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Things I have learned so far in cognitive behavioural therapy, specifically regarding social anxiety and depression, a thread:
#MentalHealthAwareness
#MentalHealthAwareness
1. It is important to regularly challenge and re-evaluate seemingly uncomfortable situations, since avoiding them can lead to an unhealthy habit of making false assumptions which in turn shape how we make decisions in the future.
2. Being social does not mean being extroverted or faking who you are inside, rather it is a means of navigation everyday life without restricting yourself in doing the things you enjoy.
3. Strangers will remember just as little (if anything) about you as you do about them.
4. People will notice you less in crowded places then they would in unfrequented ones.
5. Allowing yourself to scan your surroundings, including people's faces, may convince you that you are safe, strangers are indeed minding their own business and do not judge your every gesture.
6. Make yourself familiar with breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation in case you experience panic attacks. If music helps calming you down remember to always have a pair of headphones on you.
7. Don't wait for an audible pause when attempting to tune into a conversation, as it may never occur in a lively discussion.
8. If you have trouble maintaining a basic daily routine, try outlining a rough schedule of things you want to accomplish or spend time on every day. Don't push yourself too hard though. Start as little as "get out of bed before 9 am" and gradually add new things to the list.
8.2 Ask a friend, partner or family member to check in on your schedule every day. That way you have a sense of obligation and won't cheat the system as easily.
9. If you rely on alcohol to be comfortable at social situations, try not to drink more than 1 or 2 glasses, since everything above that will probably make you feel embarrassed afterwards and impede your ability to follow conversations.
9.2 If you notice yourself drinking alone or when you're sad, it may be an early indicator of an addiction. Alcohol should never be a coping mechanism.
10. An alternative but less lethal way to cutting could be a rubber band around your wrist that you stretch and release to soothe the urge to hurt yourself.
10.2 If you can pinpoint what triggered you to feeling that way, try talking it through with someone who is close to you and/or allow yourself to consider alternative interpretations of the situation, as our minds often fail to think rationally when we're anxious or depressed.
