# Singing to overcome social anxiety



## HyaSing (9 mo ago)

Hi everyone

I'm new here. 

I have suffered from social anxiety for most of my life, although I think it was the worst during my high school years. I have only recently understood that there is a name for what I was struggling with and am currently on a mission to find out as much as possible about it all. So I decided to make a college project I’m working on about social anxiety. What I would like to find out is whether learning to sing in a safe space could help with overcoming social anxiety. Because a lot of learning to sing has to do with learning to accept your voice and not fear judgement, and practise expressing one’s true self. It could potentially be online exercises to slowly build up to the idea of singing in a communal setting, perhaps a choir activity, which would also help people find support and connection. I have spoken to some vocal teachers who teach singing for therapeutic (as opposed to performative reasons) and am now looking to get some input from people who suffer from social anxiety. What do you think? Would you consider learning to sing if you knew you could with practice?


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## Socialmisfits (May 14, 2021)

I personally would not consider it because I sound like I was ran over by freight train. I can see how it could be useful for the motivated and brave SA people among us. I don’t myself as one of those…
I think it is a very good idea really… good luck with it!


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## coeur_brise (Oct 7, 2004)

I feel like it could help in a way. Physically finding your voice is therapeutic and singing would accomplish that. Somehow your physical voice is connected to your inner voice so if you strengthen one, it strengthens the other. Forgive my redundancy.


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## Starcut83 (Feb 13, 2021)

Singing can be a liberating experience. I say go for it!


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## Blue Dino (Aug 17, 2013)

I wondered about this before too. I remember noticing doing things like singing karaoke, does tend to lower my social anxiety. Although this is only the case if I am alone or I sing in front of total strangers that I know I will probably never know or see again in person. If there's people I know there, then it will have an averse affect and my anxiety will skyrocket. But for me, the primary source of my social anxiety in general is largely towards people I know and not so much of strangers.


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## HyaSing (9 mo ago)

Socialmisfits said:


> I personally would not consider it because I sound like I was ran over by freight train. I can see how it could be useful for the motivated and brave SA people among us. I don’t myself as one of those…
> I think it is a very good idea really… good luck with it!


but what if someone convinced you that you could free your voice and it's all just practise, not someone's innate ability?


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## HyaSing (9 mo ago)

coeur_brise said:


> I feel like it could help in a way. Physically finding your voice is therapeutic and singing would accomplish that. Somehow your physical voice is connected to your inner voice so if you strengthen one, it strengthens the other. Forgive my redundancy.


I think this is a very important point


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## Socialmisfits (May 14, 2021)

HyaSing said:


> but what if someone convinced you that you could free your voice and it's all just practise, not someone's innate ability?


Then I would laugh at him and say, frankly my dear I don’t give a damn 😛


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## albakam (8 mo ago)

Blue Dino said:


> I wondered about this before too. I remember noticing doing things like singing karaoke, does tend to lower my social anxiety. Although this is only the case if I am alone or I sing in front of total strangers that I know I will probably never know or see again in person. If there's people I know there, then it will have an averse affect and my anxiety will skyrocket. But for me, the primary source of my social anxiety in general is largely towards people I know and not so much of strangers.


Same thoughts like you.


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