self diagnosis of social anxiety

[Frank Grimes]

,
http://www.socialphobia.org/whatis.html

honestly after reading that it really hits homes, i always kinda knew i was that bad and tried in my head to deny it, but some of those cases are almost identicle to what i deal with everyday, somedays i have good days and arnt to bad. well at least now i can label what im feeling and hope to oneday improve but i dont want to see a psychiatrist or go on any drugs. sometimes when im out in public i just need to tell myself to relax and stop stressing but its hard.


does anyone else have to deal with this? or have low level anxiety

 

[Bobby Sands]

^^You mean shyness.Or anxiety in social situations?

 

[Frank Grimes]

A woman hates to stand in line in the grocery store because she's afraid that everyone is watching her. She knows that it's not really true, but she can't shake the feeling. While she is shopping, she is conscious of the fact that people might be staring at her from the big mirrors on the inside front of the ceiling. Now, she has to talk to the person who's checking out her groceries. She tries to smile, but her voice comes out weakly. She's sure she's making a fool of herself. Her self-consciousness and anxiety rise to the roof...






In public places, such as work, meetings, or shopping, people with social anxiety feel that everyone is watching, staring, and judging them (even though rationally they know this isn't true). The socially anxious person can't relax, "take it easy", and enjoy themselves in public. In fact, they can never fully relax when other people are around. It always feels like others are evaluating them, being critical of them, or "judging" them in some way. The person with social anxiety knows that people don't do this openly, of course, but they still feel the self-consciousness and judgment while they are in the other person's presence. It's sometimes impossible to let go, relax, and focus on anything else except the anxiety and fear. Because the anxiety is so very painful, it's much easier just to stay away from social situations and avoid other people altogether.





well thoses 2 scenarios i can really relate to. just the feelings like i cant relax like everyones judging me constantly 24hours a day. but shyness is apart of it or related

 

[Valeoz]

It's all insecurity with people. You don't need any therapy or medication. Learn to fill good about yourself because having this type of anxiety is you confirming in your mind that you have to be perfect to others. But in reality you are not, and you need to confirm to yourself that you are not and will never be, thus you should not care what people think about you. Be happy with who you are because the person you're with or around may be alot worse, they're not perfect either.

 

[Preach]

It's all insecurity with people. You don't need any therapy or medication. Learn to fill good about yourself because having this type of anxiety is you confirming in your mind that you have to be perfect to others. But in reality you are not, and you need to confirm to yourself that you are not and will never be, thus you should not care what people think about you. Be happy with who you are because the person you're with or around may be alot worse, they're not perfect either.

no. social anxiety is an endless paradox. you want it to end, and you know what the first step is, you just don't want to take it out of fear for losing a part of yourself, or losing.. something.

you make it sound a lot more easier than i can assure you that it is. i actually have a personal friend of mine who is on his fourth year on the way to becoming a psychologist. right now they're dealing with social anxiety in school, and we had a talk about it. it's not as easy as you make it sound.

i guess the problem is that while people with social anxiety might want to feel better, it's not always so easy to know what steps to take. at least without some sort of help. the main concern you have when you suffer from this condition, is that you are afraid and insecure most of the time. you feel judged by everyone, even though you know it's not true.

when you have something like social anxiety, which actually isn't just a figment of your imagination, it's not always so easy to come clean to people you know. you don't want your parents to think they raised you in a bad way, or had a bad influence on you, or didn't have enough influence on your during your childhood at all. and you don't want to feel vulnerable and stupid because of something so embarassing in front of people you want to respect you. being as such, socially anxious people don't WANT to make a change, even though they know all they have to do is seek professional help.

either the anxiety is mild and you manage to live throughout your entire life with it, or it's critical, and you either a) get to the point where you're so fed up with feeling the way you do, that you get the motivation to do something about it, or b) you get to the point where the pain is so intense, your hope is so severly and utterly crushed, and you are so sure that there is done permanent damage to your personality that you can never redeem, that you say "fuck it" and and put one to the head.

you also have to understand that as have been said before, social anxiety rarely comes alone. there are secondary effects, there are bi-effects that come and go. depression, appetite problems, racing thoughts that makes it hard to sleep, which in turns gives you less energy, which works like fuel to a fire as far as depression and other mental conditions go.

depression makes it all the more hopeless. it sounds pretty obvious to me you don't/haven't suffer(ed) from social anxiety, so essentially, you have no idea what you are talking about.


