Wishing you best of luck with the group meeting! It's really impressive that you want to do it even though you feel you might be the most anxious person out of the entire group. I hope it'll be helpful for you and all the members. And grocery stores sure can be terrifying so I feel you.
I hope the meeting goes well. I found a previous therapist I had, asked me what about grocery stores made me anxious, and I also felt aware of the narrowness of the aisles.
Right? You can barely fit two shopping carts through them side-by-side. I understand the efficiency of the design, we just don't live in a world designed for anxious people haha. Thank you :) I'll be talking a lot more about the meetings as they begin, I'm really hopeful I can help spread the idea to other places and people!
Thank you for sharing your story, I have avPD and i suffer from it all my life. Its very lonely, no one understand it. Its good to see someone lives with it trying to have normal life. Love from Poland ❤
I know you can do it Jake, don't let this discourage you, you almost got it! I think you should try it again some time, whenever you feel you're ready. OMG! a music channel! That's awesome. I'll check it out later. I love to sing too, but my only stage is the bathroom xD
Thanks man. Trust me, it took years of wanting to to get to the point where I could convince myself to do it, and it's still very stressful, but it makes me feel good overall :)
Very cool you are starting this up. Not enough resources for us with AVPD. Fact that you're trying is huge. I'm still struggling with my channel , but despite anxiety I keep pushing. I no longer have to hold something in my hand to stop fidgeting 😊
It is really hard. I had sort of the opposite problem of fidgeting, just tending to freeze up. It does get easier to do and I think what you're doing is really important, so I really hope you keep it up :)
@@JakeAvPD thanks. Yeah I will continue despite how hard it is. Overcoming anxiety and stepping out of comfort zone seems to be never ending. But it does work. Ex: 7 years ago I was terrified of visiting friends across Belgium, this Friday I'll be solo in NYC 🥰 so far only positive anxiety, but its still a few days lol
@@JakeAvPD Thanks :) It's a professionally-guided group. I attended one years ago that I didn't see a lot of long-term results from, but this one has a different approach. I'm genuinely impressed with your level of understanding and how you articulate yourself. I think you might surprise yourself with how well you'll do in the group.
I wish so much I could be a part of your support group. I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes. I know you will be great regardless of how nervous you are. I mean look at this channel. Most of us could not put our face on camera for the whole world to see. Not to mention the singing! (Which is great btw 😊) The grocery store can be a challenge. I actually work in one doing online shopping for people, believe it or not. It's helped me get over my fear of them. But the deli is the worst. I usually avoid it because I'm so afraid of asking for something from them. I worry too much about what they will think of what I'm buying! It's so ridiculous the way this disorder messes with your head.
Thanks a lot for the encouragement David ☺It's awesome that you're able to work in a grocery store and get past your fear of them. I'm wondering how much of it for me is just general sensory overload. Not only are there far fewer people where for example I go to run, but I'm also blasting my music and I don't have to hear people talking. It makes a big difference. I think I'd be too worried about all the people so nearby to shop with music in my ears, but who knows, maybe it's worth trying.
@JakeAvPD it's strange because I tend to do better in large crowds of people. I feel like I'm more inconspicuous and I can kind of just blend in to the crowd. If there are only a few people I feel like I'm more likely to be noticed. I think you should try going with headphones. Earbuds are so common now that nobody will even notice you have them. And the music can give you something else to focus on. Although if you're like me you'll be afraid other people can hear my headphones. I always have to take them off for a second to make sure I can't hear anything coming from them lol.
