What is the book about?
Rupi Kaur wrote this wonderful yet curious book about short poems that to me describe a hurt past she once had. It may not be about her past but maybe a loved one of hers or even a friend, but there are four chapters that show a tragic past and that it takes time to heal. Them four chapters are ‘The hurting’, ‘the loving’, ‘the breaking’ and ‘the healing’. Here are a few of my favourite poems from the book; “You plough into me with two fingers and I mostly shocked. It feels like rubber against an open wound. I do not like it. You begin pushing faster and faster. But I feel nothing. You search my face for a reaction so I begin acting like the naked woman in the videos you watch when you think no one’s looking. I imitate their moans. Hollow so quickly it sounds rehearsed but the acting. You do not notice”. So, this poem I chosen is from the first chapter ‘The hurting’. The reason I like this poem is because it explains how love can be shown in many different ways and tells us that this so called ‘love’ is not always happy love. There are people out there struggling with relationships because they don’t know how to tell their partner how they really feel because they are scared of their partner’s response. “He says I am sorry I am not an easy person to want. I look at him surprised. Who said I wanted easy? I don’t crave easy, I crave goddamn difficult”. This poem is from the second chapter ‘The loving’. I chosen this poem because it shows that not every girl is the same, she wants a challenge, a reason to fight for her love. Not just to be handed on a plate to her. That’s easy love, not a love worth fighting for! I believe that’s the adventure and pure in a relationship, where you get through the hard times together and it makes you both stronger each day. “You were temptingly beautiful but stung when I got close”. This poem is from the third chapter ‘The breaking’. This poem tells me that beauty can hide a lot of lies. You got to get to know the person before you make a decision if you like them or not. Just because the person you seen looks pretty or handsome, don’t mean they have a heart of gold. Many people have stories and hide their past and you never know they might drag you down with them. Make your life harder because theirs is too. Just take my advice; get to know the person before making a move. “There is a difference between someone telling you they love you and them actually loving you”. And lastly, this poem is from the last chapter ‘The healing’. I really connect to this short poem as my last relationship I was in felt like it was just all an act. The person I was seeing at first was so sweet and thoughtful but a couple of months into the relationship I could see the ‘love’ slipping away like it never existed. I found out that they were cheating behind my back but this wasn’t to be known until the end of the relationship after we had an argument. This person would tell me straight to my face that they loved me. Now I know that wasn’t true, but was it ever? I would highly recommend this book to people who are going through a hard time in life, not just love life but any tragic moment they have experience. It makes you think about life and when I read it, it made me feel like I have to look after myself and put myself first for once. Stop letting people into my life so they can just use me like a pen then just drop me to the floor and not bothering to pick it back up again. This is your life, live it! I wanted to read this book because many of my friends recommended it, at first I was a bit sceptical about it but once I got into reading it I became hooked! Just seeing how an author can create and put together such a unique book still inspires me to not just hide my creativity but to share it with the world. -Mel.
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Do you ever catch yourself smiling while playing with or watching your pets? They’re just creatures, but also your little goof balls. Your protectors. Your emotional support. Your comfort. They make you happy and you don’t really think about how much so until you catch yourself smiling while they’re just being themselves.
