Seeing someone you know

[krs2snow]

Does anybody else- when you see someone you know, like at a store or something- hightail it outta there?! I saw this guy I know today at the store and my first reaction was to make a B-line for the exit! I decided I'd go back to the store later! And he's a friend. I haven't seen him for a while but why did I run off?!! Anyone else do this?

 

[NothingElseMatters]

yeah i often do this especially when i see someone that i haven't seen for a long time .i actually pretend that i don't see him/her.i don't know why i react like that but after i do it i realize that its very weird!!!i mean it seems simple to just say hi to person you know but it's not :?

 

[Kien]

Hi snowy :3. I do this sometimes, when it's a classmate I don't talk with or something like that. :/

 

[Argamemnon]

Yes, I do that too. I think it's because we are ashamed of ourselves and our pathetic lives.

 

[krs2snow]

Yeah, well, I just ran outta the store and then I felt like an idiot as I drove away! I should have just shopped! Now I have to go back tomorrow and who knows who I will see then! Lol! Erg!

 

[txblondgrl]

This just happened to me 2 days ago. I was going to the grocery store to pick up some meds in the drive thru and I saw an old friend of mine that I hadn't seen in years. I almost rolled down the window and called out her name, but something stopped me and I didn't. I just kept on driving. Then I was tempted to go in the store instead of driving thru, so I could talk to her, and I stopped myself again. I'm really not sure why. She would have been thrilled to see me. I guess I just didn't want to deal with the "catching up" talk. How to you explain what's been going on for the past 5-7 years since you've seen someone?

 

[PhantomPod]

Oh, I so do that. It really is quite strange, because for a second I will be happy to see them, but almost automatically that thought turns to panic and I run and hide.

Even if I do make myself stick around to say hi to the person, I'm never the first one to say "hi." I wait until they look up and see me and act surprised then I act all surprised to see them too (even though I spotted them 10 minutes ago lol) as we both say hi to each other.

 

[Day_Tripper]

If I'm walking towards someone I know, like a neighbor, I have to act like I don't see them until I'm like 10 feet away, otherwise it's like "WTF can I do when I'm 30 feet away? Wave??" lol

 

[livingnsilence]

I try to avoid them when I run into them.

 

[Zarrix]

Yeah I know how everybody here feels. I went to the supermarket today, I reckon I saw 3 or 4 people which I knew, but hadn't seen in a long time. When I saw these people, I faced the floor, walked quickly and didn't speak (not that they would in the first place anyway). Then I worry that they notice my symptoms =(

 

[slimjim119]

I always avoid people I know that I haven't seen in a while. It's the same old questions about how your life is going. And it feels like you have to make yourself sound great. Am I suppose to say I feel like crap because of SA,Which this person never knew I had in the first place.

 

[IWouldPreferNotTo]

I used to totally avoid people I knew in public places. Now I confront the situation head-on. If I'm in the vicinity of the person I just walk up to them and say 'hi' and get the awkwardness out of the way. It works a lot better.

 

[Zarrix]

I don't see any point in speaking to people you only know a little bit. Like an old classmate (unless they say hello first). But you will get anxious thinking that they will notice your anxiety.

On the otherhand, if its a close friend, or family, I will usually tough it out. Means I still get anxiety, but Ill go up and say hello.

 

[Luna]

I've asked this same question in another thread. I hate going to public places and my SA explains why I always run the other way when I see someone I know. It's always been very bad for me and limits my life in so many ways. I can't even walk dowtown because I fear I'll see someone I know, and they'll think "why is she here...she looks funny"

One time my boyfriend and I were going to have lunch at a chinese restaurant. When I pulled into the parking lot, I saw my co-workers car in the parking lot. I left the restaurant and told my boyfriend I wasn't hungry (even though I was starved and wanted to eat there). All because I was afraid of seeing this co-worker.

I do this all the time. On the otherhand, I feel more comfortable if I'm goin to place full of strangers. Shit, I even moved to Asia on my own and everyone thought that was so brave. But put me in my hometown and i'm scared to go to Target.

 

[tool1919]

Yeh i hate it too. My automatic response now is to get really anxious and i'm scared that they'll see it. However, i find that if i tough it out for a bit then i realise i'm not in such a threatening situation and i calm down a fair bit and can converse. It's that initial awkwardness that i hate.

 

[IceLad]

I hate it when I spot someone I know coming towards me from a distance. I feel so uncomfortable, and don't know what to do with myself in those seemingly mega long moments before you get close enough to wave or say hello.

 

[coriander1992]

I'm like that, I try to avoid and hide from anybody I know if I see them out...no clue why, because most of them I know well enough to talk to! :roll: :lol: