Social Anxiety Community Group
Social Anxiety is a term used to describe an experience of anxiety (emotional discomfort, fear, apprehension or worry) regarding social situations and being negatively evaluated by other people. Be kind, considerate to all members & help support each other. Please join us, you don’t have to feel alone anymore!
Hello,
I feel bad for bitching around just cause I never actually had professional help about "this." I really do not know if I do have social anxiety or I am just really awkward and weird around people atleast how I feel like it. I try to convince myself to go out and meet people but the thought of socializing already stresses me out. It as if I am conflicting myself on what I really want to what I need. I know being alone at home is not really ideal especially after months. I like to talk to people since I like to make people happy with my horrible and punny jokes. But, the thought of me being out there socializing with random people, just gaaaddd.
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On Saturday, while I was at yard sales with my best friend, my lawn guy texted me that he did my lawn. This costs me $70 every two weeks or so. I don't have great grass so sometimes, he skips. Anyway, I paid him on CashApp when I got home. On Sunday morning, he texted me again, to say goodbye because he was moving. My little thinking cap went on and I thought about how I am healthier...
2 Weeks ago I was supposed to go have dinner with 2 "friends" I met at my part time job, but the thought of having to socialize and having to go out stressed me out so much that affected my school's performance and I even got depressed due to feeling so anxious and overwhelmed... I ended up saying that I had another thing to do so I could escape the dinner... even though the only thing I had to do was to at stay home watching tv or playing videogames... but the thought of having to socialize... plus, the dinner... ugh.
I was so scared I could do or say something wrong or weird and be judged about it that I had to make up an excuse to escape it. Even though those friends are people that I feel nice to be with, they are really cool and nice to be around, but, anxiety won again.
I've always been an introvert ultra super shy and almost impossible to open up, I don't trust not even a single person besides my family. I've been through bullying and humiliation so now I try to avoid those things at all cost. I am 95% sure that my anxiety about social situations has to do with all those negative events that happened to me, so now, I have a few questions to ask you:
Have you ever been through some kind of negative events like those I said before (or different but still humiliating) while in social situations?
How has your life been 'till now? Do you often went out with friends? And now? Why?
From 0 (min.) to 10 (max.), how intense is your fear when you have to socialize?
Do you like being the center of the attention or do you try to avoid it at all cost?
Do you often overthink about how you acted and everything you said after a social situation?
Try to answer these questions, they will make you think.
It may even help you (who knows) to make you come to a conclusion, in that case, if you feel like the amount of anxiety you experience isn't normal at all, I would recommend you to see a therapist where you can make cognitive behavioral therapy that consists in identifying the situations that may cause you anxiety, face those situations and train yourself to feel less and less anxious about them.
I hope this was helpful for you! Let me know if it was and how do you feel :)
bye!