Scared
- Ever since I left my home country when I was 12 to a foreign one for 4 years, I have been unable to communicate with people. School is horrible- I can't do a thing without wondering what everyone is thinking around me and how every single thing I do will be judged. Shopping is hard as well- I can't focus on what I'm trying to buy- I'm worried what other people think of what I'm buying, how long I'm taking, what I'm doing, etc. I have no friends because I can approach no one and no one approaches me because when they do- I never speak. I feel like my throat has been stuffed with glue and I can't make out a single word. When I talk I worry about the sound of my voice, and when I feel a blush entering my face, it gets even worse. I had an incident with a professor questioning me before the class and I abruptly broke down crying, freaking out all the students. I'm scared of social situations, meeting people, greeting people- every single thing I do feels like it's under a microscope.
- —Guest abby
SAD
- This all started in the middle of 8th grade year. I don't know what triggered it, but whatever it was I wish it never happened. I hate meeting new people or running into someone I haven't seen in forever. My face will get red, my heart starts shaking and I just want to run. I can't make presentations or read in front of my class anymore without getting sick. I'm scared to go to a doctor because I think they'll be judging me too. I can't even talk to my parents about this without crying. I'm afraid that this is only going to get worse for me... What seems like the simplest thing to other people is like hell for me. I just want to be able to go shopping, walk in a hallway full of people, or make a conversation. I feel so weird for being like this, i'm just glad i'm not the only one
- —Guest Em
God help me
- I have felt since my freshman year in high school that the world is against me. When people laugh I feel as if they are laughing at me. I get paranoid at football practice that everyone is constantly staring at me and judging me. I feel happy only around close family and friends but I hate school/strangers. School to me is a social nightmare I mean for gods sake I wouldn't sharpen my pencil for I fear people would laugh at the way I walk and oh I don't know what to do with my eyes. I feel like I blink to much or idk I can't describe why I can't even make eye contact because of this. May god help me for this terror is unholy.
- —Guest BrokenShadow
Do I have this ?
- Well idk were to start, I have always been shy, thats just a natural part of me, but I have always been able to make a ton of friends, go out, do anything that an outgoing person would do. Although most of the time when I did go out my friends or family would have to get me in that mood (I feel). I use to smoke weed, everyday and I had no problem what so ever as far as I was concerned. I use to have so much fun doing it, playing basketball and going to college. I lived a happy life up until about last year. I smoked with one of my supposedly best friends and I noticed something I have never noticed before. I cant really pin point what happened but at that moment I felt dumb. And that's when it started. After that day all I could think about was that day. I tried to let it go but everyday got worse and worse now I don't hang out with much of my friends anymore, I stopped smoking, and I get nervous in front of EVERYONE. Even family sometimes when I'm feeling out of it.
- —Guest guest
SOLUTION
- You know those moments when you say to yourself? - 'NO MORE, THIS STOPS NOW, I'M NOT TAKING ANYMORE OF THIS SH*T, THIS WILL END, THIS ENDS NOW!!' Well you need to tell yourself that, in your heart and gut. Once you are in this mentality, start seeking out solutions! Please try therapy (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) - if you want to fix emotional wounds and social anxiety, therapy can do wonders. Try listening to Tony Robbins - Personal Power. (It can help rewire and motivate you towards defeating this) There is a video: Overcoming Social Phobia & Shyness (Self Help Video) Life has to be better than what your living up to right now, peace.
- —Guest T
:/
- Mine started roughly... in tenth grade. I'm now a colleg sr. and it doesn't get better. I will NOT go to a class if I'm late, I fear people will stare at me and make judgements. The thought alone drives me crazy. We even just had a 4th of july event at my sisters house. She had some people there I didn't know, what did I do? I sat at the top of the stairs avoiding people. It's a terrible way to live, but here is the best part! I'm too afraid to go to a doctor, why? God forbid anyone I know actually realize I went to a dr. for a "head" problem. I'm also scared that the dr will think I'm f*ckin crazy. Why post all this on the internet? No one here knows me. Nor will you ever. And it feels nice to get it off my chest.
- —Guest taz
i wanna be my fun goofy self but i can't
- I have always been shy as far as I can remember. Before I found out about SAD I thought I was the only person who dealt with the feeling of people always looking at me and seeing me in a negative way. In high school I didn't have any close friends, 11th grade year was the worst for me. I hated lunch because I knew I would be alone; I would sit inside a classroom or stand in the bathroom until lunch was over. I also missed a lot of school that year because I didn't want to deal with people. I just feel that people never gave me the chance to show who I really was because I was too quiet they would just stop trying to talk to me. There is so much more I could talk with having SAD but I'll just say this. I'm scared that if I don't overcome this I'm gonna miss out on life and end up lonely.
- —Guest paige
SAD for 8 years
- I started to feel super shy and awkward in almost every social situation when I was 14. Before that I was completely normal and made friends easily. It's like I became a different person. I am now 22 yrs old in college and I feel depressed all the time just thinking about having to talk to other people. I also feel like I'm being watched at all times and people are thinking negative things about me because I think my anxious behaviour is obvious to other people. I simply cant feel motivated to end my degree because I feel like it's going to be worthless due to my lack of social skills. My parents probably think im lazy because its now my 5th year in college and i cant get past the 1st year. I'm probably going to self-medicate without anyone's knowledge because I feel like I'm going nowhere living this way.
