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Do you have social anxiety?

Yes, because my social ineptitude has gotten me into trouble and denied me opportunities.
At this point I keep a fair distance from everyone, and I don't have friends.
 
Yeah, but it's gotten better as I've gotten older. As a child I struggled to even buy things in a store.

In my college recently I was able to go right up to another group of guys, introduce myself, and they accepted me right into a group project.

I think as I get older, it'll keep getting easier. I've done quite a bit of volunteering and it helped some. Places such as a church, the Special Olympics, a museum, and I worked front desk at a hotel for a short time while in highschool. (mostly did housekeeping though). But I think that helped too.
 
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Unfortunately yes, but it's very selective. When I had to be at the front desk at my previous job I'd sometimes feel so nervous I'd flush red like a tomato and could barely speak, and other times barely cared at all. I wish I understood why it was like that. I usually am not scared making phone calls either, but when it comes to making calls at work..... I'd tremble at the thought. Sometimes I even pretended to my boss like the person on the other end didn't pick up just so he'd send me over to their office (worked at a uni so we weren't very far apart) instead of having to actually call. :x

As a child I struggled to even buy things in a store.
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Omg yeah. Same. I remember when my mom sent me to buy some things as a teen, I was so anxious about it that I forgot to pay and was about to start walking out with the grocery bags until the cashier stopped me like 'um, miss you have to pay.' Never forgetting it lol.
 
Y'know, I'm not really sure. Which sounds odd, but I don't really self-diagnose or think in terms like this - I'm just myself - so when I sit down and think about it, it's...a bit of a puzzle.

I mean I definitely prefer to avoid social situations, and I get very anxious at the thought of interacting with others in anything other than a professional setting, but that's more because of what's going on with me than it is because I'm worried about what other people think. I know that other people either a) don't really care about my existence, or b) dislike me to some extent, and most of the time I don't really care. I'm not a likeable person, and most people are too concerned with their own lives to really pay attention to yours, even when you're talking to them. That's just how people are, and that's totally fine...and I will never compromise my identity for the sake of other people, so I've learned to live with it. Better to be hated for what I am than liked for what I'm not.

But I have a lot of health problems I need to keep other people from discovering (because I loathe being pitied, or attempts at sympathy/empathy when people have no fucking clue, or being regarded as trash because I have these problems) and this can be...very difficult, in casual situations. In professional situations sometimes as well, although the fallout from that is easier to deal with because people generally won't pry or pretend they care the way they might in casual situations. The thought of these things coming to the surface in a social situation is enough to paralyse me into silence most of the time though, and give me a very strong aversion to them. I'm not sure if I'd really class that as social anxiety, but...well, there it is. It is what it is.
 
Sheep said:
Unfortunately yes, but it's very selective. When I had to be at the front desk at my previous job I'd sometimes feel so nervous I'd flush red like a tomato and could barely speak, and other times barely cared at all. I wish I understood why it was like that. I usually am not scared making phone calls either, but when it comes to making calls at work..... I'd tremble at the thought. Sometimes I even pretended to my boss like the person on the other end didn't pick up just so he'd send me over to their office (worked at a uni so we weren't very far apart) instead of having to actually call. :x



Omg yeah. Same. I remember when my mom sent me to buy some things as a teen, I was so anxious about it that I forgot to pay and was about to start walking out with the grocery bags until the cashier stopped me like 'um, miss you have to pay.' Never forgetting it lol.
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I've done this exact same thing. Also this one time I was trying to swipe my gift card and it would not work. There was a line behind me. The guy at the register asked "Are you okay"?

Even years later it's hard letting something like this go.
 
Dunno if it falls under social anxiety, but I don't do well in big groups (anything over 8 people). Elementary and High School were hell for me. Classes of 30. And then the Teacher would ask me things or like ask me to go in front of the class and solve something on the blackboard or something like that. I'd freeze up completely, both mentally and physically. Initially crying too, but I got that under control at some point at least. Wasn't really able to answer questions directed at me till I was older and in my 4th year of High school. Still couldn't go in front of the class even at the end of High school though.

