This is a kinda embrassing question to ask so pls don’t judge.
I did have moments where I like… went to the local library alone, or like an all day school trip or something…
But I never really like… explored outside alone… especially far from home…
So like… I feel scared about the idea of like… just going for a walk all by myself…
I realize I’ve always just asked parents to drive me somewhere so I never got a chance to just get in the habit of being by myself.
I don’t have a driver’s license so I don’t really have like a car to “retreat to”, if you know what I mean, like as in sort of “castle”.
How do I even “feel safe” just being outside on my own? For context I’m non-white so it’s… kinda intimidating… especially in the current context of US political atmosphere.
I have, and yes this is the answer. Meds are great, they’re why I don’t have panic attacks anymore, but exposure therapy is the gold standard for irrational fears (as in not dangerous) for a reason. CBT is also awesome, and it’s what helped me the most. But the biggest thing I had to learn was that it’s ok to be scared, but I still had to do what I needed to do.