Are you worried people will find out you are registered in this forum?

[Tuco]

I don't think a lot of people here feel this way, as many of you post pictures and even videos of yourselves, but my case is different, there is no way in hell I would post pictures or videos of myself here or in any other site, because I am extremely paranoid about people who know me finding out that I have social phobia; I won't even say where I live, in fact it would be easier for me to post in the spanish forum (I live in a spanish speaking country), but I registered here because I thought the chances of anyone finding out would be slimmer. Maybe I am this paranoid because I work as a teacher at a university (I still have no idea how I manage to do it )so I have to interact with a lot of people everyday (I have about 150 students right now in different courses) ; I try to act normal, even though I still get very nervous during the lectures and I can only hope that it is not too noticeable. The thing is that if the students or my coworkers found out that I have social phobia (because of this I have been isolated almost all my life) I would be very embarrassed as I think they would not respect me anymore and would see me as some kind of freak. I think I would feel like an undercover cop whose cover has just been blown.

 

[EscapeArtist]

I think it might be partly because you work with so many people... If I worked with as many people I would be equally paranoid.

Honestly, every time I get on here or post about something specific (such as where I live) i DO freak out about somebody on here recognizing me... but after realizing how little people use this site, and how scattered around the world people seem to be, I noticed that only like 10 people from BC are even actively on here! Slim chance, so I purposely posted photos because I realized the paranoia was irrational. My biggest fear is others knowing i'm nervous, or have social phobia, also, which is why i'm beginning to tell people.. it's important to face these fears. But I understand where you're coming from, it's a daily struggle.

 

[zav943]

A bit...I mean, I have SPW up in my tabs and everytime I show my roommate a video or something, I KINDA worry that he might see it. But so what? I'm sure if I looked into his computer, I'd find much, much more humiliating things! (not that being on SPW is something humiliating at all)

 

[IamThisOne]

I know what you mean. No one sees me get on here at home.

I start school soon and I'll have to be careful getting on here because people are so nosy. They see a person sitting alone on their laptop waiting for class to start and they automatically want to come look at your screen.

I know how it will go. They see the address bar and then they ask, "What's social phobia?" GOD.

 

[Tuco]

I think it might be partly because you work with so many people... If I worked with as many people I would be equally paranoid.

Honestly, every time I get on here or post about something specific (such as where I live) i DO freak out about somebody on here recognizing me... but after realizing how little people use this site, and how scattered around the world people seem to be, I noticed that only like 10 people from BC are even actively on here! Slim chance, so I purposely posted photos because I realized the paranoia was irrational. My biggest fear is others knowing i'm nervous, or have social phobia, also, which is why i'm beginning to tell people.. it's important to face these fears. But I understand where you're coming from, it's a daily struggle.

I know! this fear of getting recognized is irrational, it's not like somebody is going to come here and read all my posts, then put all the information together and come to the conclusion: "I know this guy, he's my teacher!"; but I still can't help but feel like this.

 

[krs2snow]

I don't fear getting recognized on here so much as getting read. Many a time I've posted and the very next day I woke up and thought- logon and delete! Who cares? Nobody.. but me. I delete anyways.

 

[exquisite]

I know what you mean. No one sees me get on here at home.

I start school soon and I'll have to be careful getting on here because people are so nosy. They see a person sitting alone on their laptop waiting for class to start and they automatically want to come look at your screen.

I know how it will go. They see the address bar and then they ask, "What's social phobia?" GOD.

YES! thats exactly how i feel...i get so paranoid when im sitting in lecture, bored, i wanna go on here, but then im thinking, whats the guy/girl behind me thinking? prob think im a freak. & god forbid they should ask me about it. arghhhh.

however, i dont get paranoid about it anymore. ive almost come to terms with it, on some sick level. its become my crutch. if someone b*tches at me about not being social or being quiet or wtvr they come up with, im like, yeah, i have social anxiety, leave me alone. ive actually even told some of my friends. its not that i dont care about it, its just that actually telling them makes my life a little bit easier. however, if people that hate me found out, idk what i'd do. its all the talking behind my back, etc that gets me. typical SA/paranoia stuff. its like a cursed circle, cant get out no matter what.

 

[Ignace]

I am. Especially when I posted my picture over here and posting other things what you would recognize me with. But I don't care anymore, I restrict myself in real life cause of others, online I do what I want. That's also the reason why I don't put my mail in the msn/yahoo/.. topic, they don't need to find it though google.

