Dealing with discouragement

[Bunni]

Hello all!

My name is Bunni. I'm a brand new cam girl (my first show was literally a week ago), and I was wondering how other models have dealt with periods of discouragement during their humble beginnings. I was diagnosed with major depression and OCD, so you can probably guess those two things interfere with my work a lot. My depression causes me to lose motivation and energy, and my OCD causes me to obsess over numbers, order, perfection, etc.

Any piece of advice would be super helpful! Thank you for reading. ♡

 

[Carmita Bonita]

I'm so glad you're here!!

Firstly, while I don't have OCD I have horrible anxiety/depression so taking care of my mental health while camming has it challenges. Camming for the most part is a marathon, not a sprint (Sure there are those 'it girl' types that make crazy money/popularity right away & have instant success but most models won't be at that level right away). Showing up and trying your best is the hardest part for me since I too obsess: "What if no one watches me?! What if I can't make money? What if I don't hit my daily goal? I should just quit no one likes me!" Are still things I think about even after 4 years of camming but I think the difference now is I force myself to suck it up, be vulnerable and log on and it's usually never as bad as I thought it would be. Because I know now I'll feel even worse mentally if I don't just try to put in any hours.

Every hour spent online even if it's a slow hour is helping you since you're on chaturbate, in the long run for exposure especially since you're new. When I get discouraged I remind myself that everyone no matter who they are will have discouraging days on cam where you feel like curling up on the couch with a tub of ice cream and ugly-cry it out. I set easier goals for myself and push myself harder the next week so I'm not taking on so much at once and still practicing basic self care like making sure I eat healthy,take my meds and sleep enough because those 2 always suffer hugely when my depression worsens.

Right now since you're so new, focus on time spent online vs money earned if you still want to focus on numbers. I still will get discouraged after just one hour online when most girls here will say that it can take 1-2 hours before things get busier. Also I notice the more I look discouraged on cam, my performance suffers and people seem less than charmed with my impatience/mopiness so I log off if I'm not able to fake being happy/sexy. Over time, it does get so much easier. You just have to give yourself a chance to gain more experience.

My first camming session was in 2012 and I logged off shaking and feeling like there was no way I'd ever be able to make any sort of money or make a name for myself from camming. Camming is a crazy emotional roller coaster with extreme highs and lows and being on this forum and seeing tons of other models I admire struggle with the same things I do has helped me a lot in feeling less alone. I hope some of this is helpful! I think you're adorable & fangirled a bit when I saw your post here lol XD

 

[OldHippy]

You are a very beautiful lady and I am sure with time you will have a lot of loyal admirers.

Make sure that looking after your health, both mental and physical, are a priority for you and whenever necessary do not be afraid to seek out professional help. You are doing the right thing by reaching out to other models to make new friends, learning from the experts and forming a support group for yourself.

Even when it gets hard don't forget to go outside, working from home it becomes all to easy to lock yourself in your home and your comfort zone. In the long run this is not good for your health.

Good luck, have fun and don't take anything that anyone says personally.

 

[Superhero64]

Well with me on mondays and Tuesday's I really don't get people In my room and when I first started a new months ago I felt very discouraged I could never keep people in my room. But after about a mouth or so I started to have regulars. So just keep at it and it will get better

 

[samijanemfc]

Like anything it takes time to build!! It is always work. We all have good and bad days. Some days I feel like a rock star and some days I feel like Cinderella before the fairy godmother! We ALL go through this, even the most "famous" or "popular" models. Consistency is really the biggest thing. Men are creatures of habit! When you are feeling down and discouraged, go to work, instead of staying offline wallowing, too. Your fan base will grow and they're support actually makes me feel better!!