How can I get out in the world and be a part of society?

Lounge
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I don’t do ANYTHING, when I keep going on the website to look at the local volunteer work, there isn’t anything I can handle :frowning:. I can’t get over the fear of taking the bus all the time to get there as
well, people can put spells on me, or initiate a cconversation.

I don’t talk about it to my treatment team anymore. I joined this site because I get paranoid around people.

When I’m 26 and feel out of touch with the world because I can’t concentrate to hold a conversation with people, and my head starts to hurt when I go home and I dwell on everything that is said; it makes it hard to meet new people and be a part of society. Then I start thinking the people are causing me harm. I paid for art lessons and I quit those because of that reason, and art is something I enjoy. They weren’t cheap either. I don’t know how to be social, and not think people are against me because of what I pick up on when I read people. I can’t act normal for them to not be against me or pass a judgement.

Does anyone have advice? I struggle with this daily, and I feel mentally better not doing anything. Physically, I walk anymore to get past some of going no where and for my body to be healthy.

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I suffer from paranoia and am socially isllolated myself…I hope to do voluntary work sometime but in the meantime I help out here on this site by posting…

also I attend mental health groups, and I go to a mental health club…meantl health clubs are a place where u can do art crative writing and yoga and health management …or else just drop in for a coffee…theyre good places …ask your pdoc about them or ur mental health team

by attending these clubs I feel im contributing to society…

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Going to a gym is an excellent idea because you can really drain some of the aggressiveness that builds up on us. It’s still aggressiveness even if the main target is ourselves. And those machines are like god - they can handle it.

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I know how it is to be socially isolated. There were times when I had all my creature comforts met, and was about to go out of my head with lonliness and boredom. Since I have been put into an assisted living center for the mentally ill I get more mandatory socialization. I’ll never be a social butterfly, but I do need to rub elbows with at least a few people. Total isolation is a playground for mental illness.

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Hey, dont worry about it, you may not be able to do much atm but things could get better, have you tried cbt with your nurse or anything?

I use to go out with a nurse, we went bowling and out swimming and to pubs, it was great to get out and be supported,

It also helped having a dog that i could take out occasionally but cats are fun too and less hassle, something like that could help.

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I’ve been like that for years
But I’ve been seeing a therapist and she has really helped
I do volunteer work and now I go out in evening once a week for Pilates
It’s hard work to get out there and you’ll have good and bad experience but you have to keep plugging at it

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Thank you for all your suggestions, it means a lot. I have some options now. It’s hard to be in public and someone starts talking then you leave the situation thinking about the intrusive thoughts you had while talking to them, then you get a feeling like your mind is open for the whole world to see and everyone stares at you. Happens all the time. Thanks for saying what works for you guys, that’s really helpful

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alot of them out there are sz prejudice, so that makes things increasingly difficult. and there are thugs out there too. I think a lot of people are more paranoid of me then i am of them. And, they always want to make some judgemental comment right off the bat or we have nothing in common. Forget people alltogether, most of them suck. I’m in a bad mood.

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Yeah I know I don’t know what makes us so different. It’s heartbreaking

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What kind of volunteer job do you think you could do? You dont have to just look at ads. You could call a place you would like to volunteer and ask if you can. What about an animal shelter? I volunteered at a food pantry didnt usually have to interact with the people coming in for help. I did sometimes talk to other volunteers though.

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I don’t know. I’m not capable of caring for an animal or reading their temperament. A food pantry is an idea but it can’t be anywhere near the main part of my city because I’m always afraid I’m going to run into this one lady that puts spells on people and she uses the pantry. Utilizes all the freebies because she was homeless. I have a long list of opportunities that I get off a local website and I have the hard copy, and I inquired about 3 places. One never got back to me, other mailbox was full, and the third was just way out of my radius distance wise. Then I got anxiety towards the whole thing and couldn’t follow through on any of it since I had to talk to these people

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I just thought about it. It was only two opportunities. One was serving meals, other was for something like ancestry DNA and on the computer.

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Drive to meetups and don’t mention your sz. Assuming you have a car that is.

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Nope, can’t drive that holds me back from a lot too, and now my case manager can’t even give me a ride any where

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D’oh!

I also lack a car, I’ve been driving short distances with the stepdad’s Tahoe to get used to driving again but I’d have to borrow it and I’m not comfortable doing that yet. I totaled my truck a few years ago when I was delusional.

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I never got the opportunity to learn how to drive. I got diagnosed at 16, was always having issues with my perception. The day I had my psychotic break, it was at night when I first took meds, I looked in front of me and the truck in front looked flattened and very sharpened graphically. I haven’t been able to percieve the road the right way since… then I was too young to know the roads and ways to turn.

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Oh I’m sorry to hear that, I didn’t get diagnosed until 30. That’s tough. I really can only drive with a good hands free GPS, I’m awful with directions. I hope somehow you can drive confidently some day it’s a real thrill. My old pdoc wanted me to walk to bus stops to get around and do some things but I always felt like that was too much work. I was probably being spoiled, lots of people take the bus.

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Do you have a book store near you? Surprisingly enough people like to talk at bookstores. Just ask someone what they’re buying/reading and if they have any suggestions. This doesn’t work at the library but most people love to talk out what they read.

It doesn’t have to be a long conversation, I just think it makes good practice.

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Thanks. I do hope someday i can drive. I take the bus, and I should deal with the paranoia I get on it, but easier said than done. I walk every where I have to get to any more since I don’t have a case manager. Not being able to go in a car/ bus doesn’t hold me back from getting places but it does hold me back from being on a routine

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I haven’t driven since my car died. If someone gave me a car, I wouldn’t be able to afford insurance. Every once in a while, though, I think of renting a car… even if just for a day lol! I would just drive and drive, go everywhere I want.

Realistically? My mi would probably stop me. It’s fun to dream, though!

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