It’s That Time of Year

Thanksgiving is almost here, and soon after that it will be Christmas. (Or Kwanzaa or Hanukkah.)

And with all of that celebrating comes time spent with family, friends, loved ones, and probably some people we’d rather do without.

Parties, special dinners, get togethers – they all involve eating. And sometimes drinking.

And if you have ADHD, almost certainly social anxiety.

food, anxiety, social anxiety, ADHD

Food and Anxiety

Those of us with ADHD often have anxiety, and when we’re around people we don’t know well, or even a group of people we do know, our nervous nature comes out.

When that happens, we are more likely to overeat or drink too much.

Maybe it’s easier to take another bite of pie or another cookie than it is to keep your mouth shut when Aunt Edna comes up with another snarky comment about your appearance.

Or you feel self conscious just standing there by yourself, and having a drink or a plate in your hand gives you something to do and concentrate on.

Having a drink can help soothe your nerves and calm you down – or so you think. Before you know it, you could be over the limit and embarrassing yourself.

Let’s Make This Easier

Being a part of society means you’re going to have to get out there from time to time and actually talk to people.

And yes, it’s possible that in certain situations you may do just fine. (My youngest daughter could get up on stage in front of hundreds of people and not bat an eye, but ask her to do a speech in class and she froze. The difference? On the stage, she was someone else; in class, she had to be herself. Maybe it’s sort of like that for you.)

So what can you do about social anxiety, other than eat and drink everything in sight?

Here are a few ideas:

So what about you?

Do you have any ideas to add to the conversation?

 

 

 

 

Tell me what you think!

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