Overcoming anxiety when going to events or meeting up with others

[Jo****]

For me, it's like stage fright. Use to rely on a couple of drinks for courage. I don't drink anymore, though, so. Just dig deep and try to find what you need. It's there 👍

[La****]

Social anxiety was having the same effect on my life, and even though I had the idea that experiencing positive social interactions would help me unlearn that anxiety response, the anxiety itself made any interaction very upsetting for me, even if nothing went wrong. The solution which worked for me was, boringly enough, medication, specifically an SSRI. Being on the medication reduced my anxiety enough to the point where participating in social situations was not unpleasant by default. After exposing myself to the situations which would have triggered anxiety for long enough, and having a pleasant time doing so, my anxiety response had been deprogrammed enough that I was able to come off the medication without the anxiety returning. It's not as though it's fully gone, but I'm now in a position where working on the anxiety response is possible.

[ma****]

I actually find that kink events/ furry cons were the only two places where I felt my anxiety disappeared almost entirely. And even if I had some, it wasn’t enough to hinder me. I have social anxiety and generalized anxiety disorder and in general I’m just a very nervous person irl. If possible I would recommend going with someone, I find I can’t really ever do anything alone but having close friends with me helps. As far as kink events go, I’m lucky to have friends who have been in the community since 2018 to help guide me and help me feel safe! What ultimately you can do for yourself is go at the pace you feel the most comfortable, start with smaller, private events. Maybe join a local group. Do your best to avoid crowds if you can and never be afraid to leave an event early if it gets too much. Always put yourself first and you will be okay :)