Can't stop staring at people

OceanMist

Well-known member
People in general stare too much, imo. It seems it's standard protocol for kids that are college age and in an SUV to stare at me every time they see me walking down the street. It's like, am I really that interesting to look at? Thanks, I guess.

I also think shy people are blamed for staring at people because they don't talk to people as much as outgoing people. Outgoing people don't get blamed for staring as much because they are too busy talking to the person they are staring at in many cases.
 

Maruko

Member
lectures are not to bad for me, i just sit behind everyone else, then they cant see if your looking. then i dont have a problem

I hate that when in lectures, my girl friends think i stalk them, and now the whole school labels me lesbian and weirdo. :mad:
 
If you have not already done so, I recommend talking with a doctor about how you feel and possible start medication or an alternative route like behavioral therapy. As a fellow OCD sufferer, I understand how disruptive our disorder can be during the course of our daily lives. Good luck!
 

HardLife

Member
THINKING is the enemy here. when you think about it then your anxiety kicks in. when you are with people FORCE yourself not to think and just do what is normal.

just remember THINKING is the enemy.
 

Maruko

Member
well, it's January now and i only have 6 more months of school to graduate. My parents don't understand my ocd; therefore, i have no treatment for this. I've already gotten a label les around campus. My staring is still there. I just have to be silent to the rumor. No one understands us, ocd patients, right. I wish someone in my school is on this thread, so i could have companion...My new year revolution is: stop staring, girl. Oh, no...::(:getting back after winterbreak, my ocd is worse.
 

Maruko

Member
If you have not already done so, I recommend talking with a doctor about how you feel and possible start medication or an alternative route like behavioral therapy. As a fellow OCD sufferer, I understand how disruptive our disorder can be during the course of our daily lives. Good luck!

hey, i wonder how do our eyes look like when we are staring. Could someone make a vid for this and post on youtube? Then we have a sense of how other people think about us. ::(:
 

Maruko

Member
I really like to make a facebook group for ocd. Anyone interested in? I feel like I really need support from people on here, but it takes like 2, 3 months to get a reply.
 
you have to somehow control it man. don't let this take over you like it has taken over all aspect of my life. i literally lost all my social life because of this. it went to the point where i contemplated suicide months after months because of THIS!

*relaxing is the key to controlling this. when you are relax then you will feel comfortable in the environment your in. don't force your head to think, just go with the flow.

one thing i can gauranteed you that helps is that you have to show NO FEAR and just walk and talk to everyone without being scared at where you look at even if you are stareing (never put your face down. always look forward). I find this EXTREAMLY effective when you are eating together in a group of 3 or more. at first you will fuk up like crazy and everyone will think you are crazy/weird/psycho etc... but DO NOT let what anyone say put you down. you have to have a very strong resolve and determination.

i've tried this for about a month now and it does help. and it does not require any type of medication.

but thats just my advice. i'm no doctor.

if all else fails then you have to tell your parents man. don't let this take control over you. don't let your youth rot because of this problem.

LIFE is socializing and you HAVE TO socialize to be normal so you have to FORCE YOURSELF.

I'm sorry for what you went to. Everything you say is true. If you read my post, it is probably in the fifth page. I'm really sorry this happened to you. It basically also has taken over my life. Had this for more than two years, but alot has happened. The key IS to relax. This was true to. But since my anxiety has gotten way worse, its sometimes hard for me to STAY calm. I hope you don't hurt yourself no more. Just know that this isn't your fault. If it was our fault, then how come we don't have control over it? It's not like we asked for it. I certainly did not. I wish you the to get better. As for me, my rood has been rugged and dont know how what tomorrow will bring.
 
Hey, everyone. I've had this problem and it's come out almost completely out of nowhere. But I think i can pinpoint it. It is truly suffering. It's been two and a half years since it was started. I was in the middle of my junior year in high school. Here is what I have theorized:

If, when doing the staring, many thinks are probably running through your head that is hard to control. It's hard for me to think exactly what I'M thinking, but I call them "obsessive thoughts". Here are the order.

Obsessive thoughts > Anxiety > Physical manifestation (staring weirdly).

Idk why this has to happen to me bcuz I've had such big dreams and goals. Im literally not going 2 college and dont know wat 2 do with my life if this **** doesn't get solved completely. I've only found one solution which never has failed but i still have "slip ups". As someone earlier has stated, "the key is to relax". That is sooo true. When taking deep slow breaths, more oxygen goes to the brain and clears up your head, therefore deep breathing STOPS the obsessive thoughts. The process goes in a bit different order:

Relaxation > Stops obsessive thoughts > stops anxiety > Stops manifestation (staring).

