Shyness, anxiety, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, sweating,
blushing, trembling hands, dry mouth, panic attacks, difficulty to speak and stuttering
are very familiar symptoms to the worldwide community that suffers from Social
Anxiety Disorder, also known as Social Phobia. The intensity of the symptoms
varies from individual to individual with varying degrees of anxiety.
Social Anxiety is triggered by past traumatizing
experiences of any nature, to name a few, bullying at school, aggression suffered in childhood and adolescence, prolonged illness or even as a
consequence of an economical crisis that
generates unemployment thus leading to depressive states and social isolation,
among others.
Unease, fear of public speaking, fear of what others may think, of
exposing oneself to others, of communicating with others, low self-esteem, the believe
that one is different from others, the embarrassment of some unpleasant
physical symptoms like blushing, among many other feelings and beliefs, result in deep depression, alienating
individuals from all social contact.
We went around Second Life to ask residents How does SL help overcome this
anxiety? There we have met people
who have refused to speak due to the fear of being stigmatized, fruit of their
past experiences. We have also found people willing to make a difference and offer
their helping hand.
Selina Greene, founder of
Book Island and owner of a support group named Panic Attacks and Anxiety gives us her insight by saying “for those
who do suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, SL can be very useful as a
distraction tool. The simple and mundane acts of typing and moving one's avatar
can help ground oneself back into the body. It's also a great place for people
to connect and lean on each other during panic attacks, as well as trying to
make sense of them in between attacks. I have learned to control my panic
attacks which happen because of physiological rather than psychological
reasons, which is why I decided to set up the group, in order to help support
those still struggling”. Selina offers
support to all in need. Do visit her at the Book Island or contact her through
her group or IM.
Book
Island SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Book%20Island/171/198/36
Treasure
(krissy.sinclair), Founder of S.O.S. Survivors of Suicide Group thinks that SL
“allows people to practice their social skills, in a safe place
anonymously. They can gain a sense of
confidence from positive interactions.
Practice makes perfect”. Again you will find a helping hand in Krissy
Sinclair. Do contact her or visit her on the location dedicated to the group.
S.O.S. Survivors of Suicide Group SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Schoomere/170/49/23
Our very own Lanai Jarrico
agrees with Krissy and says “Yes! Social Anxiety is a disorder that occurs due
to a traumatic situation that occurred sometime in someone's life or caused by
a severe brain injury that can cause a person to become chemically imbalanced.
There are ways to treat this illness with medication but therapy is also very
beneficial for overcoming the anxieties. I was in a coma in 1997 and due to the
injury I sustained to my brain, it left me pretty shaken up. I had to learn
simple tasks that people take for granted every day. Being 21 with a one year
old child at the time, I knew I had to make myself better doing whatever I
could. I was given a second chance after a 5% chance of survival. Learning to
walk again was a challenge, my speech was slurred and delayed and my hand
coordination was very bad. Through intense physical and speech therapy 3 times
a week at a rehabilitation center helped me grow stronger every day for almost
a year, but that was only the physical part of it. Mentally was a whole other
story. I had major social anxiety and could not be in crowded places and just
building up the courage to approach and speak to someone was terrifying for me.
I felt like I would be rejected in social settings or what I was saying to
people wouldn’t make any sense. I struggled with this for a long time and it
prevented me from going places and doing the things I once loved. I felt like I
was hidden from the world for a good 7 years. As I was slowly regaining my life
back, my brother introduced me to The SIMS Online. It was the first time in a
long time I was able to step out of my shell and meet new people on my own
terms. Whenever I felt anxious, I would log out, and try to push myself a
little more each time I logged in. Over time I grew comfortable with my group
of friends and began sharing little things about myself. I was noticing my
spirits were a bit higher and so was my confidence. About a year into the
virtual world and learning about the virtual world community, I observed that
everyone had a story to tell and it interested me. That is when I came up with
the idea to create a little newspaper to share with my circle of friends.
Little did I know, it would capture the attention of a greater population. As
it grew so did my confidence and voice. The feeling that others were finally listening
and actually interested made me grow as a person, shedding those anxieties
little by little. Here I am 9 years later and completely freed from social
anxiety and the feeling is amazing. I feel empowered and want to help others
overcome their fears, follow their heart and jump in feet first and take
chances in life. I do not want to look back at regrets and what if's. The first
step to recovery is actually taking that step even if it scares you. Once you
have done that, the next steps will be much easier”.
An anonymous user wanted to
leave us a message saying “I have found it
helps me loads; don’t know how I would have done without it. The first
time I used SL though and told some friends I had anxiety they were prejudicial
and their attitude wasn’t nice. Its discrimination, they thought I was a weirdo
and abused of my friendship. A friend who also has social anxiety told me I had
the wrong friends and advised me to start over. I got a new account, a fresh
restart and kept my mouth shut about my disorder. Being able to communicate
with others is a huge step for me”.
We would like to thank all for participating. Have a word to say about
this? Do comment on the article by giving us your opinion.
You need the most effective techniques and approach to help the human body heal itself naturally and that can be achieved by simply pushing the mind in moving out of the way and activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Learn more about it www.howtoOvercomeAnxiety.org
ReplyDeleteThanks for Posting ! first time I have found a genuine post related to Anxiety Disorder
ReplyDeleteSocial anxiety Disorder is very common. Fear of speaking in public is one common fear which most of us share. Deep breathing exercises are excellent for anxiety and many people report positive results from meditation..
ReplyDelete