Camming with anxiety and depression

[LowMaintenceSmokee]

this is probably a subject that has been explored but how difficult is it for any cam models to cam with anxiety and depression.
I know it’s such a big issue to those who go through and honestly most people don’t seem to quite understand how crippling it can be. I know some cam girls who really want to try and cam but sometimes anxiety is just too much and prevents them to do that and simple day to day tasks. If there’s any tips that can help any other models out here or if you’re a regular maybe this thread can help understand what models with depression go through that’s if you don’t suffer from it yourself.

 

[SaffronBurke]

It sucks. As far as tips, eh, my advice isn't good, I just force myself to do it, because I've waited too long to make rent/bill money and now it's crunch time. Sometimes I self-bribe, if I work x hours or make $xx, I can order this delivery food or buy these items in my Amazon/Ulta cart. If I put on makeup when I wake up, I'm more likely to work because then I already have my face done, not working would be wasting makeup.

 

[Sweetie_Star]

Depression was one of the main reasons I quit camming in the past. I have an off and on again history with MFC, depression the reason for many of the off times.
Thankfully, my depression isn't ass aggressive these days so I can finally work in peace.
Something that helped me though was really taking the time to enjoy your scheduled days off, so recharge some of the energy you lost while camming. I know those spoons don't grow on trees!
More things you can consider doing:
- give yourself a minimum time to be on cam, whatever you think it is that you can handle, whether is be 1-4 hours. If you accomplish your log on goal everyday, it might make you feel less anxious if you're doing something "right" or not.
-Consider getting a part time job if your depression or anxiety is money related.
-If your depression or anxiety is based on your looks, do your best to shut those voices up, because even though you may think you're the ugliest duckling, someone is gonna think you're cute. I know it means shit when you're depressed, but don't let your self esteem swallow you. Camming is competitive, even if you're not going for rank every month.

 

[Sillykitty]

I have severe anxiety and depression, which is part of the reason that I cam in the first place. Having control over when I cam helps. Having control over my work environment is amazing, and I'm so grateful for camming, because I can really focus on my self care. If I'm having a bad week with depression or anxiety, I can be flexible and put in an hour here or there. For me, the biggest hurdle is getting on cam and logging in. Just like in any vanilla job I had, it's like that sitting in the parking lot before your shift, trying to psyche yourself up feeling.

What works for me currently is an upbeat poppy playlist that I only listen to while I'm on cam. It is a little longer than 2 hours. I start playing that as soon as I log on, and I'll assess how I feel when it plays all the way through. If I put in 2 hours, chances are I'll put in 2 more, since I'm already on. I usually only cam in 4 hour increments. If I'm in a good place mentally, I'll cam for more hours.

 

[MollyMidnight]

I set small goals on bad days. Along the lines of: I'll shower and then if I still can't face it, I'll go back to bed, just got to shower first. And then when I'm online, it's half an hour at a time. If I make it to each half hour and I can keep going then great! If I make it to the end of that half hour and I want to curl up and cry, I allow myself to log off, curl up, and cry.

 

[Lore_Shane]

There's the saying "fake it till you make it" which just basically means that sometimes you may have a goal that seems very difficult or maybe even impossible to reach and that the best way to reach the goal sometimes is to act like you have already reached the goal even though you might not be anywhere close to reaching your goal. The idea is that if you put yourself in the mindset of having already achieved what you want to achieve then it actually helps you focus on your goal and keep you motivated to reach your goal. My advice is basically to fake being in a good and stable mindset and you might actually find that it will put you in a good and stable mindset. Go through your life doing and thinking in the same way that you would when you aren't depressed and soon you may actually find yourself feeling better.

Try also not to be too strict to yourself. If it is a really hard time get some rest. You might get into a loop of pushing yourself to work, not being able to do that and hating yourself for it, which becomes a habit hard to break.

 

[Lillyana]

It's hard sometimes when the room is slower, but what works for me is to set myself in a good mood before. Music, dancing, positive thoughts, or even watching cute animal videos helps me lol. Also setting smaller goals in bad days helps.

 

[Larkin Love]

The best advice I have for anyone with anxiety or depression is to get on an exercise schedule. Before you roll your eyes at me, just hear me out. I have struggled with anxiety and depression every day of my life, and I have seen them both take devastating tolls on my career. The thing that unlocked my potential in the industry was starting a rigid morning exercise plan 5-6 days a week and sticking to it.

Exercise burns off my nervous energy and adrenaline. It releases endorphins to keep depression and dysphoric feelings in check. It gives me more energy, so that I'm not drained by my emotional output all the time. It teaches me discipline. And to top it all off - it makes my body look and feel 100X better, so I actually enjoy showing it off.

There is literally no downside to a rigorous exercise program that mixes mobility/stretching, weight bearing, and cardio. Mix it up. I swear it will improve even the worst case of anxiety/depression.

 

[CharlieCharma]

I'm bipolar with GAD, so, sometimes shit is tough. Sometimes I'm too tired to get out of bed. But I stay on my meds, avoid things that can send me spiralling, and work because I'm a fucking adult and if I don't I can't pay to live.

If you aren't able to stay self motivated, this isn't the job for you. Mental illness is shit and I know a lot of girls do this because of mental illness and the flexibility, but if you let it keep you in bed and off cam you won't be able to make a living.

