Some ways that my SA affects me.

[DeathMetal]

I'm sure these are from a combination of my shyness, depression, and SA but here goes.

-I can't sign my name legibly while someone is watching, I just feel a rush of anxiety. I can write down the first letter just fine, but after that it's basically scribbles. If the person happens to be looking away, even then I rush so I finish before they look back.

-I tend to talk too fast, and might stutter a word here and there. This is one of the reasons that I am so quiet. Seems like I really have to put in effort just to talk normally. If I have to say something, I try to say it in the fewest amount of words possible.

-I am a guy with long hair and can't let my hair down in public, I would feel very uncomfortable. It just has to be tied back. Even at home, around my family I have it tied back all the time.

 

[Dronee]

My anxiety used to be encompassing. Nowadays, I handle most social interactions easily. I've still issues about certain kinds of work where there is very high pressure and risks of being humiliated or severely injured.

Of all my jobs, I like being a pharmacist assistant and candy floss maker the best I think. Yeah...

 

[Noca]

My SA makes me appear rude, stuck up and asocial to people. I really can't help it.

 

[BlackKids]

I'm sure these are from a combination of my shyness, depression, and SA but here goes.

-I can't sign my name legibly while someone is watching, I just feel a rush of anxiety. I can write down the first letter just fine, but after that it's basically scribbles. If the person happens to be looking away, even then I rush so I finish before they look back.

-I tend to talk too fast, and might stutter a word here and there. This is one of the reasons that I am so quiet. Seems like I really have to put in effort just to talk normally. If I have to say something, I try to say it in the fewest amount of words possible.

-I am a guy with long hair and can't let my hair down in public, I would feel very uncomfortable. It just has to be tied back. Even at home, around my family I have it tied back all the time.

Lots of people find it hard to write in public. Same with any anxieties you may be have, just keep doing them till it doesn't become a problem anymore (even if the anxiety is still there). You can write the first letter so next time try for 2 etc etc. Don't hurry up when you think they aren't watching, instead wait until they are watching then continue.

Everyone trips up over their words now and again. Its perfectly normal. I thought maybe I might have a stutter but it was all nerves. Just don't let it upset you

Alot of guys/girls like long hair and find it sexy. Been thinking about growing mine out again but if you dont like it long then cut it. Simples

 

[DeathMetal]

Lots of people find it hard to write in public. Same with any anxieties you may be have, just keep doing them till it doesn't become a problem anymore (even if the anxiety is still there). You can write the first letter so next time try for 2 etc etc. Don't hurry up when you think they aren't watching, instead wait until they are watching then continue.

Everyone trips up over their words now and again. Its perfectly normal. I thought maybe I might have a stutter but it was all nerves. Just don't let it upset you

Alot of guys/girls like long hair and find it sexy. Been thinking about growing mine out again but if you dont like it long then cut it. Simples

It's not that I don't like my hair long, I think having it out would bring too much attention to me and I don't like that.

 

[recluse]

I can relate to the signing my name in front of someone, mine also becomes a scribble because my hand is so stiff and shakey, also get sweat on the paper!

I often mumble and have trouble talking clearly.

I'm intimidated by most people.

My legs turn to jelly, my arms become stiff, my back tenses, i sweat a lot, i get tunnel vision, feel dizzy, my voice becomes shakey.

I have tattoos but i keep them hidden, they are on my upper arms anyway.

 

[Maya23]

I can definitely relate, especially to the writing in public. What I have trouble doing (which I have to do often) is writing checks.

So I just started cognitive behavioral therapy, and in the third session, the doctor had a blank paper and clipboard on the couch next to me. I freaked out when I saw it because I thought he was going to make me write a story or something in front of him. Instead he just had me sign my name. Then he told me to concentrate on how I was feeling while signing my name. I kept doing this all the way down the page. He also told me to try doing it slower, emphasizing that is wasn't the content or how it looked that I should concentrate on. He said I should just concentrate on the ways I was tensing up while writing. I noticed that my hands were sweaty, and I would cross my legs and tense my arms and neck. As I kept writing, I really tried to relax.
So now my homework until the next session is to just write my name in front of a friend just the length of a page. It sounds easy but it is really embarrassing! However, I am now finding ways to relax while I'm doing it. So it doesn't seem like the fear is going away too quickly, but I am finding ways to relieve how tense I get while doing it. I think the fear will start to fade as I find ways to relax while doing this.

Oh yeah, also long hair on guys definitely looks very good I think!!

 

[DeathMetal]

I can definitely relate, especially to the writing in public. What I have trouble doing (which I have to do often) is writing checks.

So I just started cognitive behavioral therapy, and in the third session, the doctor had a blank paper and clipboard on the couch next to me. I freaked out when I saw it because I thought he was going to make me write a story or something in front of him. Instead he just had me sign my name. Then he told me to concentrate on how I was feeling while signing my name. I kept doing this all the way down the page. He also told me to try doing it slower, emphasizing that is wasn't the content or how it looked that I should concentrate on. He said I should just concentrate on the ways I was tensing up while writing. I noticed that my hands were sweaty, and I would cross my legs and tense my arms and neck. As I kept writing, I really tried to relax.
So now my homework until the next session is to just write my name in front of a friend just the length of a page. It sounds easy but it is really embarrassing! However, I am now finding ways to relax while I'm doing it. So it doesn't seem like the fear is going away too quickly, but I am finding ways to relieve how tense I get while doing it. I think the fear will start to fade as I find ways to relax while doing this.

