Better outside?

[LA-girl]

Does any of you feel better in terms of SA when you`re outside? I do, especially when it is sunny, it's like my anxiety gets 70 % better compared to when I interact socially inside... Weird! Maybe I'm the only one..? :wink:

 

[dzerklis]

yes, thats why i like summertime most, because i go out more often. Not that my anxiety gets much better but anyway.

 

[dialectic]

yes! i'm with you. spending a whole day in my apartment is totally depressing.

i also feel terrible if i sleep past 11am or have a longer nap in the afternoon. wake up feeling like the world is going to end. weird. but its beyond my conrol.

 

[jayfan]

definetly . if im doing something im obviously too busy to think about it . i love playing basketball , its makes me feel good and i have no worrys when im on the court or even when i go shopping . when im inside all day i feel miserable. so nah , you arent the only one.

 

[LA-girl]

Hey guys, thanks for your comments! What I meant though was not necessarily when I do other activities. I meant that for me, when I am in a room socializing with people, my SA might be twice or more as challenging as if I were outside talking to the same people. It is almost like all of my physical symptoms of SA disappears when I'm outdoors....That's what I meant with weird... :lol: Maybe it's a combination of SA and claustrophobia. :?:

 

[LittleMissScareAll]

I don't like the outdoors, especially in the summer, so no. I don't think my SP is affected either way...but in general I feel better on cold/cloudy days or when I'm indoors. That's not saying a whole lot, though since I usually don't feel great anyway.

 

[relaxed_attention]

Wow! I was just going to post this topic. I feel the same way you do. When I’m outside, I can talk to people without a problem but when I’m indoors I feel like I’m on the verge of a panic attack. I think what it is….when I’m outside I feel free in the open spaces. If I’m uncomfortable with eye contact, I can walk beside the person and look when my confidence rises vs being inside you are forced to look at someone in the eyes. And it’s not even just that, I just feel more comfortable with myself in general…I become happier. I can act sillier and not care if other people are overhearing me. Now one of my biggest fears is being in the line at the post office (always long) and having someone I know from behind me saying hi. I’ll feel such anxiety I won’t be able to smile and then I’ll make it so obvious I’m uncomfortable.

So outside is the place to be!! If only I could always just talk to people outdoors.

Do you ever just tell people that you suffer from claustrophobia and not SA? I’ve been thinking about doing this…easier for others to understand. I think the two disorders overlap anyway.

 

[McNuggets]

I tend to approve most of the 'outside' world in any case - people with whom to interact, or no people with whom to interact. Daytime, too. I did always have a penchant for mornings.

 

[dzerklis]

Hey, dzerklis, why did you get rid of your spoon-balancing avatar ? - That always made me laugh !

you better be laughing

 

[Morgs]

I love being outside, but i only go out when i have somthing to do otherwise i get real anxious an have to go inside

 

[Morgs]

I absolutly love rain I mean hevy rain Florida afternoon Rain.

 

[Septor]

I like to go out side when it snows,there this peacefulness to the world but it does not improve my sa any being inside or out side.I'm as bad out side as I am inside.

 

[nedkelly]

No, i can never go outside..very rarely. When i do, i just freak out, very stressed that others are able to pick up on it, and will avoid me.
Today all my neighbours were speaking to each other, i feel like the bottom of the social food chain. Exposure just dosen't work at all for me.
I agree with some of the posts about being happiest on rainy/cloudy days. I think for me, it's that i feel i'm not missing out on being outside..because the weather is too bad..and it keeps neighbours etc indoors more...so i then feel more comfortable. Not a nice way to live a life
I'm freakin sick of this disease.

 

[IceLad]

I feel much better when I'm outside in a different city, away from all the crap I've left behind.

I have mixed feelings when its summertime. On one hand, I love being in the sunshine in a t-shirt and jeans. On the other hand, especially around other people and going into shops, I tend to feel myself sweating a lot more and therefore getting anxious, which in turn makes me sweat even more etc....

I've always loved rain and snow. I find it very theraputic listening to rain especially when going to sleep.

 

[LA-girl]

Relaxed_attention wrote:

Wow! I was just going to post this topic.

Scary!! :lol:

Do you ever just tell people that you suffer from claustrophobia and not SA? I’ve been thinking about doing this…easier for others to understand. I think the two disorders overlap anyway.

No, I have never thought of that: I do not tell people I have SA either for that matter. But I do suffer from claustrophobia in other situations as well, although I find it easier to gain control over... Maybe there is a correlation between the two phobias.

By the way I totally agree with everything you wrote. :wink:
I also told this to a a couple of doctors some years ago, but they had never heard of it...