Does anyone else deal with Social Anxiety?

[Ravenfreak]

I have pretty bad social anxiety. I was worse as a kid, during school I was the quiet kid and I barely talked in school. I broke out of my shell a little bit when I got my first job, since I worked in retail I had to talk to people on a daily basis. I have issues calling people on the phone, and have issues going into stores by myself. :S It makes me very anxious if I have to interact with another person that I don't know. I know if I do these things more often, I can overcome them but it's very stressful and I get super anxious and freak out. I don't have panic attacks, but I do rock back and forth and yell a bit. Does anyone else deal with this? If you did, what made you get better at dealing with every day interactions with others?

 

[Cory]

I dealt with extreme social anxiety in my teens and younger twenties. Once I started to realize that adulthood was nothing like teenagehood, my social anxiety slowly diminished. To this day, I still deal with a degree of social anxiety, but nothing like it was before.

 

[Henrywrites]

I dealt with extreme social anxiety in my teens and younger twenties. Once I started to realize that adulthood was nothing like teenagehood, my social anxiety slowly diminished. To this day, I still deal with a degree of social anxiety, but nothing like it was before.

The panic that you are always in the spotlights can be a difficult experience to handle. Social anxiety will always come as a result of your fear that those outside there are judgemental of how you dress, how you interact, and how you handle issues. It is never an easy route at all, but one should understand that no one matters in your world aside from you.

 

[Noble]

It is to always sum up courage to do those things you never thought you could do. Just put yourself out there and try to be open to get there.

 

[Melanie717]

I have pretty bad social anxiety. I was worse as a kid, during school I was the quiet kid and I barely talked in school. I broke out of my shell a little bit when I got my first job, since I worked in retail I had to talk to people on a daily basis. I have issues calling people on the phone, and have issues going into stores by myself. :S It makes me very anxious if I have to interact with another person that I don't know. I know if I do these things more often, I can overcome them but it's very stressful and I get super anxious and freak out. I don't have panic attacks, but I do rock back and forth and yell a bit. Does anyone else deal with this? If you did, what made you get better at dealing with every day interactions with others?

I am not a fan of big events. Oddly enough, it’s not so much the event itself, it’s more about the night before … will I sleep?
Because I know exactly how awful I will feel going to an event on little to no sleep.
Because my mind knows this, it puts extra pressure on me to sleep, and to sleep well.
And we all know what happens from there.
Can’t force sleep.
This, in itself, ruins big events for me.

 

[Fidelia]

I was a very reserved person that hardly could look anyone in the face that was not my sibling and talk to them. I remember the first guy that asked me out. It took me months to be able to face him to talk to him. But I got into business and because I needed to make money, I learned to face people. I started opening up to more people and letting them into my space. And today, I am not anti social any longer.

 

[Nomad]

I have social anxiety, I avoid going to places where I have to engage with a lot of people. I always avoid going to parties and social gatherings. I have this habit since I was a kid. When I was young, I would say I was shy and timid but as I gradually grew older, I understood that I have a social anxiety issue. However, I have never tried seeking professional help.

 

[eLdavis]

Yes i think i am dealing with this but i am gradually getting better. I prefer to stay indoors than go out, unless it is completely necessary to do so. These days i am working on how i socialize though.