We wonder sometimes ‘What do we do to deserve such understanding animals’? Yes, they may not be able to give you a straight, simple answer to why you are having depressive episodes but they are there to be your shoulder to cry on. Two years ago, I got my first pet which was a dog called Ralphy and he was everything to me. I adopted him off this couple that was having a baby and needed a new home for him. I began to get to know Ralphy before I adopted him, so I took him for walks so the couple didn’t have to worry about looking after him whilst they had stuff going on. Then, the day came for Ralphy to come home, little did I know he’d be going back there in the next couple of days.. Why you may ask? Well, my mother didn’t like the ‘mess’ he was leaving and I explained to her surely you can’t just take him away from me just like that? The mess he was leaving wasn’t even bad, it was just simple dog hair. So, after all that happened I was torn apart. I always wanted a dog and I finally got one then it was taken away from me. But then, my parents decided I could adopt a cat. So I decided I wanted to rescue one, so I went to my local cat rescue to see what they had to offer. When I got to the cat rescue, I met some of the cats and the one that came up to me was a black and white male cat. I fell in love with him and decided he was the one! I named him Baloo ( like Baloo the bear out of The Jungle Book ). When I got him home it was like he’s been living there for ages he just settled in so well. It was unbelievable how well he settled, he loved the area we lived in. A couple of months past and one day something just seemed odd to me. Something didn’t seem right, Baloo didn’t come home for two nights. I was worried, so the next day my parents went out looking for him and I stayed at home just in case he came back. Then, I seen my mom with a black bin bag walking across the road from our neighbours.. I just knew then, he was gone. My mom walked in and explained that the neighbour said he found Baloo dead in his garden and he thinks it’s due to poisoning. I just broken down and it felt like a part of my heart was torn out. Straight away I wanted to bury him in my back garden, so we did. Months past, my parents sat me down and told me I could adopt another cat from the rescue center. Thoughts were going through my head like ‘Isn’t it a bit too soon’? ‘Surely, I can’t replace Baloo’? I had to think about it for a while till I came to the decision that I was ready to adopt a new cat. So, I went back to the rescue center and I came back out with a ginger male cat called Alfie. It took me a while to get used to the fact that we had a new member to the family and it wasn’t Baloo. Even mom was calling him Baloo. My mental health began to get bad again, I suffer bad with Bulimia Nervosa and depression and this time my bulimia was happening every night after my parents went to bed. I had no control over what was happening, I would make myself sick then that would lead into my depression getting worse etc. But, then Alfie came into my room one night and just curled up beside me and started purring against me. For the first time in a long while, I felt like someone cared and that someone was an animal. Animals are good therapists even though they can’t answer you it doesn’t mean they cannot help you. I surely learnt that from Alfie and now I couldn’t imagine my life without Alfie we’ve just grown so close and I’m so thankful he came into my life when I needed him. This one’s for you Baloo and Alfie! -Mel This is a subject we all don’t want to experience but sometime in our lives we’ll have to. It can be a tough situation to go through alone and if that person was very close to you. Lucky, for me I had my friends to support me through this experience.
Several years ago in 2015, my friend Chelsey Sharp passed away from a blood clot. At the time I didn’t know what a blood clot was. So I done some research. I had more of an understanding of what one was and how difficult it must of been for Chelsey and her family. My research consisted of visiting these sites; https://www.healthline.com/health/blood-clot-in-arm https://www.belmarrahealth.com/blood-clot-arm-symptoms-causes-home-treatment/ https://www.stoptheclot.org/learn_more/blood_clot_symptoms__dvt.htm So the information I came across explained that a blood clot forms normally from an open cut or womb. When you get this cut or womb the blood normally forms a clot that stops the bleeding. But for this to form a blood clot that is damaging your veins or arteries form a semi-solid lump. And if this continues deep into your body this is known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This is what my friend. Chelsey had. There are many other kinds of blood clots and you can find that information on the links provided above. Dealing with the news that Chelsey’s mom told me didn’t sink in at first. It felt like my heart had just been torn out of my own body. It was damaging and it was just hard to take in I guess. But after this blown over, I finally came to terms that my friend had died. Dealing with this over the next couple of weeks was tough. I hardly ate or drank. Didn’t leave the house or see any of my friends. I just felt like I had to punish myself because I was blaming myself for her death, when it wasn’t my fault. But at the time, that’s how I felt. I felt like I could of helped her more, been there more for her. As she lived in Scotland and I live in Wales, it was pretty hard to see her at times. Before she died, I got a job up near where she lived as soon as I was told she became sick and had to stay in hospital. The last time I visited her, I didn’t know that was the last time I would see her. I still think about her smile, how she stayed so strong during this hard situation she was in. Chelsey was the one I looked up to most. Even though she was a year older than me. The adventures we had, the places we explored. It was the memories that made me feel close to her. After these couple of weeks past, my friends helped me get back on track. They explained to me that this wasn’t my fault, her death was a natural cause. There was nothing I could do but support and love her. They said that Chesley would of been so grateful for me to travel up to Scotland to just see her in hospital as not many people would of done that for a friend. They also said that Chelsey would of wanted you to be happy and healthy. Not to be punishing myself for what happened. Chelsey was so outgoing and down to earth, she would never give up .So, that’s what I did, I kept her memory alive. I got up each morning, thinking right today is a new day and I got to make the most of it because that’s what Chels would of wanted. When the funeral took place I attended with her mom to support her. Seeing her coffin go down into the ground was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with. But I knew deep down, Chels was at peace and not in pain anymore. Seeing her mom do the speech was so inspiring because she stayed so so strong. It was a beautiful send off that Chels deserved. So now, writing this article. It is hard to just go back to what happened, but Chels would of wanted me to tell her story and to keep her memory wide open and known. I’m so thankful I got to know her because she became a huge part of my life. What I didn’t know would happen is I would lose a friend but then get introduced to a new friend that became such an important part of my life. So I believe Chels done this to help me, so we could support each other with our loss. So, for you reading this, I would say make the most of what you got in life. You never know what’s around the corner. Appreciate everyone who walks into your life. One day they might not be there. -Mel I’ve been experiencing bulimia for most of my teenage years. My ‘problems’ started in high school, where everyone sees this certain image you have to be, to be accepted by. That’s when the restricting started. I would hold back from food, I would make up excuses like “I’ve already eaten” or “I’m not hungry”. Back then I had no clue what damage I was doing but, nearly half a year later, my body finally let me know.
I collapsed. I was rushed to my local hospital. I went for tests to check my sugar levels and all the other ordinary tests. When I had woken back up, I had my family to answer to. I was so scared about telling them what I was doing. I tried and tried to hold the truth in but, it just came out when the doctors said that I was underweight. After this I explained to my family why I was restricting myself. I talked about how I didn’t want to set foot back into that school because of the bullying so, in turn, my parents moved me schools and forced me to start therapy. At this point, I didn’t believe in recovery. I didn’t believe I deserved to recover or to be happy again. So as my therapy started, a few months down the line I saw a change in my health. I did get healthier and yes, I was eating. But there was still that thought in the back of my head that kept screaming that I needed to lose more weight. That’s when I met bulimia nervosa. I would binge on food that I hadn’t eaten for years due to the whole restricting myself. Then I would go to the bathroom to make myself purge. It was not a pretty sight, let me tell you that, but at the current moment in time it felt that I had to do it. Then, it became a habit and soon led to an addiction. I would stop socialising, stop going out to places with my parents and overall just kept myself to myself. I always stayed in the house; my mood went up and down. Also, I started to bunk off school which later affected my grades. If you asked me now do I regret skipping school then my answer is a strong yes. But I can’t change what happened in the past but what I can do is work on my future. So, as this began to happen I didn’t realise what I was doing to my physical health and wellbeing. I just want to advise anyone who is going through this or reading this right now, it’s not worth it. It’s not worth putting your body through this physical harm. So I really recommend going to see a specialist or even just opening up to someone like a family member or trusted friend. Also, the team here at Teenagers with Experience are more than happy to help you out and give you advice on your current situation. We are here to help you through the tough times; we just want to see you smiling again. That’s a wrap from me! -Mel. Here are a few links for you to check out for further information; Rehab treatment - https://www.rehab4addiction.co.uk/bulimia-signs-symptoms-treatments?gclid=CjwKCAjwjZjZBRAZEiwAPeLSK-840tGTeQehpAjTWeNzP_1xF46iQd_yGiWUsJ-gqkmU6jv9Z7R0DhoCZvcQAvD_BwE More information about the mental illness and helplines - http://www.priorygroup.com/eating-disorders/bulimia-nervosa If you all know me personally, you’ll know that I adore Alice in Wonderland and her adventures. The reason I connect to Alice so much is because the way Lewis Carroll has written these stories are so relatable to my life and it feels like Lewis has just taken my life and put it into a book.
