Social Phobia,Sex & Dating
Social Phobia makes it harder to meet the right person so that you can start up a relationship with. In my view, the physical acts are easier to navigate than the acts leading up to the relationship - the small talk, the conversation,the dating, e.t.c...For me, it's just very hard to approach a woman that I am attracted to and to ask her out. I find it easy to talk to women that I am not attracted to, but I don't want to date women I am not attracted to..hehe....I have problem with being the center of attention, the focal point in a group, and I hate it! A couple weeks ago on the first day of a summer class, the instructor did what I hate the most - he went around the room and made everybody introduce themselves. I actually thought about getting up and walking out of the room, but I stayed and managed to reign in my anxiety long enough to get through my introduction. I really hate this problem. It has been holding me back and really affecting my life in a negative way for years. I feel so confident at times, but then thing will change, my anxiety will kick in, my heart will race and my hands will shake, and I am reduced to a sniveling wimp.
I would really like to date and just be sociable. I don't even go out with friends much anymore because they are mostly all married and starting families and I am the "loner" who doesn't feel comfortable around them anymore. I see lots' of girls I'd love to date, but I just don't have the self confidence to act. Another thing that I can't seem to grasp is the whole idea of "acting". Maybe you someone out there can help me with this. I just don't feel comfortable having to "act" in a certain way. I get nervous and anxious in situations, but I am supposed to "act" like I am not nervous and anxious. Isn't that the same thing as being a "phoney" or "fraud". Trying to present yourself in a way that you don't reall feel? Going out on a date you make small talk, you talk about things that you probably don't even care about just so you can create conversation. That all feels so phony to me....I'm uncomfortable enough as it is, but it makes me even more uncomfortable feeling like I have to act in certain ways.