Just how severe is my SA?

Zarrix

Well-known member
I have heard the cases of some other people around here, they seem slightly worse than mine. At least I could finish high school, go to work everyday, conjure energy to answer a telephone, make a speech in front of a class, go out to certain places etc. Albeit I feel very anxious whilst I am doing any of these things, and prone to mistake making, especially at the gaze of others.

I am not depressed, at least very rarely. I always find something positive to salvage from the sometimes horrible debris.
Here is some of the things I have trouble doing

-Saying hello to strangers and people I semi-know. Hell, I even have trouble saying hello to my parents if I run into them in public.
-Saying goodbye.
-Saying Please and thankyou.
-Walking past groups of young males, young, attractive females or authority figures.
-I have to use the private toilet bowls in public toilets, I can't stand the thought of exposing my privates to other, judging males. I physically cannot piss without being closed behind a door.
-Going to certain places alone, movies, beach, etc.
-Sitting in the centre of a shopping centre alone, so many stares and judgements
-Purchasing an item (any item) from the shelves of a store, I always check that the aisle is empty. I don't want people judging me on what I buy.
-Queuing up purchasing items
-Anxiety at checkout, try to escape as quick as possible, sometimes forget
to grab purchased items, change etc.
-I become so nervous when people stare at me at work, judging me, and putting me under pressure.
-I become especially nervous when loud males or attractive females work around me. I lose all commonsense and concentration to the task.
-Always analyse and have a 'post mortem' of all social situations.
-Stutter and mumble
-Don't try to engage in random conversation, try and avoid expressing emotion.
-Never reveal what I do at home to anyone but my best friends.
-Don't listen to music aloud, or watch TV in front of most people, unless it is approved, and I am certain I will not receive a negative judgement.
-Don't like being the centre of attention, like to do jobs in the background.
-Sometimes , I avoid potentially anxiety provoking situations. If not possible, my body just freezes and movements are very stiff.
-Double check my clothing, making sure I have put it on correctly and am not revealing anything potentially judgemental about myself.
-I usually become sad if something socially negative happens to me, which is quite often.
-If someone forces me into a potentially anxiety provoking event, I try and find a way out of it at all costs.
-I feel I can never say the right thing.
-Silence is considered the worst failure of all, worse than a disagreement even.
-Prefer to do things myself, rather than seek help. Seeking help is a sign of inferiority, even if the task is beyond you,
-Having someone tell you what to do is embarrassing, but you don't use your own initative that often because it could be wrong, and potentially negatively judged apon.

Physical Symptoms
-Blushing
-Faster heart rate
-Thumping heart beat
-Mild sickness
-Stiffness, muscle freezing.
-Walk disturbance.
-Trembling

Mental
-Avoidance behavioiur
-Sole-focus on people around me
-Lack of concentration
-Become extremely self conscious
-Mind goes blank.


It seems fairly severe to me, I struggle to participate in any social situation/outing and when I need to, I am very tense. I want to seek help on this problem, but where to start. I don't have enough money yet to go to a high-end psychiatrist so would my local GP be a good place to start?
 

lifes_to_long

Well-known member
to be honest I wouldn't waste your time with GP's they just kind of agree with what your saying a brief diagnosis but nothing worth the stress of going there in the first place.
 

lifes_to_long

Well-known member
also to say how bad your SA is a hard one I think I'd be most definately be right in saying that there all traits we can understand and go through but I spose its impossible to know to what extent someone is suffering but theres people here who can help more than the doctors from my experience (apart from the fakers)urghh.
 

miss_amy

Well-known member
You sound a bit like I feel. Some people don't know I have this problem , even some close family members don't know. I try so hard to hide it. I feel like everyone is a threat, trust no one and if they know about my anxiety then they have an extra weapon to get me. More and more things happen along my life that make me feel sure I'm right. People that seem nice, then turn and be horrible, or use me for something.

I have a real problem seeing my GP about this. I do not want it written on my records. People have access to records, local people who work in doctors, insurance policies have asked to record access and even jobs I've been for. Worries me my ex might be able to use this as a reason to take my kids, just to be nasty. His parents went for custody when he left me, just to be nasty and told lies in court. Also my mother has extreme mental health probs and I feel the doctors will just assume I'm like her. Shes not had very sympathetic treatment in the past.

I have seen a private psychologist. It was about £25 a time (couple of years ago) and did help a lot. Was expensive, had to have a lot of sessions digging in to why I have this. I have got a lot better than I was but I still have it...sometimes worse than others.
 

jaidacoy

Member
this is me totally ^ in your description. its really sad for us... and u get really embaressed and ashamed of it. it hurts so bad because we end up pushin away even the ones we really care about... and everything debilitates you.

im so sorry for u.. but we will get through this.. DONT FIGHT IT! work with it

and learn how to stop it..... try CBT
 
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