[CheetoTree]

Full confession time: I’m not shy or socially anxious in real life. I’m a relatively happy extravert. But... anything remotely negative, if addressed to me online, turns me into an epic mess of despair and tears. Something as ubiquitous as sarcastic tweets or negative reblogs is sheer emotional pain, making me want to swear off whatever platform offended me and just hide from the world. I once cried for 8 hours after a post of mine went viral and inevitably generated a few nay-sayers along with thousands of positive reposts.

I’ve never heard of a problem like this. Social media is 98% of modern life, but it’s like hot claws to me. I feel crippled by this problem. I don’t know what’s wonderful in my brain that makes me this way, but I’m an aspiring writer and I HAVE to brave social media in order to hope to market myself. It’s an annoying issue, to say the least.

Has anyone heard of a problem like mine? Any ideas how to overcome it?

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by CheetoTree

Full confession time: I’m not shy or socially anxious in real life. I’m a relatively happy extravert. But... anything remotely negative, if addressed to me online, turns me into an epic mess of despair and tears. Something as ubiquitous as sarcastic tweets or negative reblogs is sheer emotional pain, making me want to swear off whatever platform offended me and just hide from the world. I once cried for 8 hours after a post of mine went viral and inevitably generated a few nay-sayers along with thousands of positive reposts.

I’ve never heard of a problem like this. Social media is 98% of modern life, but it’s like hot claws to me. I feel crippled by this problem. I don’t know what’s wonderful in my brain that makes me this way, but I’m an aspiring writer and I HAVE to brave social media in order to hope to market myself. It’s an annoying issue, to say the least.

Has anyone heard of a problem like mine? Any ideas how to overcome it?

I dont have this problem but I have a relative who has this problem... her solution is no facebook, no twitter or any other online social or professional life.

put simply she lives by her own personal moto of do no harm not even to self even if that means not being on social media.

by the way there are ways to promote your work with out having to be on social media. most people do the out in the community promoting. ie scheduling with their churches, schools and other community events as a speaker / autographing their work/ meet and greets/ news channel segments......

I know someone who's books sold out and had to go through another printing and they did nothing online.

in a world where the internet and social media is the majority people actually "flock" to actual out in the community just to be able to meet their favorite persons for real instead of the superficial in twitter/ facebook and all...

when you finish your book and its printing either for kindle or paper version or both just contact your nearest news channels and libraries and churches and schools

[Skeezyks]

Hello CheetoTree: Thank you for bringing your concern here to PC. I see this is your first post. So... welcome to Psych Central. One forum, here on PC, that may be of particular interest to you would be the coping with emotions forum. Here's a link:

https://forums.psychcentral.com/coping-with-emotions/

I'm not familiar with the experience you're having. I have a similar experience on-line to the one you describe. But I'm pretty-much the same in real life too. It's a part of the reason I am close to completely reclusive. Here's a link to an article, from Psych Central's archives, on the effects of social media that I thought might be of some interest to you plus a link to a Psych Central podcast on how to reduce the stress of social media:

How Social Media Affects Our Self-Perception

Podcast: How to Reduce the Stress of Social Media

I hope you find PC to be of benefit.

[Thunder Bow]

You want to get insights from a therapist about this.

[sarahsweets]

I use facebook but I only am friends with people I actually like and talk to so no one there has any reason to say or do anything negative. And I dont give chances. One nasty thing on facebook to me or about me and youre blocked. I will not tolerate it. Plus the beauty of blocking is I dont have to see what is going on in the lives of people that have been nasty to me. One thing that is hard for me to wrap my head around is why people do not block mean people from their social media. I see this in particular with teenagers. If someone is talking crap block them so you do not have to see the crap. The answer I am always given is "but then I wont know if they are talking about me!" Well, to me that is the whole point. I also do not post anything that I wouldnt say in a conversation on the internet. And I never post anything important. If its important it deserves a phone call. I have instagram too-barely use it. And twitter- never use it.

[Fuzzybear]

I think that a good therapist could help with this. Thanks for raising this question

[annoynomous2]

The issue might be that in life you cannot just block people (although this is what I do with my relatives. I blocked my aunt and uncle and then do not show to family gatherings). I may be missing out on the good and bad. Does my condition not let me see that people can learn and include good and bad in them. Now, I have alienated myself from my mother's side of the family. What if I just block out everything?

[CheetoTree]

Thanks everyone. It literally took me this long to get up the courage to check my replies, but you have all been very supportive and helpful. It’s great to hear that I’m not alone dealing with this issue, and that others have had to do what I do to stay healthy: no SM. I’m very grateful, also, for the awesome advice that authors can still find success through community networking. Got to keep that in mind as I move forward!

I appreciate the encouragement to speak with a professional therapist, too, although since I haven’t had any luck with them so far (other issues), it’ll take drastic circumstances to get me to try again.

In any case, thanks once more and cheers.