I have a mild case of social anxiety. I am afraid to follow my dreams because I am scared of what others will say or think. I am surrounded by people who love me, but also by a lot of negative people who enjoy hurting others. My social anxiety is becoming worse and worse and it is now at the point where I don’t do the things I love or express my opinion on anything because I don’t like people laughing at me or spreading rumors about me.
I love the band Allstar Weekend but I don’t tell anyone because everyone I know likes rap and thinks that Disney is stupid (Allstar Weekend is signed to Hollywood Records, affiliated with Radio Disney). I also want to be on Radio Disney’s Next Big Thing because I love to sing and play guitar with my friends, but I don’t try out because I’m scared of what those negative people will say about me when they see me on Disney or hear that I would rather sing pop-rock songs then rap.
Also, when someone doesn’t like me, it’s all I can think about. Even if I know that they are not support of me and it’s not healthy for them to be in my life, I only think about them not liking me (I’m not one of those people who clings to bad relationships or feels unworthy or lies down and takes a beating, but I care if a former friend or someone I talked to hates me). It is all I think about!
How can I overcome this social anxiety? I’m tired of being excited by an idea, only to have it crushed because the thoughts of what others will say consumes me.