Skatepark Anxiety

[Pappy Jones]

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A lot of people here don't seem to understand what actual anxiety is. This is not a situation where someone is just worried about not being as good as the other skaters, though that can factor into it i suppose. It's a mental illness that needs to be treated. It's not just something you can power through and stop being a pussy about. Treatments can be medication or therapy. Work with a therapist to find a coping mechanism that works for you. I've had anxiety attacks at the skatepark that have taken a couple of days to fully recover from. If I know I'm going into a situation where there will be a lot of people I can usually prepare myself mentally for it and can be ok. Bringing a friend along can help. Everyone's brain is different though. Anxiety disorders suck a lot, and they usually go hand in hand with major depressive disorder. Take care of your mental health. I know it's not easy, there can be a lot of barriers, financially especially. It's important though.

[close]

I'm actually taking an antidepressant with some anti-anxiety properties. In general though, me sitting around gives me more anxiety than rolling around and focusing on how my body is moving/my board feels under my feet. If I went to a skatepark and didn't skate, it would have a worse effect on me than just getting on my board and trying to find a line somewhere away from the crowded obstacles.

The eyes of randos in the streets is what brings up my anxiety more since I am no longer able to run away from the cops like I used to in my teens and 20s.

Just to give you an idea of what my anxiety feels like, I'm often convinced I'm going to drop dead. Cancer, cardiac event, diabetes, etc. All the fucking time. Heart rate increase from climbing stairs or lifting? I'm having a heart attack which in turn makes it go harder or at least feels like it. I'm glad the meds work more often than not. I try to meditate but I feel like I'm not breathing right or now I'm hyperventilating or am I or do I have lung cancer?

Can totally relate to this. One of the biggest contributors to my anxiety is in the realm of hypochondriac and I have frequent experiences like the one you described. So strange to be aware that it’s irrational and still not be able to control it when that feeling kicks in.

[layzieyez]

It's the worst. Don't ever look up symptoms to shit on the internet unless you want a new way to feel like you're dying. Counter-intuitive mind games.

I keep a jump rope and force myself to jump rope if I feel like I'm having a cardiac event. If I don't die from jumping for a minute, I'm safe.

Also, I'm only in my 40's and taking a baby aspirin a day just to feel better about this shit.

Is this blowback from living so fearless in my youth? I wasn't like this until my younger brother died a few years ago.

[144p]

In my late 30’s I’m sure I was dealing with an undiagnosed severe case of anxiety and should have been medicated. Talking myself out of doing anything that put me into a situation I wasn’t comfortable with, and often times it was a Session/skatepark and all of the possibilities it could have presented me with and how badly they would all go. So much time spent in my house and not able to make myself get up and go enjoy my life.
In 2017 I melted down, tried going on antidepressants and anxiety meds, instantly knew it wasn’t for me and just trudged ahead with a solid support system helping me along the way. I have learned that the solitude of avoiding those glaring judgmental eyes only made things worse. Creating fomo which I would always multiply by seeing my friends all have a great time on social media , and all along I could have just jumped in my car and went and possibly helped alleviate my symptoms.
Brain chemistry is wild, wishing I didn’t miss out on so many fun trips and experiences, but it’s just more motivation to go get out there more now.

[GAY]

It's the worst. Don't ever look up symptoms to shit on the internet unless you want a new way to feel like you're dying. Counter-intuitive mind games.

I keep a jump rope and force myself to jump rope if I feel like I'm having a cardiac event. If I don't die from jumping for a minute, I'm safe.

Also, I'm only in my 40's and taking a baby aspirin a day just to feel better about this shit.

Is this blowback from living so fearless in my youth? I wasn't like this until my younger brother died a few years ago.

That was kind-of the surprise bonus to finding out I was HIV+. It was like, "Well fuck now I've got basically some of the worst shit on the face of the earth, so I'm not going to trip about anything else."

Reminds me a bit of when I got mugged in Amsterdam. It was like my 3rd or 4th day there and I had been anxious about something like that happening since I got there. After I got mugged I was just like, "I guess that's probably the worst thing that's going to happen to me over here," and I calmed down and enjoyed myself.

