What triggers you anxiety the easiest and how do you handle it?

[Hannes]

I was just wondering, what triggers your anxiety to increase the most? We all have certain triggers which get our anxiety going and these triggers can be very varied, anything from walking alone or having to go to the shop.

What stimulus or situation is your trigger and how do you choose to respond to it?

 

[Teh Unforgiven]

Being away from the computer or PS3.
It's like they're my best friends.::

 

[BlackPuma]

When people assume I'm stupid because they misunderstand what I'm trying to tell them. My way of communication is a little odd in real life. Or when they accidentally happen to step on one of my insecurities.

 

[Ritta]

My anxiety gets really high when an authority figure asks me something. It could be something insignificant, but for some reason I always feel like I've done something wrong. If I'm talking to a security guard or a policeman, they get suspicious and start asking me more questions, which makes things even worse. That's when I start to shake and sweat and I cannot speak properly. I could probably get arrested for something I haven't done, if I don't control my anxiety. ::

The only way to handle this that sometimes works for me is to not look at them directly, look past them and pretend I'm talking to someone else. ::

 

[BugsyShamone]

.....The only way to handle this that sometimes works for me is to not look at them directly, look past them and pretend I'm talking to someone else

That's actually a very good idea! I see people doing that all the time and strangely it does look very "natural" Makes people look distracted or like they're thinking very hard about something, but it doesn't make them look "suspicious"


Talking to people is my biggest trigger - especially spontaneous conversation where I have to "think" of what to say. Makes me feel like this:

 

[blushy]

talking to the opposite gender (especially if they are very good looking), talking infront of many people and eye contact. I get all red in the face and start sweating like I ran 50 km... and the worst part, my brain freezes and I have no idea what to say.
Afterwards I feel like they thought I was weird or stupid.

Anyway, the way I deal with my triggers is through avoidance. If I do happen to stumble upon someone I knew before I got SA (that was 5 years ago), I just pretend like I am in a hurry, and cut the conversation short. Many people interpret that as being rude, so I end up cutting all the ties I ever had with the human race.



Geez I need to deal with my SA fast.