O.K, Just wanted to post this somewhere in case it doesn't get accepted as a story:-
This is slightly rambly, but I really feel that this needs to be read, I hope that it makes some sense:-
O.K, I wan to start out by highlighting the fact that the terms which are used with this forum, such as ‘Social Anxiety Disorder’ etc. are labels used by psychiatrists as a means of helping themselves to describe a range of complex emotions and behavioural characteristics. As brutal as this sounds, I really believe that we place these labels on ourselves because its almost easier to submit yourself to one of these definitions than to really examine what you’re feeling.
I admit, when at 15 I started to feel isolated and my friends seemed to be slipping away, I broke down crying reading all these symptoms for ‘Social Anxiety Disorder’ and ‘Avoidant Disorder’ etc. I found on the Internet because I felt almost as if what I felt ‘made sense’. But suddenly, I stopped seeing myself as a real person and became someone with this ‘Disorder’ which I deluded myself that I couldn’t escape, and the more I read about it, the more I resigned myself to this ‘disease’ believing almost that my life was ‘over’ because of it.
Its taken me almost four years to actually realise that to be honest, this ‘Social Anxiety’ term basically meant nothing, because the truth was that there is and was no medical term to define what I was feeling: same with everyone else here. We’ve all had some awful experiences which have harmed our confidence and self esteem, and hence have led us to feel that we cannot interact with people. But everyone on this forum is completely different, and a medical term can’t be used to describe or define the behaviour of so many complex and different individuals.
I’ve heard people in this forum talk about getting a ‘cure’ and becoming ‘normal’, and there lies one of the many risks of adopting these definitions, because there is no-one on this forum who is not normal; not to be patronising but I’ve seen that you’re all compassionate, and sensitive and you care about people. Just because we see, feel or respond to things differently from others, this does not make us ‘abnormal’, or whatever. This issue of ‘Social Anxiety’ or any of the other terms used is really a symptom of a fundamental problem with low SELF ESTEEM, which has led to this belief that you cannot interact, and its this issue of self esteem and not the idea of ‘Social Phobia’ which should therefore be focused on.
If you look around, you’ll notice that the people who perhaps you admire, because of their social skills aren’t necessarily ‘gifted’ with these fantastic skills of communication that you don’t have, but they have a confidence which comes from basically liking themselves for who they are, and that’s why its easy for them talk, even about absolute nonsense, very comfortably. They may not always ‘say the right thing’ or ‘perform’ well in every situation, and they probably suck at a number of things, but they recover and accept these flaws and still like who they are.
I think so much time is spent fixating about this idea of some ‘disorder’ that you can start to consume yourself with worry about it and lose perspective. But the real problem is not that anyone here is unable to have a conversation or to do it well, its that somewhere along the lines, something has happened which has affected your perceptions of yourself to the extent that you feel that you cannot do it, and this is basically again a product if low confidence.
If you seriously want to overcome this, you need to talk to someone about it and regain some perspective on your situation; as terrifying as it may be, you will not regret it. First thing this person will probably tell you is to throw the label of ‘Social Phobia’ out of the window and really start to look at YOURSELF. What do you think of yourself? Why do you feel that way? When you start really answering these questions and rebuilding your self esteem you’ll realise that the concept of ‘Social Phobia’ is exactly that, it’s a concept which honestly doesn’t apply to a three dimensional person.
In conclusion… Probably like most people here (but not to generalise), I think in my own way, I don’t like following crowds because frankly, a lot of the time I’m more comfortable alone! I’m an introvert, I’m intelligent, and I may never ‘fit in’ because I don’t fit a set mould. That’s just the way I am: but it doesn’t mean I can’t have friends or have fun, I just don’t have to be the ‘life of the party’.
Anyway, I think it takes a lot of bravery to acknowledge that you’re different and not just accept, but actually like that. I’m not saying that (having been through counselling) I don’t have insecurities and that I’m suddenly ‘cured’, because the true solution for these problems is really knowing and liking yourself, and that’s a gradual process that doesn’t just happen by magic- But it will happen. There’s no quick-fix to low self esteem, which is the real issue that exists here, but the first step is to talk to someone about it that might help you understand the root of what you’re feeling.
Anyway, I hope that helped at least someone, sorry for the length of this ‘essay’ and I hope it wasn’t too rambly to follow! I blame too much time spent paying attention in English Lit when I should’ve been thinking about boys or makeup or summing =S!! LOL! (Jokes) xx
xx cutekoala