I’m Melanie.
I've lived a life filled with constant
anxiety and depression. Social situations, for me, have always been
something to be avoided as much as possible and because of this I've missed out
on a lot of opportunities in my life. After a particularly bad spell
after my graduation from university in the summer of 2011, I spent a few months
attending a CBT group and various support groups groups, and even occasionally
organising my own meetups for other people with SA. It
hasn’t been all plain sailing, in fact, at times it’s been incredibly
difficult, but I’m gradually learning to
not allow my fears and insecurities to hold me back anymore from living the
life I want to lead.
I’m by no means “cured” of my social anxiety. In fact, despite the progress I’ve made I still feel like I’ve only scratched the surface. I still have such a long way to go until I
can say that social anxiety has no hold over my life, but I’m convinced I will
get there one day.
