27F from India. I’ve grown up in a very conservative environment with a lot of restrictions, and I’m currently unmarried. For most of my life, I’ve felt disconnected from my own emotions, almost like I’m just going through things without fully understanding what I feel or why I react the way I do.
When I talk to people I often don’t realize what I’m saying in the moment and sometimes end up saying things that come out wrong or don’t reflect what I actually mean due to which people mistake me. Later, I replay conversations in my head and recognize my mistakes, which makes me overthink even more.
I’m more comfortable expressing myself through text, but face-to-face interactions make me very self-conscious, anxious, and blank. I struggle to speak naturally, either overthinking everything before I say it or staying quiet while the other person carries the conversation.
I think my limited social exposure growing up might be a big reason for this. I can’t afford therapy right now, so I’m trying to understand myself better and improve on my own.
Has anyone experienced something similar? How do you learn to express yourself more freely and feel more comfortable in conversations?
How to pour my heart out?
also what is exposure therapy?