started to feel good about myself. I am currently 18 years of age, and my journey into self improvement is still very much in its infancy. But in the past few years my anxiety has slowly began to fade away. I still have a long way to go, but I continue to remind myself of how much progress Ive made and how much progress I will continue to make.
Benzos will make your anxiety go away, but only temporarily. and in many cases it is merely a bandaid for much a bigger wound, and not a lack of essential brain chemicals. You have to find the root cause for the anxiety , and actively work to find a solution. for me it was my self image, but the solution will often be different for everyone. The SSRI's won't always help, the benzos will only work for so long. To truly eradicate anxiety you need to strike the problem at its head. It will be difficult, but the only person you will be doing a disservice to if you decided to not put in the work is - yourself. Be the person that you want to become. anxiety is the fear of what is to come.. the unknown; the future. but to overcome it you need to put yourself in a future mindset, and think everyday about where you are now, and about where you someday want to be. kind of ironic isn't it?
Thank you for reading, I partially wrote this post for myself as a reminder, but I hope this can help someone going through the same mental turmoil that I did for a long time. This video really helped me to connect the dots to everything and help me put my thoughts into words. Adam you will never read this, but thank you for this video.
Can't wait to hear your insight. Also just experienced astral projection for the first time last night after hearing so many stories about it from modern people all the way back to ancient times. Totally trippy experience, I left my body as saw our entire Milky Way Galaxy and zoomed in faster than light all the way to Earth and into my room, where my body was lying in bed...it was so emotional that I only did it for maybe 25 seconds or so before I returned to my body. I have no idea why I was so far out in space at the beginning...whether my consciousness was literally outside of my body or it was a hallucination I have almost no idea.
do you not know how to hit the return key
+Deeken Wheeler I've had this exact experience astral projecting! Just moving so fast through space... beautiful, really.
+Nick Burkill how do u do it
It was insane. It makes me wonder if my mind really was seeing the milky way or if it was all in my mind...all i know is that everything is connected in this universe, and my mind could have been in a higher spiritual realm. But yes the zooming feeling was insane, one moment i saw the entire galaxy, and the next I'm hovering above my body
It's definitely an amazing feeling. If you're startled awake somehow it feels like you've been shot back into your body at 100x the speed of light.
Be careful with the sleep paralysis thing. It can be kind of scary sometimes lol. Just remember that you're dreaming when anything weird happens. It's definitely the most effective method in my opinion.
"Feel the fear and do it anyway"
Jodz McMillan will it help ?
+SWIM this so ridicoules. its like I am listening to myself talking about my problems in life. Social anxiety, shynes, as a kid feeling like an outsider, putting so much value on other peoples thoughts about me... I am so grateful, that I've managed to solve those problems (accept the social anxiety, but I did manage talking normaly to people and girls, but I still struggle with going up to a random girl and start talking to her. Although I am working on that 💪🏼). My life turned so much to the better in the past 6 months and I am proud of putting this much effort in solving my problems. I also was addicted to weed the last year and a half( like smoking closly every day if I could get enough money) and now I didnt really stop but I am now only smoking like every 2-4 weeks and I try keeping it on the 4 week mark though, which is completly fine in my opinion
+SWIM btw I am 16 and a half at the moment
Thanks so much for this. I’ve been battling social anxiety for too long and I feel like it’s ruining all my relationships and life in general. What you’re doing is really going to change peoples lives and I respect that. Good things take time
This is the best video about social anxiety on RUclips
I wanna give this guy a huge hug😂
Doing my first music gig tomorrow for similar reasons... and I already feel kind of good about it, no matter the way it will end up going. Thanks for reminding me it was a good decision to actualy go for it! You're a kind and cool (and sadly also unique) person ^^
Brocht Vasquez how'd it go, man?
apparently he died doing what he loved
Haha totally forgot to answer; it went great! one of the most fun evenings i had the past few months. Even though it was some kind of 'competition' and we ended up second place by one vote, i loved just doing it! As said in the video; just DO stuff, people who judge are not worthy of a place in your life, so no need to worry about their judgement ^^
I just was reminded about this comment and wanted to give another update for anyone possibly reading this with anxiety. 2 years on and i played an insanely big venue a few weeks ago with almost zero stress, (was confident enough even to put some silly things in my hair on stage)... you can think your way out of certain things, but not social anxiety; you will 'simply' have to do stuff: don't THINK about talking to people, just talk to 'em.
This sounds like me, except the overly anxious part. It comes in waves for me. 1 min i'm ok and the next i'm analyzing what I said or what someone said to me.
