Look up
negative self-talk, it might be of some help to you.
A good exercise is to judge your thoughts too. If one strikes you as being negative try to counter it with a positive alternative. "This went badly last time" could be "Who knows how it will go this time, there's only one way to find out". So even though you're experiencing this "fear" right now Spike, think that this girl you're dating could be the one, that you could marry her one day. Who knows for sure, right? That voice in your head actually, genuinely, scientifically-speaking, knows absolutely nothing. ^^
In anxiety treatment, you learn breathing techniques to counter your fight or flight. Breath in for four seconds, hold for two seconds, breath out for four seconds and repeat. Just like when you go running breath in through both mouth and nose. Give this a shot, it won't do any harm to your oxygen consumption so there's nothing to lose by trying it when you feel shit and need to get your house in order. You might find that it calms you down, I do. *shrugs*
And always remember Spike, up to this point you have survived 100% of your worst days. :)
Sunbro Solaire wrote:
The best thing to do is talk to people you love and trust. It's hard for me to do and I like to work out my issues on my own, but it can be hard.
Not to rain on your parade, and I know this approach works for some, but in the cases of genuine mental disorders please seek professional help instead of talking to your friends about your issues. They may have the best intentions but unless they're trained in some form of psychotherapy they will be of little assistance beyond basic moral support. I say this not to pass judgment on you Sunbro, but because getting professional help feels now like the best decision I have ever made in my life. :)