I can't even begin 2 tell u how my life's been flipped upside down, turned inside and out, and twisted out of nowhere. I was an honor roll student w/ high gpa. Seriously, WTF! Well, anyways, I don't know if medication helps or not (maybe look towards anxiety pills) but prescription has totally not work with me. It's hard for me to stay calm because my anxiety has gotten really worse, so I'm looking forward to treatment for anxiety. Everyone, try out what I said.
 

nafadda

Well-known member
when I use to go out in public a lot.anytime I caught someone staring at me it just 'creeped' me out..i mean if i caught them looking and they glanced away,that was fine,but if i look over 3 or 4 or more times and saw the same person just staring i would move somewhere else where they couldn't see me.if i started getting mad because they wouldn't stop ,sometimes i just stared back to show them how creepy it may look.

i may glance at people but unless they are doing something very strange i have no desire to stare at them,esp if they are somewhere eating,because i know how rude i think it is when i would go out to eat and look up only to have someone just sitting there staring at me for no reason..::(:
 

kissleo

New member
you're not alone. i have the same issue. i know its a curse and it makes things awkward especially when the person::(: catches you looking at them. that sucks
 
I really like to make a facebook group for ocd. Anyone interested in? I feel like I really need support from people on here, but it takes like 2, 3 months to get a reply.

yes, I agree, when you make a facebook, just tell us, we will join in, thanks.
 

runninem

Member
I usually don't post anything on these things, just usually read through them, but after reading some of these posts I see that im not the only one with the eye issues . Im 24 and ive been suffering pretty bad for the last 2 years, I cant walk down a hallway when someone is walking towards me without me making the other person really nervous. I will look at them and look away and i just dont know where to put my eyes. Reading the comments about watching tv with friends and being more focused on the people in the room out of the corner of your eyes then whats actually on tv I can really relate to. I cant not watch someone constantly if they are in the room with me. The worst is if someone is eating or drinking something in front of me i will do everything in my power to avoid looking at them and its very noticiable. I work at a hospital as a utility worker so there is a lot of people always around and I make them very nervous. If someone is around me pushing a cart or doing some other task they will sometimes run into walls or trip or spill drinks on themselves while there taking a drink etc etc... I have also lost alot of skills that I used to do very well at like driving especially, as stupid as it sounds if there is cars on the other side of the road coming towards me I cant focus on the road in front of me I will keep looking at the oncoming traffic trying to avoid staring. Also I used to be an excellent reader and now I have trouble focusing on words and reading sentences, or comprehending what people are saying to me. I cant take the way I make other people feel, how nervous I make them, they get very frustrated or angry sometimes. Ive let alot of people down and I dont feel like anything is going to get any better. If I were to go back in time 2+ years and tell myself what im telling you guys now I would laugh at myself, I wouldnt even be able to understand not being able to walk down a hallway without making oncommers so nervous it just wouldnt make sense to me. I now have to ask myself "how long can I go on living like this??" and my future is looking very bleak, I was never like this before I was normal I didnt have problems like these, I dont want to die but im running out of options and im scared. Sorry the post was so long and if you made it this far I appreciate you reading this, any comments or suggestions would be appreciated greatly and I also think the facebook idea is a good one, Im on facebook so if you have one as well you can e-mail me or message me and ill tell you my info. Thankyou and good luck to everyone.
 

HardLife

Member
Keep telling yourself to:

- RELAX (Keep Calm)
- Don't Eye Roll *tell your self to don't roll your eye
- Don't Think *Competely close of your brain and don't think at all just do what is normal
- Try not to blink alot (when you blink alot you tend to roll your eye)

Don't let your anxiety kick in. When you feel scared, worried, thinking too much, hyperactive, or any feeling thats keep you from feeling like you feel when you are alone, then you have to tell your brain to push that feeling aside and not to think at all.

*ITS NOT THE EYES ITS THE BRAIN THATS DOING THIS!!*

I can control it "ok" now I don't look on my sides that much anymore, but occasionally when I do go out to eat with people or talking I still do stare or even worst look on my sides. I feel like shet when I do it but I know I'm making progress.

no medication involved
 
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runninem

Member
Thankyou for your input, hardlife. I have tried some of your suggestions at times and it does help but its a weird feeling like you have to try at things that used to come naturally to you, I like the no medication though as xanax and other benzos just make me stupid and I tend to have an addictive personality. I will say this though, after writing and sharing my experiences yesterday it made me feel a whole lot better, I was amazed, It was the first time I really talked about it and put it out there in the open, I feel like ive opened up windows to let all the pressure vent and let light and air in, it felt great. And just knowing that im not alone and that there are other people out there that are like me. One of the most terrible things about this issue was the feeling/thought that I was alone in this, that nobody could understand or relate to it. Now that I know that im not completly alone it's truly an amazing thing to me. Thankyou everyone who has had the courage on here to speak and share your experiences. I know that I was stubborn for a long time about this and refused to accept it and I still refuse to accept it but now that ive aknowledged it with other people I feel like maybe I have a shot at fixing the problem.
 
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