If it makes you feel better, I am going through something similar. Just the reverse. As for cheering you up, I am terrible at that, just know that I care about you so you are never alone. A creepy bearded man is thinking about you before they fall asleep. We have a connection. 
1 Like
It is a forum about the game.
I just did.
Exercise is a surprisingly good antidote to depression. Even just going for a very long walk, can be productive. Trust me, I know.
2 Likes
Forum interaction is still proper human interaction but in a different fashion! Donāt let yourself down because of that. (Old school people keep saying that it is not but in reality Iāve met some of the best people of my life through āunrealā online interaction.)
Iām no specialist but I think that getting to know some people of your region here in the forums (and others you may be in), get to know them better by playing together or just chatting around then finally meet them IRL will make you more comfortable than the usual ājust go out and meet peopleā and you should feel less the pressure of the social anxiety.
But in the end, no matter the methods, if itās by phone, forums, messengers or face to face, a friend is not the one that is physically near you often (like coworkers for example), but rather the ones that are there to support you, even if not present physically. And from that perspective, Iām sure you have more friends than you imagine 
Reaching out is a huge step, good on you, OP!
Simply talking about what youāre going through will help, add me if youāre on Xbox, name is the same as on here.
Iām an alcoholic, I know it just delays the pain. Itās awesome to hear that you kicked the junk, thatās a huge success story; most people donāt live through that.
Walking/ hiking helps clear the mind, for me at least. Video games are an escape, same as the booze, but with video games at least you talking to people and thatās a good thing.
I almost died a day ago from a distracted driver, youāre alive bud, try focusing on the positive.
hey if you need someone to talk to you can always add me as a friend. I have a panic disorder that makes me hyper ventilate and get goose bumps up my left hand and arm and other stuff and talking helps sometimes for me.
I understand having very few people around you my family is 3,000 miles away. 
1 Like
Lmao I actually named him after these little guys in LoZ:
https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com/zelda_gamepedia_en/f/f2/DekuScrub.png
But that is usually the Deku people assume.
1 Like
Those LoZ dudes are cute, no lie, but now that your dog is the next Symbol of Peace we expect great things from him.
What the hell?? I donāt care what type of forums this is supposed to be. If someone is struggling they should be able to reach out to anyone they feel comfortable with.
Yes this may be off topic, but itās important for people to reach out and get support. If this is Nixonās way of reaching out, then Iām glad to be a part of the community he feels comfortable with.
3 Likes
Lol great symbol of peace who wakes me up at 4am cause heās bored.
If I knew the magic words to make it all better I would type it out for you.
But I donāt, however, I can tell you what I did to get over my crippling anxiety/depression.
For me personally, having a 2nd job part time that involves hard labor so that Iām basically forced to get exercise was a huge help. Working out is one of the greatest things you can do to eliminate anxiety and depression.
If youāre not willing to eliminate your substance abuse entirely then try and only do it in controlled amounts on the weekends. Show your self that you have some self-control. Eventually you will want to eliminate it entirely but taking small steps at first is okay, its better than not trying at all.
This is actually really good advice and is what helps me manage my anxiety. I have a couple of suggestions that you may also find helps. But, of course, they arenāt for everyone.
You could see if there are any game stores in your area that host pathfinder society or dnd games. It gets you out of the house, you can meet some really nice people who are usually very understanding and welcoming to newbies, and it is super cheap. You usually just have to pay $5 for the DMs time plus a set (or several setd) of dice. Everything you need to build a good character is all online for free. This one in particular helped me a lot because you get the socialization but also can feel very accomplished from it as you progress through campaigns with a character you worked hard on creating.
The 2nd one is the gym. Group classes in particular. Much like the dnd/pathfinder suggestion it gets you some socialization and I have found that people at the gym are some of the nicest most supportive people. When I first started going I was super nervous cause I figured people were just going to judge me but that wasnāt the case. Some gyms even offer free group classes. Paid ones are pretty expensive. I know this suggestion is especially not for everyone but meeting fitness goals as well as meeting other people can help a lot. It can be really exciting to see little achievements like before I could only plank for 30 seconds but now I can for a whole minute!
Those are just the 2 that help me the most. Iām sure others might have some really good hobby suggestions as well.
1 Like
What helped me readjust to society/be more social again:
-
instead of avoiding conversations at work or just listening when co-workers are talking, i set myself a goal to at least contribute once every conversation.
-
Greet and smile when you meet people you donāt know but see often; like neighbors, retail clerks, the pizza delivery person, or whoever. Not all but many will react positively, greet and smile back and some will even chat you up a bit. The less strangers were around me, the less anxiety there was. Plus it made me realize that i am a part of this greater community of people, not all on my own.
-
Take up hobbies acquaintances or friends are into so you have stuff to talk about. Donāt force yourself to do what you donāt enjoy but for example a friendās passion for creating beats inspired me to learn an instrument. The side effect was that we became much closer and i also feel a lot more comfortable talking to her now.
The āgo out and meet peopleā jumping-in-the-water-to-learn-swimming advice is really bad in my opinion. Not sure itās helpful to go for things that are even difficult for folks without social anxiety. Small steps is the way to go, i think.
1 Like
I know it was a friendly suggestion, and it seems like a cute game so it probably attracts some positive people, but Iāve played Vindictus for years and if Maplestory 2 is anywhere near as much of a time sink (both made by the same company) maybe he should play something else.
I suffer from social anxiety myself and I have to say, I just do this out of practice from being nice and it is shocking how friendly a lot of people will be if youāre friendly to them first. But man it feels bad when youāre nice to somebody and they give you that āf*** youā glare. 
1 Like