Dude I'm so sorry about your younger brother. Don't think I knew that about you and that's just awful.

I wish we could hang!

[144p]

I don’t t think a single person dealing with anxiety claimed they were only interested in skating skateparks. We were talking about dealing with a certain situation. And frankly all of us probably spent a lot of time in empty lots and behind grocery stores avoiding said circumstances.
And the point of talking about it is finding a solution to it, to work past it with either therapy or medication. To be able to do the things you want to do. Also, skateparks aren’t the only place full of people, most cities have spots a plenty and an abundance of pedestrians.
We also hear it loud and clear that people without anxiety have a hard time processing what’s wrong and why these things bother/bothered us.
The point of this discussion is to show people they aren’t alone and that there are ways to work past it, not avoid it.

[layzieyez]

Expand Quote

It's the worst. Don't ever look up symptoms to shit on the internet unless you want a new way to feel like you're dying. Counter-intuitive mind games.

I keep a jump rope and force myself to jump rope if I feel like I'm having a cardiac event. If I don't die from jumping for a minute, I'm safe.

Also, I'm only in my 40's and taking a baby aspirin a day just to feel better about this shit.

Is this blowback from living so fearless in my youth? I wasn't like this until my younger brother died a few years ago.

[close]

That was kind-of the surprise bonus to finding out I was HIV+. It was like, "Well fuck now I've got basically some of the worst shit on the face of the earth, so I'm not going to trip about anything else."

Reminds me a bit of when I got mugged in Amsterdam. It was like my 3rd or 4th day there and I had been anxious about something like that happening since I got there. After I got mugged I was just like, "I guess that's probably the worst thing that's going to happen to me over here," and I calmed down and enjoyed myself.

Dude I'm so sorry about your younger brother. Don't think I knew that about you and that's just awful.

I wish we could hang!

Yes, I wish we could hang out for sure.

[Dr Dew]

Respect to GAY for finding the good in a bad situation

[layzieyez]

GAY is such a light of positivity for me and I'm sure  countless others here.

In all seriousness, if you're suffering similar circumstances, please reach out and find help,  professional or otherwise. Don't suffer in silence. That shit doesn't solve anything and you are not alone.

[Surf The Earth]

I feel the best thing you can do is take a deep breath, and remember that most of the skaters there are a bunch of extremely self conscience people trying to fufill themselves by doing cool tricks on a skateboard. They probably battle the same feeling as you by being the coolest raddest dude at the park. Because they are under the false belief that being good at skateboarding means you are of value. Smile at people and be encouraging, treat others with kindness, and know that the raddest thing you can do is just be yourself. go out there and get some G! VALHALLA

[AssFlea]

Skatepark anxiety is actually a pretty cool name for a song.
Maybe it can be about an old man who sells these pills you can take that make you skate free and clear but not me.

I take the pill and i see everyone is hust hanging around jerking their dicks throwing cum at the plexiglass windows of monkey island

[Pango]

go skate the park in the morning when nobody is there then proceed to the streets or if you want to still work on basics, an empty lot or basketball court.  That's what I've been doing for the better part of my adult life on my days off now.

[givecigstosurfgroms]

Anxiety can be crazy disabilitating.  Thank god its not a constant in my life but i still have a dangerous amount.  My way has always been to ride it along and to not see any anxiety 'attacks' as events to recover from or any thing like that.  Im emotionally detacted from my anxiety and try to 'observe' as Bouroughs might have put it.

[padded_shorts]

Isn't the obvious solution to avoid skateparks all together and just skate in a big empty parking lot or a schoolyard somewhere? There is no requirement that you only ride skateboards at designated skateboard areas or that there have to be other people around. I know of tons of spots around my highly populated area where you can skate without ever seeing another skater (and very few other people of any kind).
If you feel like you can't skate anywhere but at a skatepark, you should do some thinking about why that is - chances are you have other issues and skateboarding might not be for you. I'm not trying to antagonistic, just pragmatic.