You have no idea of how much this video helped me personally. I'm getting out of it with the same method (getting out of my comfort zone) and this video just made me know there's a way to scrape through this. Thank you for this, still I have a shitload of work to do!
I just stumbled on this video today, i am 47 and have struggled with social anxiety and avoidant personality disorder all of my life. Recently im making some progress. I went through a divorce, im getting back out into the world slowly, im having a lot of bad experiences, but im also learning and having some good experiences too. I think the whole key is to just keep going no matter what. To keep trying and to be patient and forgive yourself if you make a mistake, and realize that those mistakes are not mistakes at all but learning oppurtunities. Its how we learn as humans by doing and experiencing. I still overthink way too much, im doing that today, might be how i happened upon this video.
If you are suffering with SAD or AVPD or youre shy, isolated etc know that it can and will get better but you HAVE to step outside your comfort zone at some point or it never will. I am REALLY uncomfortable lately but its all worth it because of the connections im making. Im learning some of the things i thought about people are not true, im learning unfortunately some of them are and even worse lol. But theres a lot of good to be discovered. A lot of fun to be had, a lot of life to be lived. Please please seriously dont let fear rob you of a life. It stole a good portion of mine but im not going to let it steal anymore.
Im healing, im growing, im changing and adapting, and most of all im never quitting. Its not what others do, its what we do to ourselves that hurt us.
You got this, i believe in you, YOU believe in you too.
All the best to you reading this, your family and anybody else struggling. It gets better, because we make it better, one day, one moment, one step at a time.
Psychedelics expand the mind.
man, at least you had friends, what would you have done if you had no one except your sister to care for you? its so hard dealing with social fucking anxiety.
Don't worry society is trash anyways, most people are shallow fuckwits
The Casul. im a shallow fuckwit, we all are. but some people are aware of it and can control the basic impulse of the nature of humans. and im sure there are people like me, ive met a few it just didnt work out for some reason.
+The Casul. True indeed, if only i wouldn't get that extremely lonely feeling and depressed over time, i wouldn't give a shit about socializing with people.
KushLoveEntertainmentBitches im strong as fuck, just lonely
KushLoveEntertainmentBitches lol
0:40 in German there's a word for that: "Fremdschämen" literally external shame (to feel ashamed for someone else who has done sth. embarrassing)
In german there's really a word for everything
This described my life. I really need to overcome my social anxiety and put myself in stressful situations to come out of it stronger. I don’t want to feel tied down by my anxiety anymore. It really does prevent me from meeting new people and having genuine connections...I’m also going through a friend breakup during this time so it just makes me feel more alone. This video made me feel less alone so thank you for this
I know you probably don't agree with me, and you would never imagine yourself as a person someone would look up to, but you're really inspiring. Especially in this video, hearing how much you struggled to break through this problem, it's inspiring me to fix my problems that aren't even related to this. Thanks, keep doing what you're doing.
Weeds really helped with my social anxiety it’s gotten me to realize that I don’t give a shit what people think about me as long as I’m happy being the way I am.
Cool name bro
Yeah man! Helped me as well and with this video fuck it, get comfortable in the uncomfortable.
You look good with no hair. You have a new subscriber! Thank you for sharing your story. I resonate so much with everything you were talking about. I look forward to seeing more of your videos!
Holy shit! That was you in the prank videos??! I saw those forever ago, I had no idea!
Budred123 I love your profile pic. Lol.
Macabresque Thanks mate, I made it myself!
i love urs
@@xXbudred123Xx man, can i use it? The best i saw, lets spread it.
I'm in the same boat as lots of ppl in the comments. I worked a sales retail job that sells spiritual stuff to try and help my anxiety and find like mind ppl. It was great at first ppl would ask for my social media and compliment me, the best was when ppl ask for advice in their spiritual journey. But then, i Can't remember if the loneliness or anxiety came back first of the depression. Idk what caused what but it all came back along with substance abuse. I felt like my co-workers hated me and I got scared to approach people. I am still working and doing better after I watched this video. Thank you Adam! I took your advice seriously along with Toms video on social anxiety. I tried this technique to approach customers without thinking twice and it helped. But I realize away from my job I lock myself in my room and sleep all day, no motivation. No desire to try and connect with ppl bc I am scared. But so lonely. I know I couldn't give someone proper love to I don't pursue relationships. Anyone in the same boat? It's hard enjoying life when you feel like you're doing it wrong but don't know how to find motivation to work on anxiety and depression.
