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Anonymous
So uh, is this board just about physical health, or can we discuss mental/emotional health as well? Because I've got problems... As evidenced alone by the fact that I'm seeking help on 4chan...
>> Anonymous
just physical. gtfo
>> Anonymous
>>28563

/b/ is the board for emotionally distraught. seek halp thur
>> Anonymous
>>28566
/b/ moves too fast for such a thread to compete with porn and trolling.
>> sage
>>28538
well since youre here already you might as well...
but never again.
>> Anonymous
How's about you go ahead and ask the question and if you get b&, you'll have your answer.
>> Anonymous
I figured since it was /health/ and fitness, the board covered medical questions, nutrition, mental health, as well as fitness. But the rules aren't specific.
>> Anonymous
>>28646
TITS ...i mean...ask your question, OR GTFO
>> Anonymous
OP here.

Okay, I'm on a PSP, so posts will be slow and due to the short text limit, this will require several posts.

I'm a 22 year old male who since puberty was diagnosed with agoraphobia, obsessive compulsive disorder, and social anxiety disorder. This was before the psychologists decided these diagnosis became a self-fulfilling prophecy. I blame five horrible formative years at an awful school, and poor parenting. (I'll go into detail if asked. Text)limit reached. Continued next post.)
>> Anonymous
My main support system became predictably the internet. If I needed to understand or learn something, I'd check the net. Something was too stressful for me to go do? I'd do it online. Soon most of my food and clothing were procured online. Most social interaction became online. Then about four months ago, my computer broke. Two months trying to get the warrenty honored. A month waiting for a local repair shop to repair it. I have shut down. I only shower if I have to. My excercise equipment goes unused-
>> Anonymous
Limit reached again. Point is, I'm going nuts.

So I give up on the warrenty and repair shop, and decide to try to order the parts from ebay at the local university library. I did so the other day. Got one in, but the other auction hasn't ended, and I have to go back to pay that auction. I tried today, and had a panic attack. I don't go to the uni, should I even be there? What if they ask why I'm there? What if I run into someone I used to know? I'm anticipating every bad thing that could happen. So I go h
>> Anonymous
-home. So I calm myself down, and decide to try to go do some laundry. I go check first to see if it's packed. Every car that passes me on the way there, the driver turns and stares.

You see, a lot of my problem is the town I'm in. When I've lived elsewhere, I'm still quiet and awkward, but I function. Here though, it's different. There's just something unsettling about these people. It's complicated.

Anyway, I get there and there's a single old lady staring at me. I start going through what ifs, turn a
>> Anonymous
This is the 3rd time I've seen a post ask about mental health, and the first two were quite open to talking about it. Maybe it depends on time of day, and maybe something official should be stated. Maybe a note in the rules page or something.

imo, go for it, the board will go away if it's not posted to and how many "im fat how do i fix it" threads can the board handle without break before it's deleted?
>> Anonymous
-turn around and go home. I've completely shut down. See, avoidance became the winning strategy for me at an early age. After those five awful years I decided keeping quiet and avoiding things would be the best way to keep the process from repeating. It worked great back then. I made lots of friends, grew an entirely undeserved reputation, and had girls persuing me trying to figure me out.

Then something would happen, and I'd turtle again.

Anyway, sorry I'm whining. I just don't know what to do anymore.
>> Anonymous
>>28855
Although I could think of some things that might help, I have no formal education on any of it and I think you would be better off talking to a psych.

Maybe try and see if there's something related on google video/etc.

I think sometimes I've experienced similar things, but in a more minor way. It actually kind of helped me gain some perspective, so thanks for that lol.

As for the library thing, are there signs posted saying you shouldn't be there? If somebody asks, just be honest. "Oh, I wasn't supposed to be here? Sorry then, I'll go."

In fact, that might be good in general. Just be honest with people. Instead of trying to be exactly what you think everyone wants you to be and instead of trying to predict and avoid something negative, just relax and do your best.

You don't know everything and you're not perfect, so don't worry so much about making a mistake. It happens, just accept and admit it when it happens. Be honest with yourself and others, and just do the best you can.

Am I completely off base?
>> Anonymous
>>28896
No, what you're saying makes sense.

As far as psychologists go, I've been to many. While I wouldn't describe the experiences as bad, I don't remember much in the way of advice. It was always more of an evaluation. They'd ask about my week and such, but that was it. One tried to hypnotize me. Give me a keyword to release anxiety. Didn't work. I've been on Paxil. I think it was just a placebo effect. I gave up on all that. I've been trying to read When Panic Attacks recently.
>> Anonymous
Although it's easy to say and probably not so easy to actually do, I think it also helps to stop thinking so much and just act.

If I think about doing something before doing it, it almost never happens or gets done for one reason or another (I can think of a wide variety of reasons not to do a given thing, and a precious few why I should in spite of all that). For somebody with an active mind, it can be incredibly difficult to just "do" without thinking about it.

I think it's also related to extroversion vs introversion. In more extroverted modes, I'm generally still active, but it's expressed on the outside, like I'll say things without thinking about them (or weighing options) first. I wouldn't want to always be that way, and I'm still working on getting to where exactly I want to be or finding a balance or something, but it is definitely something worth looking at.

Exercise may or may not help, I definitely feel different when I get around to it. I can get really into it and forget my normal mindset, let it slip away and into something else.

It has to be enough to divert attention though; if you aren't into it enough that you have trouble paying close attention to things like 4chan/tv/movies/etc or doing complex maths or something, it likely isn't enough. Maybe it doesn't work for everyone, though
>> Anonymous
I think agoraphobics etc are too focussed in the here and now. Try to remember some time in your life that was embarrasing or difficult at the time but turned out to be worth it. Sometimes you just have to act in the present to lay the foundations for your future self.

A healthy contempt for your fellow man also goes a long way n these situations. Why worry about what somebody thinks of you? They eat, drink, piss, shit and fap just the same as you.

OP: I wouldn't suggest making any drastic changes or jumping in at the deep end. Little and often, my friend. Your aim is improvement, not perfection. Start off by going to public places where there is no pressure to make conversation - go out of town where you won't know anybody, if this helps. Your first "goal" could be to make eye contact with the checkout clerk and smile at them as they hand you the change. Next time, say "hello", "thank you" and "goodbye". The following time, make some throwaway comment about the weather or ask them if it's been a busy day for them - something that can be easily answered but can act as an opening.

Try to talk to real life people as much as possible, just for practice. A relative to begin with, maybe? You'll probably find that a lot of conversation is actually just meaningless stock phrases and bullshit - not every thing that leaves your lips has to be 24 carat insight and profundity. If the conversation dries up for a few seconds, don't panic, that's ok too. In these situations just say the first thing that comes into your head to get things going again. Mention what you plan to do later in the day, or how you're feeling.
>> Anonymous
>>29037
I think this is sum good advise. Also, I think you may have more social anxiety than agoraphobia. I went through the same thing in middle school and a little bit of high school. What got me through was deciding to be confrontational. Not negetively, but positively.
I still get anxiety and probably always will (my father's a psychologist, so I've absorbed a fuck ton of useless psych shit) but just throwing that smile out at who ever will at least cause them to look elsewhere. And, at least for me, that was all it took for that little bit of relief that got out of situations.

Also, on psychologists, it's all bunk. Any honest shrink'll tell you that. They are only there to listen, and any advise is taken directly from some nutjob's "Handbook for Thinkings". You have to solve your own problems in this life.