- —Guest Pedro
Scared
- I just get bad marks at school. It just feels horrible I get so stressed!
- —Guest scaredoflife
Not as alone as I thought.
- Since I was a little girl I've felt every eye on me, scrutinizing my every move and my body. I've always felt like they were laughing behind my back, whispering about me. I've lost my independance to this crippling disorder, but come from a family that views medication as a weakness. I am in my twenties now and feel pathetic that I haven't worked a legit job due to the over whelming fear that boils up from the inside and sends me into a panic attack. I was kept from school as a teenager, and had little social interaction from fourteen to seventeen, my mother was an abusive drug-addict, and I was left broken by the fear of more cops, case workers, and harm. I've never shaken this anxiety, and it still clutches onto me every day. Now I am facing adulthood for the very first time, and I am terrified. I am pained to see so many others fallen to the devil that is social anxiety, but am relieved and hopeful that I do not suffer alone. I hope every single person here can overcome this monster
- —Guest Suffering.
I can feel your pain all of you
- I am a 54 year old female, who got married at the age of 15, yes you heard right, with my parent's approval, as they said I caused too many problems at home, so we all had to go to Clintwood Virginia because it was the only place that weds you at that age with parental signature at that time. After that my life spiraled completely downhill, I started getting panic attacks, was afraid to go anywhere, outside, be around other people I didn't know terrified me. Have gone to countless counselors, psychiatrist, have been on medication for all these years just to make me function. My fears mainly were when I went outside I would have a panic attack, then start having a hard time breathing, so I avoided it. I am always worried people are looking at me, can see right through me, think I'm ugly, laughing at me, my doctor told me these were delusions. Now being older I feel like I have lost my whole life to fear, hopefully some help out there. :(
- —Guest tygrael
Living in fear
- I'm a 14 year old male who lives in Canada. I live in a small town of about 5000 people. I am currently finishing off my first year of high school and I hated it. I am one of those guys who gets stressed over EVERYTHING and I mean it. I have a supporting family who encourages me to do sports and get good grades. At school I don't get very good marks. I have friends who are nice but also make fun of me. It is hard being friends with them because they are "perfect" compared to everyone else so when they make jokes they know that they are unstoppable. I am made fun of mainly because I am skinny not muscular and stupid as they say. I know that I am capable of being a very happy and enthusiastic person if I didn't have to deal with the stress. I mean I get stressed from things like thinking I'm walking funny in the school. Like most people like myself I just want to be normal in my mind. I sometimes get jealous over my friends because they can enjoy life while I find every day at school stressful.
- —Guest Jayden
You think you have a problem?
- I have anxiety. There was a time when my anxiety was really out of control. There wasn't a day that I would feel relaxed because every day for me was a challenge with Everything I did. I couldn't eat, drink, read, write, hear music, watch certain TV shows or movies, I couldn't even use certain colors. etc. I was always scared that somehow my anxiety was going to get in the way with the things I wanted to do. So I avoided them. I started to shake my head lots of times, my chest would start pounding a lot or in other words I was having a hard time breathing, I would even start to blink a lot. I would do all these things at the same time. It's like if I were trying to prevent my anxiety from happening. Every day I would be praying to God. And believe it or not my prayers were answered. Little by little I was able to do things that I couldn't do before. What I'm saying is don't lose your faith in God. I would say this every time. No matter how hard or how many times I fall I trust in you Father.
- —Guest Don't Give UP!!!
I hate what i have become
- I have always had some sort of social anxiety...but for a little while it went away. A year ago I had my first real scary anxiety attack at a school basketball game. After that it went downhill. I don't ever go out anymore, I don't eat all day, because I feel if i do I might have an anxiety attack and vomit. It gets even worse, because I have a controlling mother who does not understand what I am going through, and makes me do things i feel i am not ready to do. I recently found out i got a job (something she made me apply for) , I am so nervous especially since I don't eat all day, I feel like I might faint from not having any food in my system. I wish my mother would let me take anxiety medication. I don't get it, our parents want the best for us, but wont let us even try to be the person we want to be. :(
- —Guest Elle
feel i'm dying
- I'm 17, I grew up with the routine of "school home" and vice versa, I do not mingle with other people and when I'm on the street I'm annoyed when people look at me, I only interact with people I'm close with. I prefer to stay at home rather than go shopping or go out with my family and friends. Right now I'm starting my college life, but instead of feeling excited, nervousness was prevailing on me. And the fear I feel when I'm thinking that school days were on their way I feel I was dying and the worst was I cried a lot, when that situation came to me I'm thinking of dropping out and telling myself that I'm not yet ready to face other people, and I'm scared of what will happen to me if my professor is terrorizing? What if he drags me into the center and humiliates me in front of my classmates, how should I react, am I going to collapse or run away and cry followed by dropping out? I really want to talk to someone who can give me some advice to conquer this curse.
- —Guest harima
