Living With Social Anxiety by Loren

Living With Social Anxiety by Loren - May 2026 Scholarship Essay

Have you ever been afraid of your own voice? As a person with social anxiety, I can speak for many that we survive every day in constant fear. There is not a singular moment I can remember not feeling a prisoner in my own body. I had always been afraid of my voice, of its power. I worried intensely how I would be perceived, to the point I couldn’t eat, let alone get a good nights rest in. When I found out that communications was a requirement in general education, I pushed it off until I was forced to face it. I never could have imagined that I would be here today, writing about how public speaking released me.
What many people fail to recognize about people with social anxiety, is that they are not only afraid of the outside world, they’re afraid of themselves. My communications Professor caught on to my insecurities quickly, but he did not pity me. Instead, he challenged me. He encouraged me to take up space, to be loud, to be me to the fullest ability with no care of who or what is around me. Within a short amount of time my life completely changed. My class became much more than a class but a community, something I once resented. I became a person I didn’t recognize, somebody that little me would have admired. Today I am able to present the poetry I used to only bring out in the dark, in front of crowds at open mic nights. I am able to walk into rooms that scare me with excitement and passion.
While this may have been a miracle, it’s not a cure. It’s a reminder. I still struggle, there are times where I still shake at the sight of my shadow, but I always have the tools I have learned and the memories I created along the way to run back to. There is no cure for anxiety, but there are ways to manage it, to adapt. I encourage everyone to do one thing in their life that terrifies them. You will never feel more free than when you finally defeat your own worst enemy. My professor once said, “Whatever you allow to hold you back today, will hold you back forever.” The choice to be a prisoner ultimately lies in your hands. Any step forward from being stuck is a a win, no matter how big. Take the risk towards learning how to live, instead of just surviving.