I literally drove 2 hours to get to a nice trails I've been wanting to hike for a long time, and just sat in my car for 30 minutes trying to make myself go do it. Unfortunately my anxiety won and I drove home depressed and feeling like a coward.
I literally drove 2 hours to get to a nice trails I've been wanting to hike for a long time, and just sat in my car for 30 minutes trying to make...
thats pathetic. i don't get how walking alone in the wilderness makes you anything other than happy.
ig not everyones tough enough to be a hiker
What were you scared of?
I have severe social anxiety, when I got there I saw maybe like 7 cars parked there and I started freaking out. I even took a xanax 30 minutes before getting there to calm myself down but that didn't help. It's so depressing, I daydream about getting into mountaineering and eventually alpinism but my severe social anxiety ruins everything, I'm such a fucking loser.
you should go to local locations and stay away from the crowded places where everyone goes
in 5 hours i will be leaving for 4 day hike by map because in a few hours there will finally be a heavy snow and freeze and i should already be sleeping
Yeah do this OP, try find somewhere that looks unpopular. Chances are you won't run into anyone, and if you do they'll just smile and walk past dude.
I believe in you man, you deserve to enjoy the outdoors, just keep trying until you succeed.
>social
If you encounter other people on the trail, you're on the wrong trail.
in the past two weeks alone I've gone on two 10km hikes where I didn't see another soul. Just find lowkey trails far from any city. Anything with paid parking or permits is a no-go. Those attract tourists like moths to the flame.
Nigga why are you driving on Xanax?
Because it didn't happen
I drive on xanax all the time, it's not really a big deal, anon.
If I ever catch you doing that shit, however unlikely that may be, I am beating you to death in the street with a tire iron.
Is this a troll? How socially anxious are we talking? I’m borderline agoraphobic and even I can nod and say hello to the occasional passerby on the trail. If you’re prescribed xannies than I’m sure you’re also talking to a psyche regularly, talk to them about it. Other than that give as much details as you can about what worries you and maybe we can help you out.
I don't even know how to explain it. I have all the high end gear to go on some of the tallest peaks in the world, I have the technology to not get lost, I have everything planned out, yet I get so freaked out whenever I start thinking about encountering other people on trail, I start freaking out so much and I freeze. God knows how I'll ever achieve my dreams of becoming an alpinist when I don't even have the courage to go on a 5 mile loop, I'm so fucking scared. I've been thinking about just going for it this weekend when it's usually filled with people. Just driving take, taking a couple xanax, and fighting through the panic attack and anxiety that will ensue once I step out of my car. If I get lost fuck it, I have SAR insurance, I have a tracking device, and I have gear to survive in the forest for a week, that might be the only way to beat this fear.
Jesus Christ. Tell me you're seeing a psych, please.
No. I'm just prescribed xanax by my GP. I can't afford a psychiatrist.
>I start thinking about encountering other people on the trail, I start freaking out
Okay, this is part I’m having a little trouble understanding and I’m not trying to downplay your anxieties because I suffer from them too (though to a lesser extent than you do) but how do you function in everyday life? Surely you encounter many more people when you’re at work or grocery shopping or even just leaving your place to get to your car or whatever, do you react similarly to the trailhead? If not, what’s different about the trail that gets your anxiety up? Because logically (and in practice for me) a trail even with people on it is a massive reprieve from being around towns/cities/society. You probably don’t want to be told “bro just chill” but remember that standard social etiquette is at an absolute minimum in the outdoors. A curt head nod, quick no glance “hello”, or even saying nothing and blowing past them is all acceptable behavior. The most social interaction I’ve ever had on a trail is some doofus making a dumb “you clear them spider webs for me?” type joke which I just politely chuckle at and keep moving.
>I’ve been thinking about just going for it this weekend
I would recommend that and going however many times you need to get exposed enough for it to feel normal. If you get there this weekend and you’re still freaking out don’t leave right away, just hang out in your car, try to breathe, relax, and work your way up to it. Have you thought about seeing some sort of behavioral specialist about this?
Also lets break this down, what’s the worst thing that could possibly happen, some Stacy and her friend stop you to talk about the weather or some bullshit like that and you do something awkward? So what, the encounter will be brief and you’ll never see them again after you hike on. Now what’s the flip side of that coin? You finish the hike and you feel incredible, you persevered, you took the step needed to become a mountaineer, you’re gonna be on cloud fucking 9 coming back to your car after mile 5 regardless of whatever happened on the way. That’s what you need to hold onto when you’re at the trailhead freaking out, think of that moment of triumph you’ll have at the end if you just do it.
This is why I stay off trails. Bushwhacking is better exercise anyways.
ditto, try this op. I am averse to being around people so I bushwhack in remote areas.
stop fucking flattering yourself you egotistical cocksucker
NO ONE IS PAYING ATTENTION TO YOU homosexual
>I'm auch a fucking loser
No, you're not. You will try again and again. And you will succeed eventually.
anxhietyfag here.
you made it there, thats 90% of the task. i totally get how it feels to find yourself on a crowded parking lot but thats nothing against the drive there. if you can do that without freaking out you can go /out aswell. im the kind of guy who freaks out anywhere else than PrepHole, on my bad days i either have to stay inside doors locked or be outside removed from humanity.
and if you can learn to deal with it drug free, i never done anyone so far.
what country you in?
Damn anon, that is pretty severe. Where roughly do you live. We can give you ideas of lesser known hikes that shouldnt have anyone around
next time start from your own front yard so you cant turn back anymore
OP could always be like me and talk to himself a bit while carrying a sword on the trails. People will tend to give you all the space you need.
>OP could always be like me and talk to himself a bit while carrying a sword on the trails
No need to be so autistic.
He could do like me and wear a bandanna and carry a machete.
Anon, been there, done that. (well, not the driving 2 hours to say "fuck it, I'm going home", nor the xanax), but I've driven 30 minutes got to the place, got out of the car, went to grab my backpack, saw two chicks coming down the trail and just got into the car and fucked off back home.
It took me years but nowadays I'm completely fine (enough).
Just go slowly and expose yourself to the situation more often (but without driving 2 hours, that's just a waste of gas).
Actual genetic dead end
silver lining here, you are self aware and accurately recognize that you're a coward.
Decisive pharmaceutical israelite victory
Sorry to hear that. Maybe you can find a friend to go with.
Pills ain't going to help you with anything i did the same it got only worse so i tossed them out and started with introspections and meditations i was in state before where i couldn't even go to shop because i was shaking.
You need to start working on that otherwise it's gonna be worse and worse. Another thing if you are going on hike pick places were there is no one literally.
There are literal pregnant women hiking at this very moment, OP. Are you saying a pregnant woman is braver than you?
OP is on PrepHole looking for validation. You can't get more pathetic then that.
>"oh no i will have to walk past people on the trail"
>"they may s-smile and say hello as they walk past"
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
>tires screeching
>crash
>"they may s-smile and say hello as they walk past"
Or they outright ignore OP's greetings, look at him blankly, and maybe laugh at him shortly after he passes. That's where the OP's anxiety probably comes from and why
and
have the right idea.