@@David-hr8mq It does make sense to feel less conspicuous in crowds! For me I think it might be a sensory thing as much as an anxiety thing. It's just too much to process, but my brain keeps trying. I have since succeeded in buying a few groceries (though in a different store which is quite a bit more open in its layout)! And you're totally right, like half the people in there have earbuds in or are talking on their phones or both. I would definitely still feel pretty self-conscious about it, even though it doesn't make sense. And in some ways it's nice that I know those people are focused on things other than me, but it really does rattle my brain as I hear and see all these people talking and have to consciously remind myself "they're not talking to you, ignore it, do your thing".
this is true, for me at least, at least in some situations - living in nyc produced much less anxiety in my life than living in a smaller town, where i would get out of the house much less.
plus, in a more crowded place, not that it helps, but it is true that there would technically be a higher chance for someone else to be there acting weirder than you think you are. ;-)
Thanks for the video! Do you know of any online AvPD support groups? I haven't been able to find one. I was thinking an online group would be a good starting point for some people because a) it doesn't require you to leave the house to have some new social interactions and b) for those who choose, they don't need to turn on their camera or even their mic until they are comfortable doing so. Thanks again for your service to sufferers with your sharing of your journey.
Thanks man. There are not any online AvPD support groups that I'm aware of, the closest thing would probably be the AvPD subreddit's Discord server. When I was planning my group I definitely considered doing it online. It'd be a lot easier to get people together and it has those upsides you mention. But it brings its own difficulties. For example, not having to leave the house is nice, but the tradeoff is that the interactions being virtual only feel kind of stilted and unreal. It's nice to have the people to talk to, but I don't know that it could really give the same feeling of moving forward and making progress-and I think places like we have here can be similarly good for finding people to talk to. Similarly, not having to turn on your camera or mic until you feel ready is great-but how many of us would ever feel ready? Who is going to be the first person to turn their mic on, knowing that there's a good chance no one else will feel ready at the same time? Then you feel awkward, turn it off again or leave. It seems to me like it might stagnate in that sense. Nevertheless, I am still thinking about possible ways to host an online support group that might be able to work past these obstacles. I'm focused on getting my local group up-and-running for now, but I won't forget how many people have told me they're interested in an online group, and we'll see what happens :)
:) by the way I'm still really bad about commenting on other people's videos, but you sing beautifully. Also, if you ever want someone to talk to, I'm here :)
I think most people with AvPD tend to have overly low self-esteem rather than the opposite. Neither is ideal for personal or interpersonal well-being, but neither on its own makes you a bad person :)
@@JakeAvPD I agree with you, i choose how treat people in my life, i can be nice too. If i get you right, is AvPD a form of narcissim, maybe vulnerable/covert?
Hey Jake, do you still have Propanolol? What's your experience with them so far? I recently got them again, and so far I feel less restless, which is pretty nice.
I do, yeah! Less restless is a pretty good way of describing how I felt taking it at first. I had persistent chest/head aching from anxiety, to the point of being extremely distracting, depressing, and kinda nauseating, and all that went away while the Propranolol was working (and came back when it wore off). These symptoms and more like them are much worse when I'm interacting with others. Now, for whatever reason, the anxiety-aching while alone is much less persistent, so I mostly take the Propranolol as needed when I'm out and about, making phone calls, etc., for which it is still extremely helpful.
@@JakeAvPD I might transition to occasional use as well. The distractiveness of the "anxiety-symptoms" is more apparent for me now. I always have extreme nervousness and pressure on my chest and stomache, wich indeed are kinda nauseating at times. Especially energy-draining and depressing. I feel the symptoms more intense during social interactions, especially when it's not superficial. Stress for me is omnipresent though, even when I'm alone. For both situations I feel propanolol "working" at the moment. Thanks for sharing your update on them.
Wishing you best of luck with the group meeting! It's really impressive that you want to do it even though you feel you might be the most anxious person out of the entire group. I hope it'll be helpful for you and all the members. And grocery stores sure can be terrifying so I feel you.
Glad to see a new video !!! Talk to ya soon!
I hope the meeting goes well. I found a previous therapist I had, asked me what about grocery stores made me anxious, and I also felt aware of the narrowness of the aisles.
Right? You can barely fit two shopping carts through them side-by-side. I understand the efficiency of the design, we just don't live in a world designed for anxious people haha. Thank you :) I'll be talking a lot more about the meetings as they begin, I'm really hopeful I can help spread the idea to other places and people!
