[Marylin]

So I joined the local Labour Party and there are meetings and social activities to attend and join in with but I have social anxiety so it is quite nerve wracking and I am so anxious about meeting new people.I guess making a fool of myself and saying or doing something embarrassing are on my mind.I don't know unless I try if I can do this,it is an opportunity to beat the anxiety and make the effort to overcome my social anxiety.

Like this evening I got and email with all the events coming up which I am not looking at too closely yet cos it sets off the spiral of anxious thoughts,but I am not going to back out of this this time cos it is an excellent opportunity to meet people and make new friends so I must face up despite the anxiety.I have lots of tips from managing anxiety self help books so I can use them and put them into practice,see how much it helps and how far I can get in over coming this problem,it is worth a try instead of burying my head in the sand ostrich style.

[TishaBuv]

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Thinking about doing something is always harder than actually doing it.

That's where I go wrong,I do way too much thinking about things ahead of time!

Good luck with it,I hope you make lots of new friends.

[*Laurie*]

I'm so sorry about the anxiety. I hope it diminishes as you become more involved with the group. I admire you for getting involved! The Labor Party meetings and social activities sound exciting!

It might help for you to remember that excitement and anxiety feel the same to your body. Sometimes when we feel excited our mind labels excitement as anxiety. OR, both can be happening at the same time.