Russell’s Real Lives
Released from the grip of social anxiety – Deepesh’s story
Those who suffer from social anxiety know only too well the controlling influence it can have over virtually every aspect of their lives. Often labelled as merely ‘very shy’ this tag could not be further from reality as the social awkwardness of the individual runs far deeper than shyness. In fact, sufferers regularly find that even the simplest and normal everyday activities can cause overwhelming anxiety and distress. They become hyper aware of any social situations or worry about impending social situations. From one-to-one encounters to small groups and larger gatherings, the social anxiety sufferer tends to shy away from any social situation and keep to themselves.
So, when Deepa called Russell’s office in Dubai, she was very concerned about her son Deepesh. She has seen the work Russell had done with others through Facebook and the results they’d achieved. She was desperate to find a solution for the 23 year olds crippling social anxiety so knew a call to Russell was a good starting point.
She explained that her son Deepesh was a bright young man who had always been quiet, thoughtful and caring but was now becoming increasingly withdrawn and isolated. Although Deepesh had never been an extrovert neither was he an introvert, but now Deepa could see this was changing before her eyes and now his social anxiety had started to affect him daily and she was desperate to find a solution.
“Initially I noticed that he had started to ignore messages on his phone from his friends, and family members… and even me!” Says Mum Deepa. “I knew that there was something wrong, but when this started happening I know we needed to get some professional help. Growing up, Deepesh was always a caring and considerate boy but he was also very quiet when it came to social situations. At that time, I thought it best not to confront him about his shyness, as there’s nothing wrong with being quiet and reflective. I had hoped that his confidence would flourish as he matured into an adult.”
She goes on. “I began to see he had trouble just with talking to people, he would look around the room, I suppose looking for a way out! sometimes It was like he was too anxious to speak. He couldn’t even make eye contact with people which made things awkward. He rarely socialised, and on the infrequent occasions that he did he really struggled. I was becoming extremely concerned that he would cut himself off from the world altogether!
Deepesh explains – “For me, the big problem was in how I would feel about expressing myself. I found that when I was thrown into any social situation, I would feel a physical ‘wave’ of anxiety pass over and through me. In fact, this anxiety ‘wave’ was always in my mind and could engulf me at any moment! Even the thought of a social situation made me uncomfortable. So when I did have to meet people, this made it very hard for me to keep up with conversation, even with friends and family. The feelings of fear and anxiety that social situations gave me made it very difficult for me to live my day to day life, so I began to shut myself away.
It was only when Deepa contacted Russell Hemmings that a solution began to present itself. She elaborates. “It seemed like I’d tried everything to help Deepesh to help himself. It was obvious there was an issue but I was never equipped to know how to deal with it, which is hard for a parent to admit regardless of their age. I did what I could but nothing had ever really helped him confront his confidence issues. It was only when I got the opportunity to speak with Russell himself, that I knew Deepesh was going to be okay.”
Deepesh adds “There aren’t enough words to describe how thankful I am to Russell. Before, I felt like my confidence had hit rock bottom and everyone was struggling to know what to do for the best – but now Russell has given me the toolkit and the tools I lacked before that are needed to overcome my issues. In fact, instead of avoiding and fearing social occasions, I’ve started to relish them! I feel so much happier now. More excited about the future without the burden of social anxiety holding me back.
Social anxiety can control your life and make you feel like you can’t interact with others. However, I am now able to express my opinions more freely – my words just flow! Russell showed me just how social anxiety had affected my life. I had let my fears of interaction shrink my life, prospects and my opportunities. No more though, I now have little reservations with talking to and making eye contact with others, it just feels natural now, and I’m definitely less self-conscious and I’m in control of my body language. Thanks again Russell!”
Deepa has seen the change as well. “It’s wonderful. He’s like a different person altogether! Where I once saw shyness and anxious behaviour, I now see confidence positivity!
Russell used a combination of motivational life coaching and hypnosis to help Deepesh control his feelings of anxiety and the lack of confidence he was experiencing before and during social interaction. It worked for Deepesh and it could work for you, please contact Russell to discover how.
Russell is an expert in social anxiety, confidence, concentration, perfectionism, laziness, gadget addiction, study focus, procrastination and time management.