Self Help

>Yet the symptoms involve more than simply being shy or socially awkward.
I bet you just glossed over this part. Literally everyone is afraid of interacting with strangers. Just because you're a 19 year old virgin doesn't mean your brain is ruined forever.

Non-shitpost answer: Look into self hypnosis. Also, breathing techniques to overcome anxiety.

>>18217606
>>18217615
I am a 30 year old virgin who wo has never asked a woman on a date before.

How many 19 year olds do you know work in a steel mill?

First, don't panic. It's all in the little steps. Have you ever tried reading a book aloud specifically where the characters have conversations? It well actually help you develop responses to some people when they talk to you and you won't suddenly hit a stand still for lack of conversation or panicking over what to say.

Another secure way of overcoming social anxiety is just asking people how their day is and when they ask you how your day is just tell them how it is (safer to start with people you know). BE AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE in the beginning until you are comfortable extending conversations. Eventually, those little talks and questions develop into full conversations and you can translate that into talking to complete strangers. It took patience on my part but it will help you out a lot in the end.

Good luck everyone eventually overcomes social hurdles it's up to you to decide when you will overcome yours.

T. ex-introvert

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>>18217606

>self therapy

There is no such thing. The point of having a professional is not simply because they are trained at evaluating and diagnosing psychological disorders but because the human mind is, for the most part incapable of being truly objective by itself.

Self-therapy is a meme. It doesn't exist.

>I am about 95% positive that I have avoidant personality disorder.

No, you aren't. Self-diagnosis is also a meme. Unless you get evaluated and diagnosed by a professional then your own opinion means absolutely nothing. The most damaging thing you can do is start diagnosing yourself with absolutely no mental health training and then try to start treating yourself.

Everything you're doing is a shitty Tumblr meme. Stop it. Go see a professional.

>>18217649
I went to a psychiatrist in the past about 8 years ago after a brief stint in a psych ward. He did not know about my social inability and only knew about my avoidance of school responsibilities and self isolation that got me kicked out of school. He informally diagnosed me with Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (not the OCD you are thinking of). Which has a lot of overlapping symptoms with Avoidant Personality disorder. He prescribed me a lot of anti depressants that I took for over a year that did nothing.


So no I am not a teen that is coming out of left field here thinking I have headmates because I want oppression points.


>>18217624
I have never tried reading conversations out loud before. I may give that a try. I do not have many problems talking with strangers or making acquaintances or even talking with women in a normal situation. I just cannot move forward in anyway when it comes to anything involving romance. That is when my anxiety kicks in.

>>18217693

>So no I am not a teen that is coming out of left field here thinking I have headmates because I want oppression points.

But you are deluded enough to think that "self-therapy" is a real thing. You saw one therapist 8 years ago who only knew half of what was actually wrong with you.

Like I said, knock off this memery and go see a professional. There is no home remedy for psychological disorders kid.

>>18217718
Its not deluded to think you can do things that make you feel better although i agree it might be good to see someone.

Honestly OP, its going to sound faggy but art and good literature are incredibly therapeutic. Read a book by a good philosopher or author or look at some beautiful stuff and you'd be suprised how much better you'll feel.

>>18217726

>Its not deluded to think you can do things that make you feel better

Doing heroin makes people feel better. The fact that it makes you feel better momentarily isn't the benchmark for quality decisions, anon. Doing the RIGHT thing that makes you feel better is whats important, not including the fact that going to therapy and facing your problems and changing your behavior and thinking through exposure and introspection won't necessarily feel good at first. Always going for the option that feels good is how people get in these shitty situations to begin with.

Reading a book by a good philosopher and "looking at some beautiful stuff" to address deep seated psychological disorders is about as useful as taking a ibuprofen for Leukemia.

Doing surface things to put you in a good mood is not the right step in addressing mental health issues. Seeing a mental health professional is. Getting that foundation of care is immensely more important and urgent than "looking at some beautiful stuff".

do LSD, a standard piss test wont detect that and its out of your system after about 4 days

How do people get to 30 without even going on a date and not go crazy? Human contact and affection are core human experiences. Just seems like a miserable existence without them.

>>18219304
That's like asking how do people live without arms or legs?
You learn to cope eventually

>>18219310
That doesn't mean it is a worthwhile existence.