Generally, I can't skate other places than the skatepark because it is 2 degrees outside and everything is covered in snow and ice.

[Willie]

Expand Quote

It's the worst. Don't ever look up symptoms to shit on the internet unless you want a new way to feel like you're dying. Counter-intuitive mind games.

I keep a jump rope and force myself to jump rope if I feel like I'm having a cardiac event. If I don't die from jumping for a minute, I'm safe.

Also, I'm only in my 40's and taking a baby aspirin a day just to feel better about this shit.

Is this blowback from living so fearless in my youth? I wasn't like this until my younger brother died a few years ago.

[close]

That was kind-of the surprise bonus to finding out I was HIV+. It was like, "Well fuck now I've got basically some of the worst shit on the face of the earth, so I'm not going to trip about anything else."

Reminds me a bit of when I got mugged in Amsterdam. It was like my 3rd or 4th day there and I had been anxious about something like that happening since I got there. After I got mugged I was just like, "I guess that's probably the worst thing that's going to happen to me over here," and I calmed down and enjoyed myself.

Dude I'm so sorry about your younger brother. Don't think I knew that about you and that's just awful.

I wish we could hang!

What’s the story on getting mugged in Amsterdam?

[sus]

A lot of people here don't seem to understand what actual anxiety is. This is not a situation where someone is just worried about not being as good as the other skaters, though that can factor into it i suppose. It's a mental illness that needs to be treated. It's not just something you can power through and stop being a pussy about. Treatments can be medication or therapy. Work with a therapist to find a coping mechanism that works for you. I've had anxiety attacks at the skatepark that have taken a couple of days to fully recover from. If I know I'm going into a situation where there will be a lot of people I can usually prepare myself mentally for it and can be ok. Bringing a friend along can help. Everyone's brain is different though. Anxiety disorders suck a lot, and they usually go hand in hand with major depressive disorder. Take care of your mental health. I know it's not easy, there can be a lot of barriers, financially especially. It's important though.

Its interesting the way anxiety and stuff are referenced nowerdays in conversation.

I've seen people around me bitch about things "giving them anxiety" when in reality it just makes them upset, and they use their reaction/dislike of said action upsetting them to get what they want. Don't get me wrong, i understand that people have anxiety and stuff, but theres a big difference between having actual anxiety, and saying that something that just upsets you triggers your anxiety.

Same could be said about OCD, just because you don't like the way something is laid out, way an object is placed, etc. doesn't mean you have OCD. You just don't like the way something is. But the people that have little rituals with things and number counts, etc to an extreme extent, that makes sense and is understandable.

We've all been there and said briefly said stuff gives us anxiety or gives us OCD, but we also know the people that actually overreact and play it off to get things to be the way they want as opposed to actually having either of those problems

[weon]

sertraline dose got upped recently ayyyy. been feeling good lately so gonna try out the closest park when im back on land. pass the light and where that parking block at?!

[skatefresh]

Bumping this. I've experienced anxiety mostly with crowded parks. If I am with a group of friends which rarely happens these days in an almost empty park, I have no anxiety. I have just accepted that I prefer skating alone and cannot skate properly in a park where I'm having to watch my surroundings every two seconds to avoid a collision and at my age it is annoying when I'm struggling with a 50-50 on an overwaxed ledge and there are 15 year olds doing switch back tails. Growing up we didn't have many parks so I learned everything on janky street spots aside from the occasional trip to an indoor park. We have a street league plaza fairly close and I just cannot skate for shit when I go there. I seriously would rather skate flatground or a shitty curb. Oddly, when I went to Utah to visit a friend, it seems there are so many parks they don't get as overcrowded so I had some pretty good chill sessions at a few parks there. It sounds funny but I feel like my muscle memory is tied to rough ground. I struggle to do a kickflip at a smooth perfect park, but can do switch tre flips on the crusty ground by my house. I have such limited time to skate these days I'd rather just accept my limitations that fight it.