I'm 19 and I'm struggling with social anxiety right now because of an abusive use of marijuana, and your videos inspire me a lot to be myself. I am starting to no longer feel stressed when I talk to other people and it's mostly because of you. I hope you will still do videos about yourself in the future. I never knew someone talking in front of a camera could be so entertaining and such a source for learning matter. also, I hope that you get monetized more often on your main channel ;-). Hopes aside, I wanted to tell you how big of an inspiration you are to me and I also wanted to thank you for being yourself. You helped me without knowing it, and you'll maybe never know since it's an old video,(I wanted to fit with the topic) but I had to share how I'm thankful to see a RUclipsr so true to himself. Thank you very much!!
This was amazing. Spoke so well into my own situation, thank you!
Great Content as always Adam. Small tip about the video quality: your lighting reproduces colours rather poorly. A window will always be the best looking source of light. :)
+ietsization I entirely agree. I'm pretty annoyed with the lighting as well I'm looking into getting some much better lights.
Hey Adam, I just wanna ask something. So I also have a social anxiety issue and what I usually feel is that whenever I smoke weed with people, basically my friends, most of the time I become nervous about myself. As I start getting high, I also start having weird thoughts of those people judging me or making fun of me. I eventually start to feel miserable and always decide that I will never smoke with anyone again. It's like my social anxiety is on steroids because I never feel like this when I am sober. I mean sure I have an issue with it but its not that big of a deal normally. And as soon as I get high, most trips don't really go good for me. Any thoughts?
Thats me dude ! I dont know what to do with this, cause normally its okay, but after smoking weed i think bad things about myself even when i try to convince myself that its ok.
same dude. i stoped smoking weed because of that and if im not gonna enjoy the high i feel like im wasting my money for something that doesnt even makes me feel good.
Bruh im the same exact way, you're not alone on this. I can only smoke either by my self or at concerts. I'm completely fine sober with social anxiety but as soon as I smoke weed this wave of anxiety hits me and I feel like im being judged by who ever I'm with even if its my best friend.
Dominick Gonzales So now what? Like there is no solution for this or what? Because I don't wanna be high like that anymore.
Hi Sahil,
Honestly don't rule out the massive effect that a good diet and exercise routine can have. If you've already tried that and are still experiencing social anxiety I would recommend talking to your doctor about potentially getting on a SSRI. I know lots of people negatively talk about them but for me it helped IMMENSELY and I've never felt better. Good luck!
bro i started binging ur videos. And completely relate. As a 21yr old welder u get molded to be completely hard, not give a fck about anything, in ways be an asshole. When i truly depict myself as a very caring loving person, thats willing to help anybody. But just watching ur stuff aloud me to step back and realize stuff about my self that i need to change. And for that I thank u dude.
I feel like I have gone through similar leaps, potholes, and setbacks as you. After awhile I feel like the anxiety tries to sneak back in after a period of no social interaction. I feel like it's a muscle that if you don't exercise it, it becomes weak.
Awesome video man, keep it up! The new Alan Watts in the making right here.
Wow, this is GREAT!! Would love to collaborate with you one day!
i like your metallica shirt,it sucks to deal with anxiety everyday as i deal with it. it really hard for me it stresses me out.... hard for me talk to others to
+linda path u cute tho
damn dude, you legitimately gave me some great inspiration... I'll start taking you advice into action
I though watching you that I could never be possibly as successful as you are because of my social and inner problems but after watching this video you made me realize that even successful people have or had normal problems, thank you so much mate.
im suffering from very very very bad social anxiety and this has inspired me to overcome it so thank you
Thank you for sharing your story!! I am a little bit late but.... Stay strong!♡
Metallica
+tristan lewis Ooohooo yEahaaa
+Crabbadabba tool :)
I see metalheads :D
+tristan lewis Shirt design done by Baroness' John Baizley.
+tristan lewis Kill em all
I repeat, coolest guy on this planet
You are a great person, at least that's what I think after watching a few of your videos!
I hope I will meet people like you when I start studying at the university. The last 6 months after finishing high school were 6 months of boredom, doing nothing other than shit, eat, drink, listening to music, buying food and hitting the gym.
You are absolutely right about your points. 'The beginning of your life starts at the end of your comfort zone' - that's a quote I'll remember.
Thank you so so much for what you do, you really help a ton of people. One day I was tripping and my friend had a bad trip I was almost in a bad trip but then I looked up how to get out of a bad trip and you showed up. The way you guide things and the way you say certain stuff in those types of situations really help! Also we called someone to help us get out of it and she walked in and she was like “HEY! That’s psych guy he helped me too” So even tho you may think you are not helping anyone you are and please don’t stop doing videos there so guiding and helping!