Social Anxiety Forums

angelle21 · Terrified Newbie Joined: 06 Sep 2007 Posts: 3

Hi, my name is Angelle. I'm 21 from the US. I was recently diagnosed with OCD, but through the course of recent events, it turns out that I actually have social anxiety disorder and the OCD appears during times of increased stress. Anyway, my symptoms are that I ALWAYS try to people please and I always rehearse what I say before I say it, to the point where it's my "default setting" not to be spontaneous. When I've been able to stop thinking about all these insecurities (which is INCREDIBLY hard), my life is 100% more enjoyable and I find that I have this incredible sense of peace. Other symptoms that I endure are complete avoidance, I avoid all kinds of social situations (parties, going out with lots of people I don't know, sometimes calling/answering the phone) and I even avoid telling people the truth about my feelings because I'm afraid I'll be bothering them and they'll think I'm a "clingy defensive loser". Furthermore, I can not do a #2 in a public bathroom when other people are also in the bathroom. When I know someone is watching me or sees me, I always trip over my own two feet, or miss the door handle or something like that out of nervousness. I also feel like almost every aspect in my life is a performance. The only times I've ever been comfortable enough around a person to let my gaurd down has either been males that are romantically interested in me (because I guess I translate that psychologically as I'm NOT putting them out, etc), or people that I just truly don't care if they stay or go in my life. Does anybody else feel this way? Please respond Smile

Josh · Posted: Thu September 06, 2007 Post subject:

Why do you care so much about what others think about you? I don't anymore and I find that it's easier this way.

However like you I do avoid telling people if I do feel insecure. Nothing good could come about it, unless you were talking to a doctor.

angelle21 · Terrified Newbie Joined: 06 Sep 2007 Posts: 3

It's not so much that I care what others think, it's more like I've been through so many traumatic experiences with people and my taking thier comments too personally that my brain has put up these defenses to avoid feeling embarassed/rejected, etc. I can't just say "yeah it's stupid to care what they all think" because I know that, and I can repeat a logical statement until the cows come home, but that doesn't really help my current predicament, ya know? I don't know. Does what I described even sound like SA?[/list]

Josh · Posted: Fri September 07, 2007 Post subject:

Yeah I understand what you're saying.