 

[dottie]

yes! anonymity is becoming more and more valuable as the world is getting more and more public. reputations can be tainted instantaneously. you can become a "celebrity" for all the wrong, humiliating reasons overnight. people do not appreciate how truly public the internet is. what you post is public now and will be public forever in the future for anyone to search and get access to within a matter of seconds. do you really want your future mother in law or nosy coworker reading this?

there is a part of me that really wants to post pictures and further reveal more about my identity to connect with people but i feel it is wiser to be discreet.

 

[Aussie_Lad]

SAD isn't anything to be ashamed about. Some people fear spiders, some heights and others fear socialising. It can in fact be easier if people realise what your fears are, because then they can know why you might sometimes behave differently than what they would perceive as normal. We have one guy at work that stutters a lot, but no-one thinks bad of him and he has held quite a few important positions there. People can sympathise with you if you give them half a chance.

 

[AnxietyDave]

I agree with Aussie_Lad, we all have nothing to be ashamed of as far as our disorders go and since I have made it very publicly known that I am an anxiety sufferer it seems to have made thing easier for me. I no longer feel that I need to over compensate for my short fallings or sometimes strange opinions.

It is as if I have been able to throw away the mask to reveal the real me to those who know me and this in turn makes it easier for them to accept you for who you are. VERY LIBERATING!

 

[Iseesky]

No...Because everyone that knows me knows there's something...off.
They know I'm extremely shy and have various issues in public situations. I'm sure if a person knew what social phobia meant, they'd be able to tell I have a mild form of it.
Basically it's just a confirmation of what they already know. I try to act normal, but really...I don't think any of us are fooling anybody.
And as others have said...Nothing to be ashamed about!

 

[Kiwong]

I don't worry as much anymore. About a month ago I got to the stage that I needed to tell someone about what I going through, otherwise my life was going to be hardly worth living.

So I just let everyone that I know in the world that I have a mental illness. I just had to reach out, and that was when I joined this site.

 

[Kinetik]

I don't know anyone in the real world so there's noone to recognize me. I've had no friends since high school, just a handful of girlfriends, and they all know what my issues are. People from my past (ie. school and prior to that) don't even recognize me on the few occasions I've seen them in public. Job-wise I've been working for my father for years now, so no new interactions there either. I often feel like the most withdrawn person in the world.

 

[Fighter86]

Well, the reason I use the username I use is because I don't want people to find out I'm who I am. For years now, I've used a similar name for my emails, forums and such but when I joined this site, I decided to use a user name totally different. Its the same reason why I won't even state my country under the location part on the avatar, as I DO live in a small area so I'm pretty cautious.

 

[Ignace]

I don't know anyone in the real world so there's noone to recognize me. I've had no friends since high school, just a handful of girlfriends, and they all know what my issues are. People from my past (ie. school and prior to that) don't even recognize me on the few occasions I've seen them in public. Job-wise I've been working for my father for years now, so no new interactions there either. I often feel like the most withdrawn person in the world.

Nope, you're not, I am !::
Ok ok, want a match ?

 

[spider04]

I googled the name i use for graphic designing and found SP after some pages... and google cache will be there forever.

 

[Feathers]

Yeah, I think protecting your privacy online is very important...

I've used different nicknames on various forums too.. In the past I haven't been always so careful but now I really think it's better to be as careful as possible..

Some people online think it's odd, I've done some teaching in the past too (and may again) and the projects I've been working in are quite important in a way too..

If you're a college/university professor, some degree of eccentricity may be expected of you, and it may be known or 'allowed' to be in certain ways.. especially if you are 'that' good.. (We had a few University teachers who were in and out of mental health hospitals..) It may still be good to be discreet..

At some forums, photos are posted in 'private' areas (where only members or long-term members can access, this may allow some protection, though forums can go down or stuff can later go public too..)
I sometimes wonder about these kids on Facebook, or how their later maybe-employers or customers/clients would look at some of the photos posted there..?
I guess it depends what jobs/work one would be after too...

 

[da_illest101]

luckily for me my parents don't speak/understand/ read english so i'm safe. My sister knows about my SA but we never talk about it. All my closest friends knows. I don't want ppl at my work to find out. I only want ppl i know and trust to know

 

[Rembrandt Broam]

Not particularly. I don't read SPW at work (even though I could) so there's no reason for anyone there to know I'm registered. There are two specific individuals who I'd prefer didn't know that I was on here, for reasons I won't go into. Even then, it wouldn't be the end of the world if they found out. Apart from that, who else would even know what SPW is? If they do know, then they're probably on here themselves, so it wouldn't be a problem.