purplesocial
Member
I read a previous post that touched my heart about someone who believes that he suffers from SAD in order to better help other people who suffer from it.
SAD is one of those things that you can only understand if you've experienced it, and no trained doctor or counsellor could adequately understand it from reading a book.
I believe that I also once suffered so that I would now be able to help other people who experience SAD. I don't really have issues with people anymore and I can even work as a sales person at a retail store !!! (a nightmare for some I know
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Understand these things.
1. Even the most outgoing/extroverted people say awkward things.
In fact, I would be willing to bet that extroverts say awkward/inconsiderate things MORE OFTEN than people with SAD. The difference is that those extroverts simply don't notice it (because they are not as sensitive) or simply don't care about it (because they're jerks)
2. "Normal" people fall into comfort zones. They just go on auto-pilot and their behavior in social situations are often just mechanical, robotic habits that happen without thought.
People with SAD often don't do this. They actually attach meaning to the conversation at hand/ value the person they are speaking with. But the price they pay is that things that would have no effect on someone who was just making mechanical responses, affect them.
If you don't believe me that people often just act mechanically in social situations. Observe how the most outgoing, extroverted person you know would react in a situation where they are taken out their comfort zone and can't rely on mechanical responses. They freeze up like a deer in the headlights !!! This is why they act different around people with SAD. It's because of THEIR shortcomings, not yours. It's THEIR inability to deal with a novel situation that actually requires more than the rehearsed, mechanical response.
I'm trying to drive this point home because people with SAD often beat themselves up after an extrovert clams up and acts differently around them.
Now that I'm more comfortable, I often try to shake people out of their comfort zone just to wake them up. Receptionists at the desk are often great candidates for this. It's not that I'm trying to be malicious or anything, it just proves again how people often rely on a mechanical, robotic response and then appear as if they are outgoing, extroverted.
People with SAD should actually be proud of themselves for having the ability to want to more than just regurgitate rehearsed, mechanical thoughtless responses. Stop beating yourselves up.
SAD is one of those things that you can only understand if you've experienced it, and no trained doctor or counsellor could adequately understand it from reading a book.
I believe that I also once suffered so that I would now be able to help other people who experience SAD. I don't really have issues with people anymore and I can even work as a sales person at a retail store !!! (a nightmare for some I know
)Understand these things.
1. Even the most outgoing/extroverted people say awkward things.
In fact, I would be willing to bet that extroverts say awkward/inconsiderate things MORE OFTEN than people with SAD. The difference is that those extroverts simply don't notice it (because they are not as sensitive) or simply don't care about it (because they're jerks)
2. "Normal" people fall into comfort zones. They just go on auto-pilot and their behavior in social situations are often just mechanical, robotic habits that happen without thought.
People with SAD often don't do this. They actually attach meaning to the conversation at hand/ value the person they are speaking with. But the price they pay is that things that would have no effect on someone who was just making mechanical responses, affect them.
If you don't believe me that people often just act mechanically in social situations. Observe how the most outgoing, extroverted person you know would react in a situation where they are taken out their comfort zone and can't rely on mechanical responses. They freeze up like a deer in the headlights !!!
This is why they act different around people with SAD. It's because of THEIR shortcomings, not yours. It's THEIR inability to deal with a novel situation that actually requires more than the rehearsed, mechanical response.I'm trying to drive this point home because people with SAD often beat themselves up after an extrovert clams up and acts differently around them.
Now that I'm more comfortable, I often try to shake people out of their comfort zone just to wake them up. Receptionists at the desk are often great candidates for this. It's not that I'm trying to be malicious or anything, it just proves again how people often rely on a mechanical, robotic response and then appear as if they are outgoing, extroverted.
People with SAD should actually be proud of themselves for having the ability to want to more than just regurgitate rehearsed, mechanical thoughtless responses. Stop beating yourselves up.