Thank you for sharing your story, I have avPD and i suffer from it all my life. Its very lonely, no one understand it. Its good to see someone lives with it trying to have normal life. Love from Poland ❤
❤🙂
I know you can do it Jake, don't let this discourage you, you almost got it! I think you should try it again some time, whenever you feel you're ready.
OMG! a music channel! That's awesome. I'll check it out later. I love to sing too, but my only stage is the bathroom xD
Thanks my man :D
Amazing, I’m way to self conscious to do videos or sing , it’s great you can do that 👍
Thanks man. Trust me, it took years of wanting to to get to the point where I could convince myself to do it, and it's still very stressful, but it makes me feel good overall :)
Very cool you are starting this up. Not enough resources for us with AVPD. Fact that you're trying is huge.
I'm still struggling with my channel , but despite anxiety I keep pushing. I no longer have to hold something in my hand to stop fidgeting 😊
It is really hard. I had sort of the opposite problem of fidgeting, just tending to freeze up. It does get easier to do and I think what you're doing is really important, so I really hope you keep it up :)
@@JakeAvPD thanks. Yeah I will continue despite how hard it is. Overcoming anxiety and stepping out of comfort zone seems to be never ending. But it does work. Ex: 7 years ago I was terrified of visiting friends across Belgium, this Friday I'll be solo in NYC 🥰 so far only positive anxiety, but its still a few days lol
@@superanxietychick7035 Congrats! I hope you have a great time :)
❤
Rooting for you! I'm so happy to see how much you've changed only from your first to this video (in a positive way)! Keep it up!
Thanks man :)
Got my first meeting in a couple of months as well. Best of luck to you!
Thank you, and the same to you :) Is your group also a peer group or professionally-guided?
@@JakeAvPD Thanks :) It's a professionally-guided group. I attended one years ago that I didn't see a lot of long-term results from, but this one has a different approach.
I'm genuinely impressed with your level of understanding and how you articulate yourself. I think you might surprise yourself with how well you'll do in the group.
@@seriall1337 Thanks for the kind words, I really hope so :)
You could have a short online meeting first to get used to each other. :)
I wish so much I could be a part of your support group. I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes. I know you will be great regardless of how nervous you are. I mean look at this channel. Most of us could not put our face on camera for the whole world to see. Not to mention the singing! (Which is great btw 😊)
The grocery store can be a challenge. I actually work in one doing online shopping for people, believe it or not. It's helped me get over my fear of them. But the deli is the worst. I usually avoid it because I'm so afraid of asking for something from them. I worry too much about what they will think of what I'm buying! It's so ridiculous the way this disorder messes with your head.
Thanks a lot for the encouragement David ☺It's awesome that you're able to work in a grocery store and get past your fear of them. I'm wondering how much of it for me is just general sensory overload. Not only are there far fewer people where for example I go to run, but I'm also blasting my music and I don't have to hear people talking. It makes a big difference. I think I'd be too worried about all the people so nearby to shop with music in my ears, but who knows, maybe it's worth trying.
@JakeAvPD it's strange because I tend to do better in large crowds of people. I feel like I'm more inconspicuous and I can kind of just blend in to the crowd. If there are only a few people I feel like I'm more likely to be noticed. I think you should try going with headphones. Earbuds are so common now that nobody will even notice you have them. And the music can give you something else to focus on. Although if you're like me you'll be afraid other people can hear my headphones. I always have to take them off for a second to make sure I can't hear anything coming from them lol.
@@David-hr8mq It does make sense to feel less conspicuous in crowds! For me I think it might be a sensory thing as much as an anxiety thing. It's just too much to process, but my brain keeps trying. I have since succeeded in buying a few groceries (though in a different store which is quite a bit more open in its layout)! And you're totally right, like half the people in there have earbuds in or are talking on their phones or both. I would definitely still feel pretty self-conscious about it, even though it doesn't make sense. And in some ways it's nice that I know those people are focused on things other than me, but it really does rattle my brain as I hear and see all these people talking and have to consciously remind myself "they're not talking to you, ignore it, do your thing".
this is true, for me at least, at least in some situations - living in nyc produced much less anxiety in my life than living in a smaller town, where i would get out of the house much less.
plus, in a more crowded place, not that it helps, but it is true that there would technically be a higher chance for someone else to be there acting weirder than you think you are. ;-)
Thanks for the video!
Do you know of any online AvPD support groups? I haven't been able to find one.
I was thinking an online group would be a good starting point for some people because a) it doesn't require you to leave the house to have some new social interactions and b) for those who choose, they don't need to turn on their camera or even their mic until they are comfortable doing so.
Thanks again for your service to sufferers with your sharing of your journey.
Thanks man. There are not any online AvPD support groups that I'm aware of, the closest thing would probably be the AvPD subreddit's Discord server. When I was planning my group I definitely considered doing it online. It'd be a lot easier to get people together and it has those upsides you mention. But it brings its own difficulties. For example, not having to leave the house is nice, but the tradeoff is that the interactions being virtual only feel kind of stilted and unreal. It's nice to have the people to talk to, but I don't know that it could really give the same feeling of moving forward and making progress-and I think places like we have here can be similarly good for finding people to talk to.
Similarly, not having to turn on your camera or mic until you feel ready is great-but how many of us would ever feel ready? Who is going to be the first person to turn their mic on, knowing that there's a good chance no one else will feel ready at the same time? Then you feel awkward, turn it off again or leave. It seems to me like it might stagnate in that sense.
Nevertheless, I am still thinking about possible ways to host an online support group that might be able to work past these obstacles. I'm focused on getting my local group up-and-running for now, but I won't forget how many people have told me they're interested in an online group, and we'll see what happens :)
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply.
Gooooo Jake!
:)
by the way I'm still really bad about commenting on other people's videos, but you sing beautifully. Also, if you ever want someone to talk to, I'm here :)
Aw thanks!! I enjoyed your cover as well! Right back at you if you'd like to talk
How did the meeting go?
I'm still reflecting on it! I'll make a video about it soon. I will say I was surprisingly proud of myself conversationally speaking :)
I’ve been diagnostised with AvPd and mixed pd, tell me please there is no way im narcisstic.
I think most people with AvPD tend to have overly low self-esteem rather than the opposite. Neither is ideal for personal or interpersonal well-being, but neither on its own makes you a bad person :)
@@JakeAvPD I agree with you, i choose how treat people in my life, i can be nice too. If i get you right, is AvPD a form of narcissim, maybe vulnerable/covert?
@@andraszsiros2567 No, I think it's kind of the opposite. People with AvPD tend to have very low self-worth, while often being quite empathetic.
Hey Jake, do you still have Propanolol? What's your experience with them so far? I recently got them again, and so far I feel less restless, which is pretty nice.
I do, yeah! Less restless is a pretty good way of describing how I felt taking it at first. I had persistent chest/head aching from anxiety, to the point of being extremely distracting, depressing, and kinda nauseating, and all that went away while the Propranolol was working (and came back when it wore off). These symptoms and more like them are much worse when I'm interacting with others. Now, for whatever reason, the anxiety-aching while alone is much less persistent, so I mostly take the Propranolol as needed when I'm out and about, making phone calls, etc., for which it is still extremely helpful.
@@JakeAvPD I might transition to occasional use as well. The distractiveness of the "anxiety-symptoms" is more apparent for me now. I always have extreme nervousness and pressure on my chest and stomache, wich indeed are kinda nauseating at times. Especially energy-draining and depressing. I feel the symptoms more intense during social interactions, especially when it's not superficial. Stress for me is omnipresent though, even when I'm alone. For both situations I feel propanolol "working" at the moment.
Thanks for sharing your update on them.