I'm Back

Haus

Haus

Member
So I joined this forum about four years ago. It was nice to see so many people like me out there, and I'm pleased to see that this place is growing and still going strong. Back then, I didn't contribute in very many threads; at least not as much as most people (I can be shy - even anonymously on the internet), but I'm hoping that has changed.

About me:
My name is Austen. I'm 22 years old and I live on my own in a small town in north-western Illinois, right along the Mississippi River. I'm working full time at a factory until I decide to go back to school. Career-wise, I've been interested in graphic design and animation, but I'm still weighing my options.

I love listening to music, especially classic rock. Led Zeppelin was the greatest band ever, and thats a fact ;) I also like to spend time on the river; usually with my family. I spend more time than I should playing video games. I own all three console systems as well as a decent gaming computer. I have a lot of games and wouldn't mind making some friends and finding people that play the same ones as me.

I've been dealing with social anxiety/shyness for a while now. It hasn't been this way my whole life however. I'm not sure why or what happened but it all began right around the time I started high school. Ever since, it's been extremely difficult for me to converse with people that didn't already know me really well. It's the worst when multiple people are involved in a conversation. I won't go into too much detail though beings this is just an introduction.

Why I'm here:
I'm here because I can't shake this social anxiety/shyness. I want nothing more than to be able carry on without subconsciously cencoring my life. It's the biggest demon I've ever had to conquer and it won't be easy, and I think being a part of a community such as this will help a lot. I'm hoping to get help and advice with whatever problems come my way. I'd also like to make some friends!
 
Srijita52

Srijita52

Well-known member
Hey Austen, welcome to the forum. I hope you get what you want and also make some great friends here. :)
 
V

vitalis

Well-known member
Welcome back then! I also registered in 2008 and I've been back several times in a sort of a chaotic but regular basis, so I sympathize. :p Sometimes it's good to vent and find like-minded people, even if in this case it is because we share not a common passion but a common problem.

For what you say it sounds like you probably suffer from AVpD (avoidance personality disorder). As far as I can tell for my own experience, this is something like an extreme shyness. I say that because as far as I know there may be social phobias that are related to certain traumas or physiological disorders of the brain, but shyness is not in itself a problem a priori unless it aggravates and turns extreme, so if you say it started at high school, it makes sense.

I guess society has grown to be a quite competitive place, and in competitive environments people conceived as "different" may unconsciously extreme their shyness, and since we now got the possibility to somewhat withdraw from the world while still being in touch with it with the computer and the web for example, it is even more marked.

You say you wanna go back to school, and that in itself is a very important decision, and in my opinion, a very strong indicator that you're starting to do something positive about your life. I hope this may very well be the game-changer point you need to start your change, and at least for what you write it sounds you are in a good mood to start overcoming this. I really hope you can get through it, don't mind if it's a hell of a slow process. So if you need some advice or else, you know where we are. ;)
 
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