# What do you feel is the biggest challenge in your life?



## 123destiny (Feb 28, 2013)

What do you feel is the biggest challenge in your life related to social anxiety?

Thanks!

Jon


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## charlottenc (Feb 25, 2013)

understanding other people


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## Bohuw (Feb 1, 2013)

destressing. 

I am in a constant state of stress and it's tiring and painful.


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## HeyJuliet (Feb 22, 2013)

I have an extreme obsession with my cheeks that I think are always too chubby. (I wish they could be more thin and defined.) There are times where I feel that I'm too fat and ugly to be seen by people, so I completely miss classes and work to hide in my room and wallow in depression and self-loathing. (I nearly flunked out of university and just recently lost my job due to this.) Somehow I just feel too disgusting to deal with people.

I recently got my Overcoming BDD workbook and Body Image help book though, so I'm optimistic about overcoming this for good!


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## DragnoticChaos4231 (Oct 10, 2012)

Trying to keep myself from going crazy :blank


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## 123destiny (Feb 28, 2013)

charlottenc said:


> understanding other people


And when you're understanding other people, then what happens?

Jon


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## 123destiny (Feb 28, 2013)

Bohuw said:


> destressing.
> 
> I am in a constant state of stress and it's tiring and painful.


And when you're in a constant state of stress and it's tiring and painful, what would you like to have happen?

Jon


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## 123destiny (Feb 28, 2013)

HeyJuliet said:


> I have an extreme obsession with my cheeks that I think are always too chubby. (I wish they could be more thin and defined.) There are times where I feel that I'm too fat and ugly to be seen by people, so I completely miss classes and work to hide in my room and wallow in depression and self-loathing. (I nearly flunked out of university and just recently lost my job due to this.) Somehow I just feel too disgusting to deal with people.
> 
> I recently got my Overcoming BDD workbook and Body Image help book though, so I'm optimistic about overcoming this for good!


And when you feel too disgusting to deal with people, what would you like instead?


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## 123destiny (Feb 28, 2013)

DragnoticChaos4231 said:


> Trying to keep myself from going crazy :blank


When you keep yourself from going crazy, then what happens?


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## mardymoo (Jan 8, 2013)

Being independent, I'm scared I'll become dependent on someone and won't be me anymore so I want to go travelling to kind of prove to myself I guess that I am and can be independent.


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## 123destiny (Feb 28, 2013)

mardymoo said:


> Being independent, I'm scared I'll become dependent on someone and won't be me anymore so I want to go travelling to kind of prove to myself I guess that I am and can be independent.


And when you prove to yourself you guess that you are and can be independent, then what happens?


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## mardymoo (Jan 8, 2013)

123destiny said:


> And when you prove to yourself you guess that you are and can be independent, then what happens?


Hopefully feel a sense of fulfillment.


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## 123destiny (Feb 28, 2013)

mardymoo said:


> Hopefully feel a sense of fulfillment.


Is there anything else about that sense of fulfillment?


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## HeyJuliet (Feb 22, 2013)

123destiny said:


> And when you feel too disgusting to deal with people, what would you like instead?


Be skinnier and prettier. Also, cookies to make me feel better.


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## 123destiny (Feb 28, 2013)

HeyJuliet said:


> Be skinnier and prettier. Also, cookies to make me feel better.


When you're skinnier and prettier, what happens next? And what happens just before you have cookies to make you feel better?


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## HeyJuliet (Feb 22, 2013)

123destiny said:


> When you're skinnier and prettier, what happens next? And what happens just before you have cookies to make you feel better?


When I'm skinnier and prettier, I have more confidence in myself and I feel more likeable by others.


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## 123destiny (Feb 28, 2013)

HeyJuliet said:


> When I'm skinnier and prettier, I have more confidence in myself and I feel more likeable by others.


And when have more confidence in yourself and feel more likable by others, that's confidence, like what?


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## TheTraveler (Jan 31, 2013)

stress. it really makes a person tired.


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## thefrolickinggenie (Mar 4, 2013)

HeyJuliet said:


> I have an extreme obsession with my cheeks that I think are always too chubby. (I wish they could be more thin and defined.) There are times where I feel that I'm too fat and ugly to be seen by people, so I completely miss classes and work to hide in my room and wallow in depression and self-loathing. (I nearly flunked out of university and just recently lost my job due to this.) Somehow I just feel too disgusting to deal with people.


This is scary how similar to me this is. I obsess over my cheeks ALL the time. My friends think I'm ridiculous, but it's gotten to the point where I have to wear my hair down and straight in public. If it's in a ponytail, I feel fat and ugly.


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## aloof (Mar 13, 2013)

Becoming a surgeon of some kind. That will be challenging. I hope my personality does not prohibit me from following that path.