Don't do shows you aren't comfortable with, stick to a schedule that you can stay consistent on, and have realistic expectations.

 

[ChantelleArmaj]

I have Bipolar Depression and Anxiety myself and I literally quit my job last week (AGAIN....ugh) due to a depressive relapse. I tend to get a job, love it, and then quit when I feel like shit. Then I re-apply somewhere else and the viscious cycle continues....I've had 3 jobs in the last year alone. I finally decided enough was enough and turned to CB so I could focus on my real passion which is writing. At the moment I'm pretty focused on learning how to cam, but I'm actually trying to get a blog off the ground dedicated to helping women with anxiety and depression like me. And honestly, having a goal outside of the chatroom keeps me motivated. It makes me feel like camming is helping me to support my dream.

So ask yourself if you have a dream? Perhaps to see a new city or country? Adopt a dog? Find a cure for a disease? Qualify for Top Chef with your amazing cooking skills? Just think of what you love (this can be big or small) and use that as fuel.

I like to tell myself, "Okay, this is my first month. No pressure. I just need to make rent and groceries this month. And my off-cam hours will be devoted towards my personal development and building my blog"

Sitting down and articulating a statement of purpose can help push you out of a funk enough to cam. And remember that although you may need to cam for a living like most of us do, you don't have to overwork yourself. Have fun with your shows and be kind to yourself! Hell, you can even tell your viewers you've had a bad day and just talk to them. They tend to be very kind and surprisingly good listeners, so you could always have a "Chat With Me" theme when you're feeling down. You don't have to share your deepest darkest thoughts, but you can be real. They like seeing that you're a person, too.

I hope some of that helps!

 

[MiniatureKiwi]

I'm not a model so I can't give direct advice as I would have no idea how it feels to be in front of a camera like that, but I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and my EX who was a model on MFC and Streamate for two years had Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and severe anxiety. We used each other as support and she would tend to break down a lot easier than I would due to her fear of being on cam, but it's what made her happy. Here's a few things she did to get through those years:

1. Seek an accountability partner. Struggling with depression and anxiety can have various levels of incapacitating someone. Whether it be damaging to their work life, social life, family life and so on, having an accountability partner can help to keep you on track with smaller daily goals which helps your overall mindset when you know you can achieve small steps towards a final product. This partner can be another model, it can be a regular viewer, it can be a family member or it could be just about anyone that you know will understand that you'll need regular checking in on.

2. Set your limitations. When my EX first started, she didn't really know what she was doing and would just do about anything for the viewers within an acceptable tip range. At one point towards her 8th month point, she was in a situation which made her feel very uncomfortable, stopped being on cam for three months and struggled to get back to a healthy mind frame. She came up with clear rules, what she would be comfortable with doing (such as no Skype whatsoever) and how long she would be willing to do whatever action it was.

3. Be open about it. Viewers can quickly tell when the mood is wrong and/or bad and keeping it secretive can lead to even worse reactions especially when a viewer lashes out, people leave and you may be stuck thinking you're doing something wrong. You don't need to tell everyone everything, but letting people know you deal with anxiety and depression opens the doors for better understanding and awareness which will allow your regulars to make sure the mood in the room stays normal, even if you might be going through a very rough time at that moment.

4. Stay consistent. One of the things my EX did very well for the last year she was on cam was her consistency. She chose to cam every Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday for 2 hours. Keeping that consistent schedule not only held her accountable but allowed her viewers to know when she would need the most support.

5. Take "me" time. It is very important to make sure that you get "me" time. Do something that makes you happy, such as writing, reading, walking outside, taking a nap, staring at an extremely bright light, and so on. Reset your emotions and relax.

 

[sexworkersanonymous]

this is probably a subject that has been explored but how difficult is it for any cam models to cam with anxiety and depression.
I know it’s such a big issue to those who go through and honestly most people don’t seem to quite understand how crippling it can be. I know some cam girls who really want to try and cam but sometimes anxiety is just too much and prevents them to do that and simple day to day tasks. If there’s any tips that can help any other models out here or if you’re a regular maybe this thread can help understand what models with depression go through that’s if you don’t suffer from it yourself.

I answer the hotline for www.sexworkersanonymous.net and have done so for 30 years now. I've talked to literally 1000's of men and women in this industry and what I've found in 99 % of us who suffer from anxiety and depression has been both a thyroid imbalance of some kind and also a lack of proper vitamins and sun. To produce enough melotonin, you have to literally have sunlight hit the back of your knees for 15 minutes a day which doesn't happen with many of us. That reduces our melotonin levels. Stress takes out all the B vitamins which then produces anxiety symptoms. A trick the doctor taught me is to take enough B vitamins, especially sublingual B12 until your urine is yellow. If clear, not enough B in your system. I've had everyone have their thyroid checked who calls the hotline and we found that almost everyone of us suffered from a thyroid problem. There's a T5 test you can take that's extra sensitive. I also found I had to give up glutin as it attacks the thyroid. I saw another post about daily exercise, that's the last thing. If you coop up any pet without exercise, they get depressed and weird. Being inside all day, it's easy to not get the right amount of exercise you need. I found if I do these things, that really helps. Best of luck!