Lewis Carroll told this story about a little girl called Alice who he related to one of the sisters he told this story to. These sisters were known as the Liddell sisters and when they were told this story they were on a boat trip with Lewis. Ten-year-old Alice Liddell, delighted by the tale, asked him for a written copy of the story. So, how did Lewis come up with all these odd characters in the book like my favourite, the mad hatter. Well, the little girl that Lewis was looking after told him about people in her life that gave him ideas for these fascinating characters. In one Wonderland scene, Alice runs a race in circles with a dodo and a flock of other birds and animals. The dodo is supposed to be Carroll, whom everyone knew as Mr. Dodgson. He had a stammer, and sometimes haltingly introduced himself as "Dodo-Dodgson," My personal favourite scene in the book is when Alice meets the mad hatter and the marched-heir at a tea party they are having. The table they are sitting is so long a whole class of children could sit around it and enjoy a cup of tea! Oddly, Adlice joins them for a cup of tea but then she doesn’t know what kind of party she is in for. The mad hatter and marched-heir begin to sing a song to Alice about her ‘Unbirthday’. An unbirthday is the days your birthday isn’t on. So the mad hatter and marched-heir have a unbirthday party everyday mostly. Wonderland may be an absurd place, but it's surprisingly logical at times. Perhaps that's because Carroll, who taught mathematics for 26 years at Christ Church at the University of Oxford, infused logic into his writing and games. In "Syzygies," a game Carroll created, players change letters in one word to make another. For example, walrus; peruse; harper; carpenter. The story Lewis came up with was so unique because many children's books in the 1800s taught morals or lessons. Not Alice. OWN EXPERIENCE
You need to be very comfortable with your sexuality, and open about it. When I decided it was the right time for me to be open about my sexuality, I firstly wrote down what I would like to say to my parents. So basically creating a ‘speech’ if you like. I would gather facts from other people’s perspective. To do this I would research other’s way of opening up to their loved ones. I would have written down some notes then from this create my own comfortable way of opening up! When the time was right for me, I went to my parents and asked them to sit down and just listen to me, respect me for who I am and my choices. They agreed. So, I took a deep breath and just let it out. And let me tell you, it felt so good to finally be ‘free’ from all this build up of stress, thinking what on earth will they think of me etc. And it all came down to just my parents saying “We accept you, whatever you are. Whatever you decided is best for you, we are here to support you”. Personally, as a bisexual, I tell people a lot, because it helps others to feel secure about expressing their own sexualities. Particularly bisexuals are seen as inferior, or just ‘in a phase’ so it’s good to talk about it a lot, to involve yourself in LGBT+ events and clubs, go to Pride, make sure you are visible and there for the community. As soon as people are aware of you, and your openness, the gays will flock to you. Whether it’s for friendship or something more, the LGBT+ community is a group of minorities, and there’s solace in finding others like you. So, be proud of yourself, be open about your attraction to girls and boys, let other people hear you speak about it, and the ones that feel the same will bond with you. That’s the best advice I can give you for finding girls that like girls. Then, if someone in particular catches your eye, tell them! It’s a lonely thing, being gay and not knowing how to relate it to others. People will want companionship, or relationships as much as you! Be brave. You can be the very thing that helps someone in the same situation, simply by being yourself. STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF Staying true to yourself means that you should ‘put yourself first’. For me, this is very hard as I always put others before myself and I’m sure there are other people out there too who do this. I always get told by my family that I care more for others than I do myself and sometimes this means health. You may think keeping a secret for so many years won’t affect your health, well it can. Like I said before I’m bisexual and I didn’t come out till four years ago. I believe I knew I was bisexual from a young age as I loved being a tomboy and hanging around with boys. But that doesn’t always mean ‘Oh she must like girls’. Not necessarily. That was just me and I didn’t want to change for anyone when I was ten. I was happy being me and that’s all that matters. But that changed when I came into my teenage years. I started to get bullied, I would have name calling like ‘Dyke’. This would lead onto me changing myself for other people and not because I wanted to. I wasn’t accepted for who I was and I believed that was my own fault, when in fact it was society’s fault. Society made teenagers believe that being ‘different’ was not acceptable and that these teenagers who were like me would have to pay a price for it, bullying. I came out in my last year of high school and let me tell you I was terrified but I knew it was the right time for me. No one else, me. And when I did tell people it felt so good to finally get all this pressure and weight off my shoulders. To finally be my true self! To be accepted for being Melissa. So when this happened, this circle of positive energy got created when I thought of positive memories.These thoughts manifested as positive actions. Then, those actions made me feel good and think of good thoughts. So then this created a cycle of positive energy. Mel What is National Teacher’s Day?
National Teacher’s Day is a special day dedicated to the dear, hard working souls that spend their time helping us get the best out of our education! Without teachers, we wouldn’t have the jobs we have today, the life and knowledge that helps us live each day as it comes. If you don’t learn throughout your childhood you won’t make it in adult life like you would expect to. So we believe the teachers deserve all the respect we can give! HISTORY OF TEACHERS One of the most learned men of all time, Confucius became the first private teacher in history. Back in his times only the royal or noble were allowed an education. But Confucius turned this problem around and solved it by going to work for a nobleman, whom he could accompany on his extensive travels. From this, he was receiving much more appreciation! Confucius took any student he thought was eager to learn and study and helped them with all kinds of subjects. The first schools in the 13 colonies opened in the 17th century. The Boston Latin School was the first public school opened in the United States, in 1635. To this day, it remains the nation’s oldest public school. And in America, girls were only taught how to read and not to write. TEACHING IN THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES As you are driving to work you get stuck behind a school bus. The bus stops multiple times to pick-up children who are on their way to school. You see children moving around on the bus, both boys and girls are laughing, talking, and possibly even waving at you. At this point you are now running slightly late and can feel your blood pressure rising with each minute that you are waiting behind this bus. Now, picture yourself in a third world country. There is no bus to be stuck behind. The closest school may be over an hour away from the village you are staying in. The girls in the village are not allowed to attend school due to various reasons such as their families wellbeing coming first before their education. lso, due to the poor economic condition of the country, many girls have to work at a very young age to support the family. The few boys from the village, whose parents don't need them to work on the family farm, set out early in the morning to start their walk to school. This is the reality for a large number of children of primary school age in third world countries. In third world countries, so many children go missing due to the lack of space for schools and lack of teachers that are there. Also, the reason that these children have no transport to and from their school is because it costs them a lot of money just to send their children to school, let alone paying for transport. The roads to the schools are not proper roads, they are dirt tracks and they can cause damage to the vehicle that is transporting the children to and from school. So without transport it can be easy for the children to get lost or even kidnapped for that matter. WHAT STUDENTS HAVE SAID ABOUT THEIR TEACHERS “Hey I just want to say to all you teachers out there, a lot of times you were my best friends in my primary and secondary schooling because you never judged me like the kids who bullied me did. You were often the bright moment in my day. I wouldn’t be the person that I am today without you. You brought me up from my darkest moments and inspired me. Thank you so much”. - uniguinflutist (tumblr user). “ISR has such a good learning environment because of our wonderful teachers. They are extremely supportive and always sacrifice some spare time to make sure that everyone is on the right track, even if that means explaining it a hundred times.” - Gesine (source; http://www.isr-school.de/overview/testimonials/what-students-say-about-teachers.html) "A good teacher is someone who is passionate about teaching others and clearly enjoys it. They make lessons amusing for people and want to help people to achieve their goals." - Emmy, Member at Teenagers With Experience. “Good teachers are enthusiastic and supportive, and can make a big difference to how well you do, maths is one of my two favourite subjects because of the progress I have made. I wasn’t a big fan of maths until I got Mr Datta as a teacher. He’s so enthusiastic about maths – he loves it – and is always willing to give up his time. When I get frustrated, he’ll say: ‘We’ll sort that out. See me after school and we will work on it.’ It fills me with confidence.”- Tayla-Rae. (source; https://www.theguardian.com/get-into-teaching/ng-interactive/2017/mar/31/what-makes-a-great-teacher-pupils-have-their-say) Mel x WHAT IS DEAF AWARENESS WEEK?