Oh yeah, also long hair on guys definitely looks very good I think!!

I think what I am going to try is just to write my signature over and over, while really concentrating on relaxing. I will put effort into making every letter perfect.

 

[Lost Girl]

Argh I have a similar problem to the writing. I get really anxious and nervous when I use my keycard at the shop - when pushing in my pin number into the thingy - I get so embarrassed for some reason and get all hot-flushy. 10-Fold if the shopkeeper is watching me while I do it, which they almost always do >.<

Looking up when there is an oncoming group of people while walking in the street or shops makes me sooo anxious as well. I start fiddling with my hands and pretend to look at something on the street, ussually to the left. I must look SO awkward.

Also standing at the traffic lights waiting to cross :[. And then crossing the street - I hate that all those people in their cars are looking at me, and sometimes I get so conscious of people watching me walk that I start doing it wrong. I feel like I take my steps to long or short and that it just looks weird. And walking along the footpath while the on-coming cars have a red light is another thing. They're all sitting there waiting for the red light to turn green with nothing else to do so of course they're going to stare at the awkward girl walking along the street :[.

I have days where I don't even care about these things, but 8 times out of 10, its a nightmare.

 

[Masychefx2]

SA actually causes me to feel physical pain not just emotional the stress caused by my SA causes random areas of pain on my body which vary in location day to day and depeding how stressed out im feeling.

 

[lunarla]

I think the biggest thing for me is just the exhaustion from being around people/in social situations. When I was going to public school, it was basically like (and I'll use a cliche here) I was running on empty. I'd just sleep through the weekend (which was no where near enough rest) and have to start it all over again. This eventually made everything reaaaally heightened and very unstable. Basically brought me to my worst depressive state and I just had to drop public school and do independent stuff. Since then I've felt the most stable emotionally since I can remember, yet less overall productive.

 

[bigrob]

I feel you bro...right up to the love of death metal \m/ \m/


I can't stand to have anyone around me while I'm one the computer. I'm not doing anything....but just having someone nearby watching drives me up a wall.

If my wife and I go to a restaurant I am picky about sitting. It must be a booth, I can't have anyone behind me, and I must be able to see the door.

Actually I don't like people behind me period.

 

[taylor1234]

I'm a pretty good tumbler but when a bunch of people that are also tumblers are watching me I literally trip over my feet in the middle of the tumbling pass.

 

[bent_soul]

-Wow, I cannot sign my name or fill in any document while being watched either.

-I cannot stand and talk to someone if they are too close or at a wrong uncomfortable angle to me.

-Law enforcement, just forget it, anything in a uniform just shuts me down and I feel like I am suffering from electric shocks all over my body, everything will turn black & white and I will either start spinning, vomit, or pass out. But that happens almost out of no where anytime. I use to be a security officer so ya, weird I know.

-Making eye contact while someone is talking to me even if know them well, will start an attack.

 

[Lionheart]

Many girls think i love them but i dont because i get nervouse as hell it doesnt matter if somebody is looking good or not good...i cant control it if im long in a public place it goes more worse and im getting tired.

 

[Tuco]

I almost always have an angry look on my face when I'm in public places. I guess it's some kind of defense mechanism because being around people intimidates me.

 

[32belly]

My SA makes me appear rude, stuck up and asocial to people. I really can't help it.

Yep. Hear this all the time.

 

[EscapeArtist]

Oh wow. Lots to list.
1. I feel intimidated by anybody, and thus become a completely different person. I may mirror their own personality back to them in order to make sure they don't judge me, (or they'd be judging themselves mwahaha),
2.I come off as annoyed or pissed off all the time when i'm just sad I can't join in on conversations that are appealing..
3.When i'm put into a class I deserve to be in (English challenge, for example) I feel too intimidated to hand in the work. I do the work, I just don't hand it in, and I end up feeling horrible that I wasn't able to join in on all the lovely conversations upper level classes have. I constantly feel misplaced because of this.
4.I don't go anywhere, hah, dur.
5.I'm afraid to do anything that I have put my own standards on, because my standards are so high that I'm afraid to face myself, so I ditch my interests and things that keep me healthy .
5. I don't tell anybody my feelings, and I'm often mean to those I'm jealous of for being able to guiltlessly reveal their emotional selves...Vulnerability is an evil to me it seems. Sorry family..
For some reason, I feel as if i'm being too obnoxious to continue.

 

[Hannes]

This tends to be a very common problem for sufferers of SA or GAD and if one lets the smaller things like signing your name in public become a problem to the extent that it begins to work on you subconciously then you are opening the door for it to develop even further into other issues.

Why not try using a mental exercise like the Bagha to program a subconcious anchor point which can be used without anybody being aware you are using it to be able to relax on the spot and rid yourself of this type of anxiety.

Hope this helps a bit.

Regards,

Hannes

 

[sevenroses]

Social anxiety makes me struggle and feel stressed throughout day to day work. Working with managers cam also be torture. Going out can also be stressful at times.