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## Lucy in the Sky (Aug 23, 2011)

social anxiety. not being able to breathe...or think or do anything.


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## cosmicslop (Nov 24, 2012)

Depression / Social anxiety. My life for the past few years has been all about my mental health issues. I have nothing else than that. I can't even do normal people things because I can't function like one. My life is at a halt.


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## rac (Mar 11, 2013)

My biggest challenge in relation to Social Anxiety is overcoming isolation. It is very hard to meet people when you find others so difficult to trust, and hard to trust even yourself when you feel you are acting so irrationally. Isolation is a state of mind and it is a test for me.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

It's the initial ice breaking. Once I get through that and get to know people, knowing it is a safe environment, I can open up.

There is a trust issue in there somewhere, but I am a lot better than where I was. I am not closed up as much.


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## cozynights (Mar 19, 2013)

I'm worried that I'm never gonna find someone to be with (yeah, I know.. that's a bit cheesy, but I mean it) and that I'm gonna always be like this - oversensitive and too worried about every single thing. I'm worried about being worried, gosh :um


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## H8PPLNDGS (Mar 15, 2013)

The awful cycle of people avoidance plus people addiction in general; additionally being very unhappy because of people in general. Unfortunately because most people need a sense of belonging with others it causes much stress for those who truly are just trying to survive among the others. To survive you must be with others but at the same time it is life draining at the same time. It is even harder to find a job without dealing with people unless you are real genius.


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## moments (Mar 5, 2013)

parenting


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## MarjoleinL (Feb 15, 2013)

Coping with the panic attacks is the hardest.


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## 123destiny (Feb 28, 2013)

Hi moments,
What about parenting is the biggest challenge in your life?

Jon

p.s - I'll officially be a parent next week. I can't wait to meet my son


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## hazelblue (Jun 6, 2012)

HeyJuliet said:


> I have an extreme obsession with my cheeks that I think are always too chubby. (I wish they could be more thin and defined.) There are times where I feel that I'm too fat and ugly to be seen by people, so I completely miss classes and work to hide in my room and wallow in depression and self-loathing. (I nearly flunked out of university and just recently lost my job due to this.) Somehow I just feel too disgusting to deal with people.
> 
> I recently got my Overcoming BDD workbook and Body Image help book though, so I'm optimistic about overcoming this for good!


Thats funny, I have the same issue with my cheeks just never heard anyone else say it. I've never looked at someone and noticed their cheeks are puffy though, so realistically they aren't doing it to us!


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## Dave UK (Nov 11, 2011)

My biggest challenge is to get as close to a normal life as possible


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## muse11 (Mar 25, 2013)

i don't have challenges. There are things that are like to have and skills I would like to now but the word "challenge" puts a lot of some kind of pressure...


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## 9mm (Feb 12, 2013)

I fear that I'll end up being completely discarded by the system.


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## 123destiny (Feb 28, 2013)

muse11 said:


> i don't have challenges. There are things that are like to have and skills I would like to now but the word "challenge" puts a lot of some kind of pressure...


Well said. As someone who studies how others use metaphors, symbols, etc. this is an excellent point. The language we use on a daily is extremely important.

Jon


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## Stickman13 (Mar 26, 2013)




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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

Just to be a healthy functioning human being..


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## mardymoo (Jan 8, 2013)

Chronic lack of self esteem/charisma/personality


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## 84929 (May 10, 2012)

MarjoleinL said:


> Coping with the panic attacks is the hardest.


I have that trouble as well. And challenge is being able to provide a normal life for me and my boyfriend. I worry my anxiety will get in the way. I don't want to drive him away.

I don't like how my thoughts can suddenly and quickly take over. I just obsess over them till I have a panic attack. I just want to enjoy life.


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## MrEshuPlease (Mar 27, 2013)

Regarding social anxiety i would say its negative thinking. I am convinced that people like me a lot more than i realize. Its just hard to notice in the moment and i become afraid to just be myself. Honestly i have just accepted that is who i am. The people who love me know will love me because of who i am even though its not evident at first. I have come a long way in reaching out.


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## max87 (Aug 7, 2010)

I really don't know how to describe it. 
There are many things that terrify me.
One of them is not being able to progress through therapy and that i'm always going to be like this.


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## 123destiny (Feb 28, 2013)

Stickman13 said:


>


Thanks for that.

Jon


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## catcharay (Sep 15, 2011)

Right now it is school. Everyday or before class, I'm thinking of running away. Don't want to be negative but that's just my feelings lol. I'm not going to because it will be a means to get me to a better place that I could ever hope for after my studies


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## misspeachy (Aug 11, 2011)

Keeping my confidence


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