Just wondering, did you always have SA/SP?

[Silentknight]

No when I was little I tried being outgoing but it backfired horribly and since middle school I've have social anxiety.

 

[hoddesdon]

What UnOccupied has said in his post preceding this one is true. There is a mental prison aspect.

For myself, I was eighteen-and-a-half, which seems to be later than most; like the majority, I did have a "before-time".

 

[JosephG]

Totally agree with your post unoccupied. I believe if you can free your thoughts you will be less anxious and more social in practice. The problem is you thinking about your SA...
That summed up my feelings about SA at the moment...

 

[userremoved]

Don't know what else to say, im just frustrated that i can't communicate exactly how dumb and fake social anxiety is to you all

Thats the thing. I think the majority of people with SA/SP know deep down inside how irrational their beliefs are. Which is what leads to feelings of inferiority. The thought process would be like "I can't believe I'm afraid of this, that proves something is wrong with me".

 

[JamesSmith]

Yes, the older i got the worse it got. It got so bad now I'm in hiding and have been for about 4 or 5 years. The only thing I'm willing to do is work, donate plasma, or go to stores to get things i need. Socializing with friends isn't in my world right now.

 

[Mystic-Biscuit]

I've had it since my early teens, though from 16-18 it didn't feel as strong and controlling, not entirely sure why --I kept myself very busy with work cos I was applying for uni, and I suppose starting to drink might also have something to do with it....

 

[Illusions]

Had it since birth, thus f**ked from the very beginning. I have gotten better over the years though.

 

[Mercedes]

As far back as I can remember, yes. My earliest memory in second grade when I noticed and was thinking about it in the school yard that I didn't know how to play or fit in like the other children. I was always alone and afraid of the other children for the most part.

 

[BlueDays]

No. For the first 8 years of my life I did not have any thoughts akin to worrying about what any person thought of me.

 

[Mercedes]

I don't think I ever cared what other people thought of me (never really thought about it), and still don't. My social phobia is related to not knowing how to engage well with other, in a social context and inhibits my interactions with others.

 

[Pookah]

Always have been this way.

 

[carsickcars]

I've had SA/depression for as long as I can remember, and it keeps getting worse.

 

[UnOccupied]

.....weird

 

[R3K]

It seems like MOST of us weren't born with social anxiety. I mean, its not like we were conceived, and the doctor said, ok, this kid...he/she def. needs to have SA, they deserve it...HAHA, what a joke! We all just learned these stupid self conscious habits. I don't know about you guys, but now that i am in the process of, and almost at the point of overcoming SA, i realize it is something that CAN be managed and dealt with. The trickiest part is that the feelings of SA are SO strong that we believe them as the truth. They are so far from it! For me, its weird...its like i get nervous about being nervous. Like, i'm nervous about people thinking i'm anxious and scared of what they think of me. Just because i feel anxious this happens, its so irrational and dumb. I just hope you all realize you can overcome this, you just need some willpower and find out what works for you.

The biggest help for me has been realizing that i focus 100% of my thoughts ALL DAY on anxiety, and making sure i appear normal to everyone else. Now, i would say i focus about 40% of my thoughts on anxiety, maybe even 30%, doesn't matter.

Don't know what else to say, im just frustrated that i can't communicate exactly how dumb and fake social anxiety is to you all, and i want you all to feel this power and energy i feel about my life now that i know who's in control. Good day to you all!

SAD is fake if you've got half a life of non-SAD experiences to reference it against; it's just an obstacle, an impedement that can be overcome with work and effort. For me SAD is a lifestyle, it's my reality.

I have small moments of success in social circumstances where the SAD is gone briefly and I'm just awestruck. It's like a wave of energy washing over me. Being high on drugs is the only equivalent i can think of (though I've never done them before). This is what's fake and mythological to me, because each of those rare social phobia-free moments is like catching a leprachaun. Hopefully I can get well enough that it's the other way around, with the social phobic moments dwindling to rare, sporadic occurances. Hopefully before I die ::. Everyone percieves their SAD differently based on their circumstances. By my perspective, I have to transform into a "fake" person to beat the SAD.

 

[DespairSoul]

No, i dont have my childhood was ok only trauma that i lost my dad, my sis went apart too i stay only with mom,i had always really some good frends. I never had bunch of them because i didnt click with everyone and this is impossible anyway.

My issues start around 7 class degree that i was picked for bullying in school but i was strong and going over it because i was thinking they are silly anyway and calling me names make them feel better. I was crying out home to my pillow but i didnt said to my mom because she is to much overprotective and if i will say it she will go to school and scream on them and embarrasing me more.

But real problems with fit in and click with people i start to have on highschool i dont like parting on groups i better always like to have few good frends. As u know in schools is always parting on groups and i think is really pointless this ones are emos and this ones skaters and whatever i wasnt really never up to that. Again i was picked for calling names and bullying on highschool and i start be anxious about going to toalet school, bufet whatever,autobus. I guess i was always sensitive person and badly taking crititc even if was for my good. I start isolate me and stop going to school because i couldnt take it people anymore around me,in those times my best frend stop talking to me and my other frends was going to other school because they didnt like either this school where we was. I couldnt just join to society anymore and being isolated was only think what was helping to me. By the way in the pub i was always the one who dont have fun(because i was feeling tensed) i dont know i was seeing that like avoiding because my mom wasnt never allowing me that and make drama if she find out i was somewhere drinking or going out where is alcohol.

 

[The LostOne]

My experience is pretty much like the OP, I always had SA to some degree but used to cope with it much better.
I think its more to do with how often your in social situations and how often you talk with people. I guess when your younger your forced into those situations more often which makes it more normal and easier to cope with as you get older its easier to withdraw and avoid social situations which in the end makes things worse when you do have to face them.

 

[craaazyflamingo]

I honestly feel like I've had it for my whole life, becuase I've always had the anxiety. But I don't exactly know.

 

[WeirdyMcGee]

I was never a shy child, but yes- I felt social anxiety and had frequent panic attacks.
I had only 'developed'(for lack of a word) agoraphobia in highschool.

 

[FadeToBlack]

I think so. At least, even as a kid I felt a bit of an outsider.

 

[Confuseddd]

Na, I was actually quite popular as a kid and for some of my teen years. Sometime around the beginning of my 10th grade year is when it really started hitting me that something was wrong. I had no idea what exactly was wrong though for a long long time.