Deaf Awareness Week is dedicated to the disability of being deaf. We want to spread awareness to give the world a more positive perspective towards disabilities instead of perceiving them as negatives. Spreading awareness helps people worldwide understand what deafness is and who is affected. They also offer help towards anyone who struggles with deafness in their daily life so keep on reading to find out more information! AN INTERVIEW WITH A DEAF PERSON I thought I’d do a little something different with this article and actually interview one of my deaf friends, she was very comfortable with me interviewing her and she wanted to just let other people know that being deaf isn’t all bad and how she is proud to be deaf! “People say how can you be proud of a ‘disability’ because the term disability invokes the thought that people are dis-able to do something, in my case the ability to hear. So why am I proud to be deaf? My deafness has given me strength, and without my pride in my deaf identity I wouldn’t be where I am today. It has been a long difficult journey to my own acceptance. When I was a kid I hated, I mean really hated being deaf, and because of this I hated myself because I was broken, different to everyone else. You could of asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I would tell you I wanted to be hearing. As a child we were bombarded with the message we can be anything we wanted to be, we just had to work hard! I can never be hearing, and for me as a child/teenager was a hard thing to really deal with. I then believed that I would be nothing, having no confidence in myself. I never loved myself nor believe that someone else could, so I never let other people be there for me emotionally. I became withdrawn into myself. This then all changed smile emoticon I met other deaf people, learn sign language and alongside this I learned to love myself and because of this I became strong. I currently face the prospect of losing all of my residual hearing one day….. and you know what!? Its okay! I am going to be okay! Being deaf is a big part of my life and who I am. I may not be able to hear with my ears but I can hear with my eyes!” -DeafGirl88 So, what was my opinion on this interview I gave my friend? Well, first of all I’ve been friends with Sara for sometime so it’s normal to me to use sign language around her and others. But to actually hear her opinion on how the world views not just deafness as a disability but all disabilities as negative. But why shall we have to live in a world where disabilities are seen as negative? Just reading back at what Sara said really made me realise that life should be taken as a gift of freedom and no matter how hard it hits you, you got to keep on fighting to get out on the other side! If you have a disability make it into a positive, you could even help other people who are affected by the same disability as you. Spreading awareness is a beautiful way of showing that you are a caring person who is willing to go the extra mile to see someone smile. AN IDEA FOR DISNEY ANIMATORS There is no reason why the next Disney movie can’t have a Deaf person in it. They could animate it better now then they could’ve when animation first came out. When watching Big Hero Six I watched Hiro’s hands. They were just like human hands. It wasn’t that I expected them to look different it was just that they were so similar it shocked me. Then it hit me…why hasn’t Disney done a Deaf character yet? Yes, they did Ariel’s friend but that was the only time. Why? I would love to see a full-length movie with a Deaf character in it using ASL. 20 Reasons On Why It’s Important To Learn The Deaf Language
Mel x With anxiety people relate it to getting nervous or uncomfortable around certain things or situations. I wanted to concentrate on social anxiety around food.