As long as there are no more than 8 people besides me though, I'll be fine. And although quiet I'll attempt some conversation with people I like.
Kinda sucks that schools try to force everyone to become extroverted. I always got 1's (out of 10) for presentations and that sort of thing, which really pulled my grades down.
 
yes. i have been told i have moderate to severe. it kinda affects me a lot in my social life. social anxiety plus general anxiety is a horrible combo, so it makes it very hard to make friends due to me always having walls up, because of anxiety. plus i just get extremely anxious meeting new people. takes a while for my walls to break down and be fully comfortable with someone. i'd say my general anxiety affects me more than my social, though.
 
More generalized anxiety than social anxiety, however I had it worse in my early 20s to the point where I had to take meds for it. I'm okay with meeting people now and talking to people in general, but things like deadlines and appointments really give me huge anxiety.
 
Nope. But I don't really like people very much and therefore don't spend a lot of time talking to them. When I do, I don't really care what they think, and I don't stick around for very long. I'm hugely introverted so socializing takes a lot out of me -- even socializing with my own mother for longer than an hour tires me out.

"The more I see of some people, the better I like my dog."
-- Mark Twain
🖤🖤🖤​
 
I do somewhat. I get anxious easily even when spending time with friends and feel like at times, I'm still not at a place where I feel comfortable or confident in our friendship. That being said, I've been getting better at not building walls around myself these days as before I would tend to shut out new people or existing friends when keeping up the friendship started making me anxious.

Online it's less noticeable that I do this but in-person I definitely still catch myself doing this sometimes. Not great but I have been working on slowly pushing myself both in terms of just being more comfortable and open with friends + also just interacting with social opportunities that would have sent me into a panic before so I think it's in a place where it's less debilitating than before. I love my friends but I just can't help but get really anxious still at times through no fault of theirs, so I definitely want to work on improving this.
 
what dakota said

although it has been getting better over the years somewhat to the point where i can have casual conversation without too much trouble, it still manifests pretty often. due to this i generally keep to myself a lot and only really interact with others if i have to or if i feel absolutely comfortable enough to.
 
I had a huge amount of it in the past, although I am slightly better now. I still try to avoid conversations with people, as it not only makes me nervous, but feels uninteresting most of the time...
 
Oh boy. Well since we're all being honest here.....

Yes, I experience varying degree of social anxiety depending the situation. I have trouble trusting people with my past. These days, people are wondering why i'm asking if i'm in "trouble" and yes, I honestly ask that a lot. People say I have a guilty conscience. But can you blame them? I've been dealing with behavior problems all my life. And, I don't really know where i'm going with this to be honest.

Recently, I joined a mini-social group, and even though I have a partial feeling they like me, i'm still skeptical. Also, with my real friends, I tend to spill my problems on to them a lot, and then it's like "oh wait, where was this conversation going again?" I try to be good to my real friends, but I just get so...extreme with my personality. One person said I act like i'm "trapped" and i'm like "trapped in what?" I don't know if it's my recent coffee addiction talking (I should learn i'm sensitive to caffeine by now) or my autism or what? But i'm in a dark place now guys. My social skills always suffered with the anxiety, but now i'm fearing for people's safety. My family's safety. My friends' safety. Seriously, the door bell rang today, and my first instinct was, "gotta protect the staff and the people in my house!" But it was just another staff, but I was still skeptical of his motives even though we go way back.

Well everyone can f*** my life now. I know I destroyed lives with this post, but it's just internet people (but you're all still valid people though I swear). Honestly, a lot of people here on PC are currently doing a lot better than me right now mentally.

And before anyone says something (cause I know someone will at least think this) it's NOT my current boyfriend's fault. His dad who I am very familiar with by now is so strict to the point where my boyfriend has become a respectful gentleman. Trust me.
 
yes and no? it's complicated. i feel anxious when interacting with people sometimes or when doing something unfamiliar socially but it doesn't manifest in a way where i make it obvious to the other party. i've gotten real adept at swallowing emotions down and pushing onward. sometimes social situations turn out for the better and you will be glad to have done it.
 
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