Anxiety around adults
I'm the youngest person by far in my symphonic band, and everyone there always wants to talk to me. Of course, I have severe social anxiety, so this is difficult for me. It's hard for me to go to practice every week - usually I end up leaving in a panic. My grandparents, who are in the band, tell me that it's a good idea for me to get exposure to people, but it's so hard for me to stay.
Heya Ryan! Social anxiety can be a really bummer sometimes but I just want you to that it's manageable and you can get over it. Here's something that I found helpful :)
Feel free to message me or any of the listeners if you ever feel like talking about it in length. *hugs*
Hi Ryan! First off, you're doing great in going to practice every week! That's definitely tough to do when you suffer from anxiety and the fact that you're able to do so gives my faith you'll be able to beat this.
As for what your grandparents said, they are 100% right. There is no easy fix for social anxiety. Somehow, someway, your brain senses danger when you're in the presence of people. This may have been because past events and experiences or thoughts you've been having. Your brain is constantly looking for danger that isn't there though. The brain is very good at keeping us save, but not good at all at keeping us happy. By ''exposing'' yourself, eg doing exactly the things that make you anxious, you say to your brain ''Hey! There's nothing to be anxious for, see!''. After a (sometimes long) while, your brain will adapt and recognize there isn't any real danger.
One of the best ways for treating social anxiety I believe is CBT - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. During CBT you basically reprogram the brain by doing what I listed above.
In any case, you're in good hands with the listeners here. Good luck!