Let's start off with the definition of social anxiety; “Social anxiety disorder (SAD), which stands for social anxiety disorder.- Source from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_anxiety_disorder. My own experience with it started in high school. I would hate to eat in front of my friends and it would cause me to panic when there was food around me. To tell you the truth, I thought nothing of it at first but then it became a problem for me.. One time I was asked to go for a birthday dinner with my friends so I accepted. We headed to Nandos, we sat down then that's when it started. I realized what I let myself in on. Everyone was ordering what they wished but I was just frozen! All I could think about was the people surrounding me, thinking they were staring at me. It felt like lights, camera and spotlight on yourself. It was a horrid feeling one of the most uncomfortable situations I've been in and normally I'm quite confident in myself but this time was different. I started to shake then that suddenly changed to tears in my eyes. Then I just couldn't take it anymore so I ran out of the place and called my mom to pick me up. So since that moment I've avoided to eat in public, but over the years I have got a lot better in myself and I know one day I will overcome this fear. How I did this? I pushed myself and I never gave into the thoughts that were telling me that I couldn’t do this. Whenever I got a negative thought in my head I would write it down in my negative journal then I would come back to that note I had written down and reflect on how I could go about changing this thought. This helped me for a while so I stuck to doing it. After that, I started to motivate myself to at least have one meal out per week. And yet again, I would record this down in a separate journal. It’s good to keep things written down so you know how much progress you’ve made! Then that gives off a positive effect on yourself and makes you feel comfortable in yourself. But after a while, things started to get harder for me. I thought I had things under control with my anxiety but I knew deep down I was wrong. So I decided to get further help! I turned to therapy. I made the closest appointment that I could. By doing this I went to my personal GP and talked to them about what was going on and that I would like further help. From there my GP made an appointment! So it’s quite easy for anyone really to go to their GP and ask them to make an appointment for yourself. They keep it all private and it’s a quick and simple routine! So when the day came, yes I was nervous but hopeful. talked to the therapist about what’s been on my mind and just basic asking her how to go about it. So she gave me some great advice like breathing coping mechanism. She explained how this worked etc. and it sounded so rewarding! It took a big weight off my shoulders. We did discuss other things along side that but overall I was comfortable with the whole experience. I walked away positive and that’s the result I wanted! Next time I went out for a meal, I did get very anxious! But I remembered what me and the therapist talked about and I used the breathing method, in and out, in and out. The result was just so amazing it felt like I finally gained control over this whole social anxiety. So every time I get down now about this situation I just say to myself; “It just takes time”. If you are struggling with Social Anxiety and need further help here are some quick tips that might help you! Number one; try looking at social encounters as a chance to have fun instead of a chance to be embarrassed. Number two; When you’re having an off day don’t beat yourself up about it. It’s a normal thing and EVERYONE goes through these days. Even the Queen! Number three; Don’t take anything or yourself too seriously! Here are some ideas on whom to tell;a family member, a close friend, a teacher you feel comfortable sharing things with and you know can assist you further. Your GP, a therapist if you are currently seeing one and your boss at work. Also we at TWE are more than happy to help you out with anything! We try our best to give you what you deserve! These people are here to help you. Please don’t sit back in silence! Break the ice, regain the control. Here are some links that you might find helpful and assist you further; A writer sharing their experience with Social Anxiety; https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/3d2udb/serious_redditors_who_overcame_social_anxiety_how/ 12 tips for social anxiety sufferers; https://mentalillnessmouse.tumblr.com/post/23788896606/12-tips-for-social-anxiety-sufferers Overcoming Social Phobia; http://onlinecounsellingcollege.tumblr.com/post/79550149563/overcoming-social-phobia Photo posts about Social Anxiety; http://socialanxietyisabitch.tumblr.com/ |