EDIT:
----------------
http://www.socialphobia.org/fact.html#top
this part of the site backs me up on this and gives you a better understanding of the actual paradoxal problem.

 

[Jeremy]

In public places, such as work, meetings, or shopping, people with social anxiety feel that everyone is watching, staring, and judging them (even though rationally they know this isn't true). The socially anxious person can't relax, "take it easy", and enjoy themselves in public. In fact, they can never fully relax when other people are around. It always feels like others are evaluating them, being critical of them, or "judging" them in some way. The person with social anxiety knows that people don't do this openly, of course, but they still feel the self-consciousness and judgment while they are in the other person's presence. It's sometimes impossible to let go, relax, and focus on anything else except the anxiety and fear. Because the anxiety is so very painful, it's much easier just to stay away from social situations and avoid other people altogether.

http://www.socialphobia.org/whatis.html <----- I can relate to alot of those.



I don't feel like this at work but I do everywhere else. The only time I leave the house is to go to work 99% of the time. ARGGG. I have social anxiety disorder. I know this without a doctor telling me.

 

[Jokerman]

you make it sound a lot more easier than i can assure you that it is. i actually have a personal friend of mine who is on his fourth year on the way to becoming a psychologist. right now they're dealing with social anxiety in school and we had a talk about it. it's not as easy as you make it sound. i guess the problem is that while people with social anxiety might want to feel better, it's not always so easy to know the steps to take without theraphy. the main concern you have when you suffer from this condition is that you are afraid and insecure. you feel judged by everything and everyone, even though you know it's not true. however, when you have something like social anxiety, which actually isn't just a figment of your imagination, it's not always so easy to come clean to people you know. you don't want your parents to think they raised you in a bad way or had a bad influence on you or didn't have enough influence on your during your childhood. and you don't want to feel vulnerable and stupid because of something so embarassing in front of people you want to respect you. being as such, socially anxious people don't WANT to make a change even though they know all they have to do is seek professional help. either the anxiety is mild and you manage to live throughout your entire life with it, or it's strong, and you either a) get to the point where you're so fed up with feeling the way you do that you get the motivation to do something about it, or b) you get to the point where the pain is so intense, your hope is so severly and utterly crushed, and you are so sure that there is done permanent damage to your personality that you can never redeem, that you say fuck and and put one in the head. you also have to understand that like have been said before, social anxiety rarely comes alone. there are secondary effects, there are bi-effects that come and go. depression, appetite problems, racing thoughts that makes it hard to sleep which in turns gives you less energy which works like fuel to a fire as far as depression and other mental conditions go.

Next time, could you break what seems like one long sentence up into a few paragraphs. I was getting an anxiety disorder trying to read it.

 

[Jokerman]

Grimes, you think others are judging you because you are always judging you. You are your worst judge. Tell me, do you think there's something wrong with you in some way? Do you feel inadequate in some way?

 

[Valeoz]

depression makes it all the more hopeless. it sounds pretty obvious to me you don't/haven't suffer(ed) from social anxiety, so essentially, you have no idea what you are talking about.

I have an anxiety disorder running for 7 years. I occasionally take medication and been to therapy several times spanning more than 6 months.

What I said is going to be the same thing a psychologist is going to do to help you.

 

[BIG NASTY]

wow

since moving here to huntington i havent really met anyone and some of these examples of social anxiety are applying to me. im going to see a therapist.

 

[Dante]

self-diagnosis websites are such a joke.

