Have you ever expected social anxiety to affect you in a certain situation but then found that it hasn't? I was thinking about this earlier. When I went to London last year for a couple of days break, I felt so alive and even though I was in busy crowds and having to speak to people I didn't know, I felt fine! I don't get it! Why do I rarely feel like that at home?
Is there ever a time when social anxiety doesn't affect you?
- Thread starter Beyondshy
- Start date
Ashiene
Well-known member
When I am in a foreign land with people I know (family), i have no social anxiety at all. I think its because when we're tourists in a strange place, its acceptable that we make mistakes or appear awkward all the time, so theres nothing to be embarrassed about, and people won't judge us for that. In fact, people are more likely to approach us and help us.
Ashiene
Well-known member
i saw you on Social Anxiety Support forum LOL. you're "gaz"??
even then I can dread having to go back outside again, therefore I feel anxious!
Tiercel
Well-known member
I'm usually oddly relaxed in front of large groups. Like when giving a presentation or speech in a class. It's the more intimate settings of just a handful of people that tend to bother me. Just last Sunday I ditched my usual gaming group because I was anxious about going. Now, this is a handful of geeks who I've been getting together with on a semi-regular basis since 2002.
And two days later I saw one of the guys. I've been friends with this guy since elementary school. And he said, "You know, now that you're our healer you can't not show up." Ah, if he only knew the extra pressure he's put me under!
Other than when I'm the focus of large groups of people, I'm really only anxiety free when I'm home by myself. Hell, I can't even come to this site when other family members are around. :
:
And two days later I saw one of the guys. I've been friends with this guy since elementary school. And he said, "You know, now that you're our healer you can't not show up." Ah, if he only knew the extra pressure he's put me under!
Other than when I'm the focus of large groups of people, I'm really only anxiety free when I'm home by myself. Hell, I can't even come to this site when other family members are around. :
:What Tiercel said. It doesn't affect me when I have to speak in front of a larger group of people. Whenever I am to give a presentation, I usually am very relaxed, calm; When people ask me to explain something, I tend to forget that it's a social situation I am in. -- Those are basically the only situations it doesn't affect me. In most other situations it is very debilitating.