A young woman who was 'crippled by a fear of rejection' says she has cured herself - by doing a series 'outrageous' challenges in public.<br /><br />Sophie Jones, 22, compiled a list of of dozens of challenges to undertake as therapy for the phobia which she has struggled with all her life.<br /><br />She’s so far managed to tick 45 things off her list, including walking into a lake fully clothed and asking to be given items from another shopper's basket.<br /><br />Her favourites include challenging strangers to games of rock, paper, scissors and asking to make pizza in a pizzeria kitchen.<br /><br />She said: "Doing things that terrified me changed my life, and my confidence has skyrocketed."<br /><br />Sophie, of Warrington, Cheshire, said she experienced a lot of rejection throughout her teenage years.<br /><br />By the time she was 15, she began being bullied by her peers at school, which she says made her feel "awful."<br /><br />She said she became terrified of experiencing rejection and started shying away from friendships and opportunities.<br /><br />She didn’t want to put herself forward for things like new jobs or friendships - because of low self-esteem.<br /><br />Sophie added: "I was scared to make more friends. I felt I had no confidence within myself, I saw others with opportunities and thought why did I not have them?"<br /><br />"I felt like it was holding me back. I felt like I’d lost control of my life.<br /><br />“I didn’t feel like myself - I struggled with my mindset and outlook on life.<br /><br />She became aware of her fear of rejection in February 2024 and began a treatment called “rejection therapy.” <br /><br />The therapy is a form of exposure therapy in which people actively try to get rejected as much as possible.<br /><br />And after seeing another woman online asking for a free coffee in a shop, decided to start her own "fear list".<br /><br />Sophie, a social media manager, added: "It inspired me and also made me nervous. <br />“The fact that someone could put themselves out of their comfort zone, I aspired to have that confidence. I knew it was possible."<br /><br />"When I first started, it was awful. The anxiety of asking someone a question would eat me up all day.<br /><br />“I was scared of being judged. But now, I'm thriving and living my life to the fullest with less fear.<br /><br />"I have always seen people dance and sing in the street and I thought they must have a strong mindset.<br /><br />"I knew it was my next step, I've motivated myself and grown my confidence.”<br /><br />Since discovering the method, Sophie has been working her way through her list.<br /><br />She’s also challenged herself to ask a mattress store manager if she could sleep in one of the beds and asking for free petrol and even asked to slide down a fireman's pole.<br /><br />She added: "When I asked if I could have my petrol for free the woman gave me a dirty look and asked why I would want it for free. It can be so nerve-racking at first."<br /><br />As the challenges progressed Sophie found herself receiving fewer rejections which she says is due to her being more confident.<br /><br />She has been able to make her own ice cream in an ice cream van, climbed up stairs in public on all fours and run into a lake fully clothed.<br /><br />Now, she feels free from rejection anxiety - and recommends other people do this too.<br /><br />She said: "I want everyone to realise they can do anything they want. The greatest opportunities are just around the corner.<br /><br />"Anyone can do rejection therapy. It doesn't have to be anything big, it can sometimes just be just asking for the bill at a restaurant, you can start small."<br /><br />For Sophie's future challenges, she wants to go on a walk wearing a shower cap and sing on a train.