 

[keco52]

I can speak from experience. I was treated (d.k. if I was actually diagnosed) for social anxiety in h.s. By treated I mean medicated. The medicine didn't help AT ALL. I would do things out of character...it was really weird, I would do things and then regret them later.

Anyway the best way to get over a fear is to face it...

And yes it's not easy and it's hard but after everytime it gets easier.
I still take medicine on an "as needed" basis because I worry too much and I get super paranoid about medical procedures and tests

 

[Tru Principle]

A student won't attend her university classes on the first day because she knows that in some classes the professor will instruct them to go around the room and introduce themselves.

Thats what I love about the first day of university.

 

[Illuminattile]

So who here doesn't have social anxiety?

Anyway, you should probably go to a doctor rather than relying on a website. It's easy to think you have something just from reading a description of the symptoms and thinking "Hey, I do that sometimes".

 

[BIG NASTY]

So who here doesn't have social anxiety?

Anyway, you should probably go to a doctor rather than relying on a website. It's easy to think you have something just from reading a description of the symptoms and thinking "Hey, I do that sometimes".

definently. but i've had some of these symptoms before i even found out about the internet. im glad it isn't as bad as it used to be though. like someone said you gotta man up and just face the fear straight up.

 

[S O F I]

So who here doesn't have social anxiety?

Anyway, you should probably go to a doctor rather than relying on a website. It's easy to think you have something just from reading a description of the symptoms and thinking "Hey, I do that sometimes".

:thumb:

 

[lii]

hey grimes, i got over social anxiety, it was the best and most rewarding thing ull ever do in ur life cuz u feel like ull NEVER get over it and its just the way u r but its not. i think u should goto a group therapy, thats what i did and i have to say it was hell stressful but thats the point. they teach u not only how to deal with social anxiety but how to deal with ALL anxiety and whoever said 'the best way to get over it is to face it' is so on point and thats what i know. the group therapy will make u nervous bcuz u have to do things u dont wanna do like speeches and weird things they make u do on the street except everyone in the group knows what ur dealing with so ur not alone. by the end of the course, i did a 5 minute speech infron of strangers in the hospital and i wasnt nervous at all. what i noticed tho is that immediately after the course - which was 3 weeks, 1 week on, 1 week off and 1 week on again - i didnt get over it but i had this friend who used to ask me out again and again and i really didnt wanna but i would bcuz i felt obliged and after a while i started realising how much i enjoyed being out with ppl and now i go out every weekend man the group was SOOOO worth it. my friend doesnt even realise she helped me i dont think. and i had this shit my whole life too and ive been over it for like 2 yrs, it happened within a few months after doing the course. u can get over it, the course taught me to not give a fuck basically bcuz ppl rarely do care when they see u and even if they think something negative about u, theyll forget about it in 5 minutes - bcuz dont we all? and how does it harm u anyway u know? to be honest i developed another anxiety after i got over that one, or it just came to surface after that bcuz i do recall feeling it at certain times in my life, but the course had taught me exactly how to deal with that one to and i got over it aswell! sorry this post was so long. u really learn how to lower ur anxiety when u feel a panic attack coming on - and everyone can use that. i hope u do something about it

 

[Preach]

Next time, could you break what seems like one long sentence up into a few paragraphs. I was getting an anxiety disorder trying to read it.

it's a bad habit. i do my best, but some times, eh?

anyway, i fixed it a little for the next reader.

So who here doesn't have social anxiety?

Anyway, you should probably go to a doctor rather than relying on a website. It's easy to think you have something just from reading a description of the symptoms and thinking "Hey, I do that sometimes".

guess there's a reason why so many of us come here indeed

when i read on that site i had a lot of hey-i-do-that. the site isn't meant to help you cure yourself though. rather, i think the point is for people to open their eyes to their condition and seek help. personally, i have contacted a therapist.

 

[Jokerman]

I have the opposite problem. Everyone is watching me, but i don't seem to notice. I go out of my way to be seen and heard. I have a social relaxation disorder. I'm too relaxed in social situations.

 

[lii]

haha! maybe ur just too stoned?